[WBEL-users] Re: RAID using Highpoint hpt37x

[Tim Moore]

Thrift Internet Service wrote:
> That is correct, you are frozen on one kernel once you install the Highpoint
> driver. It is the same situation with Promise RAID chips. I wish there was
> an alternative, but I no longer have confidence in Linux software RAID.

"Linux software RAID" has been around since the 2.0.x kernel days and works 
just fine, as does 3ware, Adaptec, Megaraid and other common hardware RAID 
controllers.

Promise and HighPoint have been turning out cheap RAID hardware and drivers 
that have always lacked performance or reliability or both.  In this case 
you do get what you pay for (either $$ or time invested).  The only way I 
would use either of these controllers is as a simple disk controller 
combined with linux native software RAID.

Also consider the integrated chipset "addons" that come with your 
motherboard are most likely the lowest common denominator.  Why trust them 
with data integrity or I/O performance?

rgds,
tim.

> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Keith Morse" <kgmorse@mpcu.com>
> To: "Thrift Internet Service" <thrift@thriftinternet.com>
> Cc: <whitebox-users@beau.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 5:12 PM
> Subject: Re: RAID using Highpoint hpt37x
> 
> 
> 
>>On Mon, 5 Apr 2004, Thrift Internet Service wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have installed WBEL and am 'kicking the tires'. So far it looks very
> 
> good. I'll be testing the machine for use as a RADIUS authentication & email
> server in actual production soon.
> 
>>>One thing I insist on in my servers is hardware RAID, and I have
> 
> standardized on the Highpoint hpt372 chip. The Highpoint driver worked fine
> for RH 8 & 9, but it doesn't work at all for WBEL.
> 
>>>I was on the phone with Highpoint support this morning and was told that
> 
> the RH9 driver is not compatible with the RHEL3 kernel. They expect to
> release a RHEL3 compatible driver very soon, perhaps as early as this week.
> That driver should work fine with WBEL.
> 
>>This is probably the best reason to not standardize on HPT372.  The
>>topic has been discussed serveral times on the redhat lists with the
>>crux of discussion being HighPoint not releasing the drivers for
>>inclusion into the kernel tree.  So if there is a big glaring security
>>hole in the kernel you're stuck with not updating until HighPoint
>>releases a new kernel.  Doesn't seem terribly prudent to me.
>>
>>On the other hand,  I setup a RH9 box for a friend to test out the
>>hardware mirroring that the controller provides.  Works great, you just
>>cannot update the kernel when you want or need to.
>>
> 
> 
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