[nmglug] RAID5 - ATA vs SATA

[Nick Frost]

Tim Emerick wrote:

> Usage: General office/campus use as a samba file server.  About 150 PC's 
> connected to it with maybe 20-30 users max performing simultaneous 
> read/writes.  Activity is mostly database type with small read/writes.  
> Others are accessing office type documents.

I agree with Andres, in that you have a single channel to the controller 
for each SATA drive, not so with paired IDE drives on one controller, 
unless you buy an LSI or 3Ware RAID card for ATA.  So, one option would 
be to purchase a SATA controller, 3Ware cage, 4 drives, and a thermal 
alarm and retrofit your existing machine;

SYBA SD-SATA-4P PCI SATA Controller Card With optional RAID function - 
Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815124020

or if you want SATA II speed with PCI Express;

SYBA SD-SA2PEX-2IR PCI Express SATA II Controller Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815124027

3ware RDC-400-SATA Internal RAID Drive Expansion Cage - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817121302

110 Alert, temperature alarm for cases, making a noise when the temp 
inside your case reaches above 110F
http://www.directron.com/110alert.html

For a campus-wide solution, you could save yourself some trouble, get an 
optimized storage processor with faster I/O (and set the whole thing up 
in 15 minutes) if you get one of these;

Infrant ReadyNAS NV
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-reviews/infrant_readynas_nv
barebones version
http://www.amazon.com/ReadyNAS-RNV2-S4-0000-Special-Diskless-support/dp/B000JRSIG2/sr=8-1/qid=1165165989/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8476269-0425627?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

or the 1 Terabyte version for $1,000.00
http://www.amazon.com/Infrant-ReadyNAS-Seagate-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B000FFR4OK/sr=8-2/qid=1165165989/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-8476269-0425627?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

ReadyNAS benchmarks are described/posted here;

http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2723

At work we have a ReadyNAS 600 and it works reasonably well, is quite 
reliable, stable, etc.

-Nick

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Nicholas S. Frost
7 Avenida Vista Grande #325
Santa Fe, NM  87508
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