Tom Diehl wrote: > > On Thu, 13 Sep 2007, Ross S. W. Walker wrote: > > > Tom Diehl wrote: > >> > >> Hi Tim, > >> > >> > >> On Thu, 13 Sep 2007, Tim Verhoeven wrote: > >> > >>> On 9/13/07, Tom Diehl <tdiehl at rogueind.com> wrote: > >>>> > >>>> Does anyone know how I can find out if an ibm serveraid > >> 8k sas storage > >>>> controller (zero channel RAID) is a real hardware RAID > >> controller and > >>>> supported in the standard CentOs kernel or is it a fake > >> raid controller. > >>>> I am trying to decide if I should get the serveraid > >> controller or go get > >>>> a 3ware controller. > >>> > >>> Tom, > >>> > >>> The ServeRAID 8k s a real hardware raid controller, is > has 256 MB of > >>> cache I think and a battery backup. So in this case there > is no need > >>> for a 3ware controller. On the IBM website you can also find a > >>> commandline tool (called arcconf) that allows you monitor and > >>> configure the controller inside Linux. > >> > >> Is there a place where this kind of thing is documented? I > >> looked through Google > >> for about 3 hrs yesterday and I could not find anything definitive. > >> > >> Thank You, for the info. > > > > I hate to be the stater of the obvious... but doesn't IBM's website > > provide product specs along with a compatibility guide? > > They do but nothing I can find in there tells me if it is > real hardware > raid or fake raid. Adaptec for example, also says that their > fake raid cards > are comaptable with Linux but they do not clearly specify if > it is fake raid > or true hardware Raid. AFAIK the Adaptec cards are all fake > Raid. and some of > ServeRaid cards were also based on the Adaptec chipset and > hence Fake Raid. > > When I looked at the IBM specs for the ServerRaid cards I did > not see anything > that indicated if the were real hardware raid or Fake Raid. > If I am missing > something please enlighten me. I am always willing to learn. > > IMO this type of thing is ambigious at best. Ok, if a card has an IO processor then it will definitely be a true RAID card, as the fake ones don't have IO processors and use the system processor as it's processor and thus why they are "fake". So look for a mention of an Intel/LSI/Broadcom on-board processor in the specs and take note of the IO processor model # as that will determine it's performance. -Ross ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender and permanently delete the original and any copy or printout thereof.