[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: looking for raid & controller advice -- "FRAID" card = "software RAID"

[Robert Pearson]

None of this reply really applies to Kevin's original request. It
applies to questions I have that were raised by answers given to
Kevin.
Maybe it should be a new topic?

Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> Why not 4 drives for the same storage in RAID-0+1?
> It will be much, much faster.
> 
I saw a big discussion on RAID-0+1 versus RAID-1+0, which seems to be
RAID-10. In that discussion RAID-1+0 (RAID-10) was determined to be
the better solution because of recovery from the loss of a drive.
RAID-1+0 (RAID-10) was stated to be slightly slower than RAID-0+1.

I also heard a discussion where it was stated that "The Best of All
Possible Worlds" for RAID and Storage would be to have RAID-5
configured in the Storage hardware box and RAID-1+0 (RAID-10) in
software on the host. Is this possible?

Did I hear all this wrong or mix it up in my head?
What is the best configuration for performance, Information High
Availability (Data Availability) and Information Integrity (Data
Integrity)?

I ask this because with the new bus standards like HyperTransport,
PCIe, and RIO along with the continuing increase in Areal Density,
with no similar increase in Access Density, the right Storage
configuration for your application will be critical to achieve
sufficient throughput to satisfy all requests while maintaining
recoverability. The hardware bandwidth will be there as---
Bryan Smith wrote---
> The AMD NUMA/HyperTransport is the first commodity PC platform that
> offers the I/O performance of RISC/UNIX platforms.

The way I read the review at---
www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=2255

...is that faster CPUs (higher clock rates) are now giving RISC/Unix
platforms real competition. Commodity priced motherboards with dual+
CPUs and the new, fast bus are real contenders. Everywhere except the
high end Mid-range and Enterprise. Clustered or Gridded they could be
contenders in those area as well.

The reason I write al this is that I sense a real divergence coming.
There was a major shift in the Fundamental IT paradigm in 2001.
Another Fundamental  IT paradigm shift is starting now and will be
rolling full steam in 2005.

Thanks,

Robert