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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to
have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? |
#2
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:47:43 -0500, "Peter Olcott"
wrote: I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? Yes, if the card supports single drive spans. That's a very common feature on lower end raid cards but for one that can handle 24 drives I don't know. |
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
"kony" wrote in message ... On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:47:43 -0500, "Peter Olcott" wrote: I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? Yes, if the card supports single drive spans. That's a very common feature on lower end raid cards but for one that can handle 24 drives I don't know. I could not find anything about this on google [single drive spans] [single drive span] [drive span] |
#4
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:28:27 -0500, "Peter Olcott"
wrote: "kony" wrote in message .. . On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:47:43 -0500, "Peter Olcott" wrote: I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? Yes, if the card supports single drive spans. That's a very common feature on lower end raid cards but for one that can handle 24 drives I don't know. I could not find anything about this on google [single drive spans] [single drive span] [drive span] Look at the instruction manual for the card you're considering. A multi-drive span just creates a single logical volume that is the sum of the individual drive members. For example two 250GB drives in a multi-drive span would create a 500GB logical volume. Unlike RAID0 it doesn't stripe data across both drives, it starts at the begining of one and starts on the second after the end of the first. A single-drive span is one that only has one member in it, is typically how a drive is used on any non-raid controller. |
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
"kony" wrote in message ... On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:28:27 -0500, "Peter Olcott" wrote: "kony" wrote in message . .. On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:47:43 -0500, "Peter Olcott" wrote: I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? Yes, if the card supports single drive spans. That's a very common feature on lower end raid cards but for one that can handle 24 drives I don't know. I could not find anything about this on google [single drive spans] [single drive span] [drive span] Look at the instruction manual for the card you're considering. A multi-drive span just creates a single logical volume that is the sum of the individual drive members. For example two 250GB drives in a multi-drive span would create a 500GB logical volume. Unlike RAID0 it doesn't stripe data across both drives, it starts at the begining of one and starts on the second after the end of the first. A single-drive span is one that only has one member in it, is typically how a drive is used on any non-raid controller. I must keep the drives separate, yet not in any RAID configuration. What I must end up with is drive letters "C" through "Z". |
#6
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:29:18 -0500, "Peter Olcott"
wrote: A single-drive span is one that only has one member in it, is typically how a drive is used on any non-raid controller. I must keep the drives separate, yet not in any RAID configuration. What I must end up with is drive letters "C" through "Z". If the card supports 24 single drive spans, you would end up with drive letters C through Z. If the manual does not make both the factor of using single drive spans, AND supporting 24 of them clear, contact the manufacturer. |
#7
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
Peter Olcott wrote:
I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? This one mentions support for "single disk". 8 ports. Fastest IOP available as far as I know. About $600 each. http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA/series_4300.htm Paul |
#8
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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?
"Paul" wrote in message ... Peter Olcott wrote: I want to build a software based RAID system, and need to have simultaneous access to 24 drives. I will probably go with SAS controllers and SATA drives. From what I recall most drive controllers can only handle 4 drives, and most motherboards only have four fast PCI express slots. I need a way to hook up 24 drives to no more than 4 slots. One easy way would be to get a SAS controller card that can handle 24 drives without specifying a RAID level. Can this be done? This one mentions support for "single disk". 8 ports. Fastest IOP available as far as I know. About $600 each. http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA/series_4300.htm Paul Someone else recommended that I get one without an IOP, thus forcing the DMA controller to do the work. I am shooting for 2400 MB per second read speed on a single workstation. |
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