Joshua Baker-LePain wrote:
I would strongly recommend *not* using that SATA controller at all. Your problems with it aren't going to end once you get the install done. The driver from SuperMicro is not going to track the vendor kernel closely at all, so you'll be forced to not install kernel updates.
As it is an internal server with the sole purpose of serving non-critical files, there won't be much need to update the kernel.
Also, given that the driver isn't in the kernel, its performance and stability are unknown.
I'll do some testing.
On my compute nodes with SM boards, I just threw a 3ware 8006-2 in each and a single drive. On my servers, I used the same controller and a pair of 74GB WD Raptors as a hardware RAID1. The 3w-xxxx driver is rock solid and has been in the kernel for a long while.
I ordered a 3ware with the server, they forgot to ship it. I may still go back and move the array to it if it ever arrives.
What controller are you using for the 4 drive RAID array? Would it be possible to boot off that?
They are on the same Marvell interface.