I've been pondering this as well.
As I see it,
software raid is faster than hardware raid
and you can save the cost of the raid hardware
but at a site where there is no sysadmin it may be
better to put in hardware raid.
I'd also recommend purchasing a second raid controller
or a second identical machine
as an onsite spare.
For me, certification of hardware raid systems is
also important. In my case, Red Hat Certification.
John Leach
http://www.bosware.com.au
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 1999 8:03 AM
Subject: Hardware Vs. Software RAID
>
>
> Hey;
>
> I know it has been done to death, but I really need some feedback
>on this topic.
>
> My proposed platform is a Dell Poweredge system, and they come
>with the AMI Megaraid controllers (16mb cache). I am planning on buying a
>2xPIII 450mhz box, and I am trying to decide whether the advantages of
>hardware raid offset the additional $800-1000 (Canadian dollars) for the
>card.
>
> The biggest thing that I need is stability and useability; I know
>RAID-1 under Linux is very stable, as we have been running on such a setup
>for nearly a year now, with no probs. I have noticed however that there
>seem to be issues with hotremove/hotadd/hotswapping (list traffic lately).
>This box does not have a dedicated full-time sysadmin, and as such needs
>as little baby-sitting as possible - meaning that when I need to use
>hotswap capabilities, I need them immediately and I do not have a pile of
>time to 'fiddle' with kernel patches and re-compiles.
>
>
> Can anyone lend some input to help me make an educated decision?
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Chris Price
> Montage IT Services
> Calgary, Alberta
> CANADA
>
