On 4/10/07, Ashley M. Kirchner <ashley@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have a server that has build-in (in BIOS) the option to use either
Adaptec or Intel based RAID. We're going to use it as a RAID-1 (and
I've opted to use the Adaptec setup.) However, I'm wondering two things:
1. Should I use the BIOS to create/manage my RAIDs or should I let
linux do that for me?
2. Can I add drives to the RAID in the future and simply GROW it,
without losing information? Or am I going to be adding more RAID
volumes as I add pairs of drives?
The board is a SuperMicro SuperServer 7045B-8R+ with the matching
7045B-TR+ chassis.
I have just been messing with that with a different BIOS RAID
controller (SiI 3112) and the consensus seems to be to use hardware
RAID if it is truly hardware RAID (shows up as a real device in linux)
and not hardware-assisted RAID. If it is the later, you are best to
just go with linux software RAID as it is the most flexible and just
as quick. LVM on top of the RAID set will give you lots of flexibility
(at the cost of some complexity) in your growth options.
I am stuck trying to get my braindead SiI controller working since I
want to dual-boot with it but so far I have been unsuccessful. I
believe the tricky part is having a bootable RAID set. I don't think
that having a bootable RAID set is even possible with software RAID.
/Mike
