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Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 18th 08, 11:47 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Olcott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 86
Default 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  
Old September 19th 08, 02:05 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
kony
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,416
Default 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.
  #3  
Old September 19th 08, 03:28 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Olcott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 86
Default 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  
Old September 19th 08, 06:36 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
kony
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,416
Default 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.
  #5  
Old September 19th 08, 08:10 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13,364
Default 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

  #6  
Old September 19th 08, 12:29 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Olcott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 86
Default 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".


  #7  
Old September 19th 08, 12:35 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Olcott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 86
Default 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.


  #8  
Old September 19th 08, 07:59 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
kony
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,416
Default 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.
  #9  
Old September 27th 08, 06:09 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
~misfit~[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 330
Default Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?

Somewhere on teh intarwebs "kony" typed:
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.


Is this feature not what they call "JBOD" (Just a Bunch Of Disks)?
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)


  #10  
Old September 28th 08, 03:52 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Peter Olcott
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 86
Default Can RAID Controllers act as non RAID controllers?


"~misfit~" wrote in message
...
Somewhere on teh intarwebs "kony" typed:
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.


Is this feature not what they call "JBOD" (Just a Bunch Of
Disks)?


I don't think so. I think that JBOD links the disks together
into a single virtual drive.
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/...evels/jbod.htm

--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)



 




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