# Suggested ATA RAID adapter

## blitzkrieg

Hi All

I am looking for a kernel supported adapter for a RAID-1 Configuration. I have already purchased a Promise FastTrak 100 TX2 which I could not get working properly with any distribution. I have since decided just to purchase a different one, and use the promise in my XP machine. 

I am looking at the Adaptec 1200A  and the 3ware Escalade 7000-2.

Does anybody have any experiances with either adapter? (or if there is an undocumented way to get my promise working)

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

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## t0c

I've looked around the internet and Promise FastTrak TX4000 has been the most viable solution for me. It has linux drivers (the retailer says it runs under SuSE and RedHat hence I don't see any problems with gentoo)  as for the other raid controllers never used them sorry. Even though the controller I'm using is EIDE not SATA as yours, found some cheap EIDE 250 gig drives and since I'll only be using them for storage speed isn't all that important.

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## n3mo

3ware Escalade 7000-2 is real hardware raid you would have no problems at all with this.

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## Linoge

 *n3mo wrote:*   

> 3ware Escalade 7000-2 is real hardware raid you would have no problems at all with this.

 

Will it work without any problems with 2.6.7 and higer?

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## blitzkrieg

 *n3mo wrote:*   

> 3ware Escalade 7000-2 is real hardware raid you would have no problems at all with this.

 

Have you used that particular one? That adapter is a little more expensive, but hell.. if it works...

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## mrJoe

 *Linoge wrote:*   

>  *n3mo wrote:*   3ware Escalade 7000-2 is real hardware raid you would have no problems at all with this. 
> 
> Will it work without any problems with 2.6.7 and higer?

 

I have an 3ware 7506 with kernel 2.6.8.1 and it runs smootly.

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## blitzkrieg

 *t0c wrote:*   

> I've looked around the internet and Promise FastTrak TX4000 has been the most viable solution for me. It has linux drivers (the retailer says it runs under SuSE and RedHat hence I don't see any problems with gentoo)  as for the other raid controllers never used them sorry. Even though the controller I'm using is EIDE not SATA as yours, found some cheap EIDE 250 gig drives and since I'll only be using them for storage speed isn't all that important.

 

The TX2000 is also normal ATA. From what I understand, the TX2000 is the exact same thing as the TX4000 only with 2 channels instead of 4. I can't currently verify that, becuase the promise site is having problems   :Mad: 

Do you know of anyone who has one of these adapters working?

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## blitzkrieg

Hi All,

I just thought I'd update everyone by letting you know that I finally got my RAID controller working with linux. In trying to get it working, I tried just about every distro I could get my hands on, expcept for Gentoo becuase of the time it takes to setup in comparison to all the others (not remembering a stage 3 setup).  My final effort was with gentoo before I went out to buy the 3ware controller. 

I think the only difference with the gentoo setup is that there is an option when you're booting off the live cd to specify "doataraid". 

Then I had some entries in /dev/ataraid/disc0/

which is a first! At which point I used /dev/ataraid/disc0/disc to fdisk my drive. then the install continued on as usual, making sure when I compile the kernel I included all the promise drivers and scsi emulation support. The only little hiccup I ran into was when it came time to install lilo. I guess when I chrooted the /dev/ataraid/disc0/* turned itself ino /dev/ataraid/* lilo complained that /dev/ataraid/disc0/* was invalid, but it still got installed.

Next time I'm just going to go straight with Gentoo, It's the best out there!

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## loxety

3ware = nvidia... promise = ati.

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## tuxamd

 *loxety wrote:*   

> 3ware = nvidia... promise = ati.

 

Haha I love that comparison. But really it all comes down to software vs hardware raid. I'm trying to shop for the cheapest IDE hardware controller. Anyone got any suggestions? I found this thread by searching for the Escalade 7506 which I believe is a hardware raid controller. Come to think of it I don't think 3ware makes any software junk at all. I don't want to mess with all the software things and just want an invisible raid, as in both disks looking like one to linux.

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## julot

Hi there, if anybody see this I would like to clarify this matter:

If you have the money, go for a LSI Logic or 3Ware,  The cards of these manufacturers have a real CP-IO (Central processor for Input output), generally a Intel 960.  So the cards do the trick like the SCSI,  It means that the main CPU is barely disturbed by the IO Channels of RAID.

Promise, Adaptec, cheap cards depends of a binary that "emulates" the CP-IO part that you do not purchase in your low price.  In a "winmodem" way,  so if the driver is badly developed as a result you will obtain poor and inestable RAID.   (Avoid specially when using RAID 5, because you DO need the CP-IO as a result of the complex calculations and parity checksums).

The moral:

Business:  use SCSI, the drives are superb. and use LSI-Logic MEGARAID and 3ware (The drivers of these cards are legendary on linux, believe me I use only LSI logic even in my V20z SUN opterons)  with complete peace of mind.  

House:  Use the Linux Kernel Software RAID 1 with 2 PATA discs.  (Why do I have to pay? if I have a limo on my garage?).

If you still insist on Hardware RAID, Use PATA with a 3ware or LSI logic Card, (The cost well be worthy), 

 If you use SATA, use LSI logic, and EVADE intel controllers, The intel controllers are awful implementations of SCSI.  So crap will be on your data in the future...

Using other adapters like SII, and some, are pointless at this time.  RAID is for security, not for experiment.

Thumb rule of Hardware RAID:

Database: Raid 1.

Web server: Raid 5.

Samba: Raid 1.

ERP: Raid 1 with hot swap spare disk.

Paranoid: SCSI over ethernet.

Mailserver: Raid 5 on a growing capable partition.

DNS Server: Raid 1.

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