[geeks] Anyone use this SATA controller in a PC

[kevin at pipeline.com]

Unless major changes have happened in the last year, it's very likely that the "RAID" functionally on that card is entirely created in it's Windows driver and not anywhere near the hardware level.

Last i checked, admittedly some time ago, 3Ware was one of the only SATA card manufactures that actually does RAID in hardware, and the price reflects so (a deal can occasionally be found on eBay).

/KRM


On Sat, Mar 08, 2008 at 10:36:32AM -0600, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> >From: Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net>
> >Date: 2008/03/08 Sat AM 10:15:01 CST
> >To: geeks at sunhelp.org
> >Subject: [geeks] Anyone use this SATA controller in a PC
> 
> >Hello all,
> >
> >I'm thinking of "pimping out" an old PowerEdge 4400 (dual PIII Xeon 1 GHz). I've currently got it full of 36 Gig SCSI drives, but I realized I could add one of my favorite 3x 3.5" SATA hot-swap trays in the two open 5.25" bays (under the optical drive), so I'm thinking about adding a SATA controller to this machne. Since it only has PCI slots (64 bit, both 33 and 66 MHz), I was thinking of adding one of these Promise SATA controllers and playing with ZFS and/or JBOD on a couple large SATA drives:
> >
> >http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816102062
> >
> >At about $60 it is right on the edge of justifiable, since it is 300 Mb/sec SATA "II" and low-profile, so I could use it in any other system if I decide to de-commission the PowerEdge 4400.
> >
> >Obviously, I'd be interested in Solaris Support if anyone knows about that as well..
> 
> Another card that looks interesting (since it is only $30 ;^) is this one:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132013
> 
> It has on-board RAID (including hot spare), but it is only SATA "I" (150 Mb/sec)... I wonder if it really makes a difference on a system like this (Dual PIII Xeon 1 GHz)?
> 
> I did stumble across this link over at sun.com:
> 
> http://blogs.sun.com/PlasticPixel/entry/build_your_own_multi_terabyte
> 
> Where the fellows ZFS server uses similar SiI3114 chipset SATA card:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124020
> 
> (I like the ROsewill card because the two external eSATA ports add to the flexibility of the card in other applications)
> 
> Any advice apprecated...
> 
> Lionel
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