[geeks] DiskSuite configuration suggestions

[Bill Bradford]

Okay, we finally have a D1000 and controller card connected to the SunHELP
server.  Yay!

root at ohno:/> format
Searching for disks...done

AVAILABLE DISK SELECTIONS:
       0. c0t0d0 <QUANTUM-QM39100TD-SW-N491 cyl 7797 alt 2 hd 10 sec 228>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1/scsi at 1/sd at 0,0
       1. c2t0d0 <SUN18G cyl 7506 alt 2 hd 19 sec 248>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 0,0
       2. c2t1d0 <SUN18G cyl 7506 alt 2 hd 19 sec 248>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 1,0
       3. c2t2d0 <SUN18G cyl 7506 alt 2 hd 19 sec 248>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 2,0
       4. c2t3d0 <SUN18G cyl 7506 alt 2 hd 19 sec 248>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 3,0
       5. c2t8d0 <SUN9.0G cyl 4924 alt 2 hd 27 sec 133>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 8,0
       6. c2t9d0 <SUN36G cyl 24620 alt 2 hd 27 sec 107>
          /pci at 1f,0/pci at 1,1/scsi at 3/sd at 9,0

I've got some filesystems and meta database slices on 5 and 6 (a 9gig and
a 36gig).  

My question is - i've got the four 18G drives left.  Whats the best 
software RAID level that I can use for a good balance of performance
and reliability?  I first thought RAID-5, but then have read some 
newsgroup posts that say it *sucks* with big drives/partitions...

Thoughts?  Prior experience?  (DiskSuite 4.2.1 / Solaris 8)

Bill

-- 
Bill Bradford
mrbill at mrbill.net
Austin, TX