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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. |
#3
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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. |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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". |
#7
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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. |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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
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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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