[WBEL-users] Software raid and User Mode Linux CD burning on WBEL

[Shackmaster]

I'd be curious to hear about anyone's experience with software RAID on a 
heavily load NAS server? I have been considering the deployment of a 6TB 
system, with dual opterons, runing a software based RAID 6. (WBEL of 
course.)

Can anyone speak problems with this setup? Alternatives?




http://www.nerdshack.com

>From: Jan-Albert van Ree <javanree@vanree.net>
>To: whitebox-users@beau.org
>Subject: Re: [WBEL-users] Software raid and User Mode Linux CD burning on WBEL
>Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 16:19:43 +0200
>
>On Friday 16 July 2004 15:37, Alex Georgiev wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I want to move the company file server from gentoo to WBEL or
>>other RHEL recompiled distro.
>>
>>The mother board is an old intel 820 desktop board with 512MB ram,
>>Pentium III 500MHz. This server provides the following services for 15
>>windows/linux clients:
>>
>>	oracle, samba, nfs, cvs, mail (smtp, pop3), dhcp, dns, http
>>
>>the average load is very, very low.
>>Except upgrading to WBEL I want to do 2 additional things:
>>
>>1. Setup a network CD burning software under UML
>>We are using a separate machine for cd burning with webCDcreator,
>>I would like to move the cd burning to the file server, but
>>as some times cd burning makes the kernel panic, I think that I should
>>setup User Mode Linux on the file server and provide this service under
>>UML, expecting that a kernel panic in the UML, will not affect the
>>underlying WBEL file server. I intent to put a CD writer device and a
>>CDROM device on separate channels of the onboard IDE controller.
>>
>>
>>2. Setup a software Raid 0 (mirror) with two 200GB disks using an
>>additional PCI IDE controller, The one I can found here is:
>>
>>	EIO AP-1680 Ultra ATA/133 IDE RAID Controller Card
>>
>>	http://www.ivmm.com/eio/products_ap1680.html with chip set
>>http://siimage.cubik.com/products/sii0680.asp
>>
>>This one is a cheap RAID controller, but I intend to use it as a pure
>>IDE controller, connect the two disks on separate channels,
>>and set up a software mirror, on wich to install WBEL, user data and
>>Oracle.
>>
>>I shall buy a new 450 Watt power unit for the box.
>>
>>I have not used either EIO AP-1680 controller, UML or software raid so
>>far, and I will highly appreciate any comments and suggestions.
>>    
>>
>
>Software RAID0 means higher load, and it's a risk to your data... I'd 
>seriously consider looking for better alternatives (since you mention load 
>is low, I can't imagine you need the performance of RAID0?) Better two 
>partitions with both 200GB than one large 400GB with a much higher chance 
>of failure....
>
>I've been using software RAID1 on a Dell Poweredge 600S server for over a 
>year now without any issues (still need to move it from RH7.3 to WBEL... 
>some time in future) but ofcourse that's a somewhat different story (all 
>SCSI setup, low loads, low disk I/O except for weekly backups)
>
>As for webCDcreator, I haven't seen any kernel panics or other issues with 
>it yet, I'd say set up a testbox with WBEL first to see how it behaves, I 
>installed it two months ago and it's seen extensive use without any issues 
>so far.
>  
>