From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Sun Jun  8 20:02:06 2008
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6319E106567A
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun,  8 Jun 2008 20:02:06 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl)
Received: from wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl (wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl
	[IPv6:2001:4070:101:2::1])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2FEC08FC17
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun,  8 Jun 2008 20:02:01 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl)
Received: from wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl (localhost [IPv6:::1])
	by wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id m58K1a88009804;
	Sun, 8 Jun 2008 22:01:36 +0200 (CEST)
	(envelope-from wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl)
Received: from localhost (wojtek@localhost)
	by wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl (8.14.2/8.14.2/Submit) with ESMTP id
	m58K1Nan009801; Sun, 8 Jun 2008 22:01:23 +0200 (CEST)
	(envelope-from wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl)
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 22:01:23 +0200 (CEST)
From: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>
To: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Anders_H=E4ggstr=F6m?= <hagge.lists@intercorner.net>
In-Reply-To: <1a5a68400806080604ped08ce8p120fc21107e7de81@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <20080608215648.Q9779@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl>
References: <1a5a68400806080604ped08ce8p120fc21107e7de81@mail.gmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: FreeBSD + ZFS on a production server?
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:02:06 -0000

> The choice is probably between "Debian 4.0r3", "FreeBSD 7.0" and
> "OpenSolaris 2008.05". All of them have their pros and cons.
>

could you tell any pros for opensolaris?

> I think Debian / Linux, almost falls off because it lacks support for
> native ZFS and I have not found any alternative filesystem that offer
> checksums on the fly.

agree
>
> My main question is: How is the support for ZFS on FreeBSD? Is it

while i don't use it, it works rather as in manual. no crashes if 
configured right.

> sufficiently stable and fast enough to be used in production yet?

that's just my opinion about ZFS that it isn't very useful at all. it's 
just memory and CPU eater.

> If not, is there any alternative filesystem that offers checksums on
> the fly or other similar technology to reduce the risk of a corrupt
> filesystem that at the same time plays well with software RAID (RAID-1
> in particular)?

while i use RAID-1 for a long time be it linux or netbsd or freebsd, there 
is no need for checksumming. there are sector's checksums on disks, 
checked on every read. in SATA protocol there is error checking during 
transmission too.

there is already well done things in hardware to do disk transfers without 
CPU overhead, but ZFS introduces overhead and advertises it as feature.

quick advice - gmirror this 2 drives and then use UFS.