Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 13:22:32 -0500 From: "Toll, Eric" <etoll@vipstructures.com> To: "Gary D. Margiotta" <gary@tbe.net> Cc: Alessandro de Manzano <ale@unixmania.net>, freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: RE: what about highpoint 1640 SATA RAID controller ? Message-ID: <9BC86C67C3AF7646B9C5382020457A949DD27F@VIP10-WIN2K>
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> I recently purchased an 1820A series controller from Highpoint,=20 > which is an 8-port Serial ATA controller, 64-bit (32-bit PCI > compatible), for just over $200 USD. I paired it up with =20 Not bad -- 3Wares 8 port SATA is just over 400 USD. Refurb 8 port cards can be had for just over 200 USD. "3ware 9500S-8MI PCI 2.2 compliant 64-bit/66MHz bus master SATA Controller Card - OEM (limit 2 per customer) Features: Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, Single Disk (JBOD), 128 MB of ECC protected SDRAM, upgradable to 1 GB, Single array capacity scales to over 3 TB per controller (64-bit LBA support), Optimized hardware XOR RAID 5 engine provides true hardware based RAID and intelligent drive management functions" $231.00 USD > I did exactly what you described, popped the card in, hooked=20 > up the drives, Ctrl-H to get into the BIOS, set up the=20 > RAID-5, popped in the 5.4-RELEASE CD, and loaded it right up=20 > without having to jump through > hoops: >=20 > FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE #0: Wed Oct 12 23:29:12 EDT 2005 > root@daffy.spatzie.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/PORKY > Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0 > CPU: Pentium II/Pentium II Xeon/Celeron (400.91-MHz 686-class CPU) > Origin =3D "GenuineIntel" Id =3D 0x651 Stepping =3D 1=20 > Features=3D0x183fbff<FPU,VME,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,S EP ,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,MMX,FXSR> > real memory =3D 268435456 (256 MB) > avail memory =3D 253050880 (241 MB) > MPTable: <OEM00000 PROD00000000> > FreeBSD/SMP: Multiprocessor System Detected: 2 CPUs > cpu0 (BSP): APIC ID: 0 > cpu1 (AP): APIC ID: 1 >=20 > hptmv0: <RocketRAID 182x SATA Controller> mem=20 > 0xd8000000-0xd807ffff irq 18 at device 18.0 on pci0=20 > RocketRAID 182x SATA Controller driver Version 1.1 RR182x=20 > [0,0]: channel started successfully RR182x [0,1]: channel=20 > started successfully RR182x [0,2]: channel started=20 > successfully RR182x [0,3]: channel started successfully > RR182x: RAID5 write-back enabled >=20 > da0 at hptmv0 bus 0 target 0 lun 0 > da0: <RR182x RAID 5 Array 3.00> Fixed Direct Access SCSI-0 device > da0: 915735MB (1875425280 512 byte sectors: 255H 63S/T 116739C) >=20 > I like the price point, the performance, and the ease of=20 > upgrade, I can pop this into a newer machine with a 64-bit > slot and keep right on going.=20 Cool! I opted to go with a 64Bit board, dual 64bit procs and the 64Bit 3Ware card running the 64 bit version of FreeBSD (all brand new hardware was $1,800.00 usd) +shipping Here's my dmsg: Copyright (c) 1992-2005 The FreeBSD Project. Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE-p1 #1: Thu Jun 23 08:33:42 EDT 2005 root@rodan.vipstructures.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/HAMMER Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0 CPU: AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 242 (1595.04-MHz K8-class CPU) Origin =3D "AuthenticAMD" Id =3D 0xf5a Stepping =3D 10 =20 Features=3D0x78bfbff<FPU,VME,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,S EP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CLFLUSH,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2> AMD Features=3D0xe0500800<SYSCALL,NX,MMX+,LM,3DNow+,3DNow> real memory =3D 2146893824 (2047 MB) avail memory =3D 2063540224 (1967 MB) ACPI APIC Table: <PTLTD APIC > FreeBSD/SMP: Multiprocessor System Detected: 2 CPUs cpu0 (BSP): APIC ID: 0 cpu1 (AP): APIC ID: 1 MADT: Forcing active-low polarity and level trigger for SCI ioapic0 <Version 1.1> irqs 0-23 on motherboard ioapic1 <Version 1.1> irqs 24-27 on motherboard ioapic2 <Version 1.1> irqs 28-31 on motherboard acpi0: <PTLTD XSDT> on motherboard acpi0: Power Button (fixed) acpi0: Sleep Button (fixed) <snip> twe0: <3ware Storage Controller. Driver version 1.50.01.002> port 0x4000-0x400f mem 0xf0800000-0xf0ffffff irq 25 at device 1.0 on pci9 twe0: 2 ports, Firmware FE8S 1.05.00.068, BIOS BE7X 1.08.00.048 twed0: <Unit 0, TwinStor, Normal> on twe0 twed0: 238474MB (488395120 sectors) SMP: AP CPU #1 Launched! Mounting root from ufs:/dev/twed0s1a > I never got the same warm and fuzzy from 3Ware, plus their > cards are much more expensive, and I'm working on a lower budget. Warm and fuzzy? Hmmmm. They (3Ware) did have all kinds of files/drivers/utils for FreeBSD even the 64 bit version -- which I'm running. I called techs at 3Ware and they actually talked to me about FreeBSD before I bought it and helped with recommendations. For me it doesn't get much warmer than that. =20 > I can't speak about any monitoring tools or management=20 > software, as I haven't looked into it, but for the way it is,=20 > it suits my needs just fine. >=20 Well - if you have RAID - then data is important. IMHO It is very useful to know when the array is in trouble. With the highpoint I guess you have to watch logs etcetera -- does the card have an audible alarm on it? Also for me it all goes back to the optimized XOR RAID engine that provides *true* hardware based RAID that you get when you buy a 3Ware. Can you rebuild an array in the controller BIOS screen? If the data is worth the extra $100 or $200 get the 3Ware - I paid $147.00 USD for the 2 port that I have.. Eric =20
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