On Thu, 8 Jun 2000, Edward Schernau wrote:
> Not if it sucked - the point is that it could be done fairly cheaply,
> with cheap components.
ehmm.. the point i was trying to make is that the hardware
requirements for RAID5 are so much higher than for a simple
controller that it would be madness to dumb down a RAID card. It
would never sell cause it'd be too expensive to compete with ordinary
drive controllers.
Also, one of the cheaper RAID controllers that i know of, Mylex
Accelleraid 200, cuts cost by not including a scsi controller and
being dependant on a seperate I/O controller and motherboard support.
ie that card isn't even capable of being dumbed down to work as a
controller.
> Not if it sucked - the point is that it could be done fairly
> cheaply, with cheap components.
what cheap components? even with cheap components you are still
talking /at least/ $40 to $60 for hardware RAID compared to maybe $5
to $20 for a simple I/O controller.
Now add hardwaredesign: hardware RAID card is a lot more involved.
Software: your hardware RAID card needs an embedded OS.
Profit margin: for your shareholders.
> it benefit from doing much of the processing on the host CPU?
> Sure.
but instead the CPU would have to sit idle waiting an eternity for
I/O to complete.
>
> Would Promise save on inventory and fab costs by having essentially
> one product? Yes.
>
No. cause the dumbed down card would still be so expensive that it
wouldn't sell.. or they'd have to sell it below cost. Either that or
the RAID version would be so extremely slow that it wouldn't sell.
> repeat after me:
> I'm a know-it-all who likes to flame.
i'm just a cranky cunt from seeing the same stupid /misconceptions/
trotted out on this list every 2 months.
also, did i flame? i thought i gave a reasonably clear explanation of
why dedicated RAID cards have /far/ higher component and design costs
than simple I/O controllers. Not my fault if i'm a sarky bugger.
The only possibility for the scenario you envisage imo is that
someone designs an integrated RAID chip, with CPU and controller I/O
all in one. But it'd need to sell in reasonable volumes first before
it became cheap. either that or the integrated cpu would have to be a
simple and cheap design, ie slow and not worth it when the computer
has a host processor such as a PII-500.
but hey, i'm knowing it all now amn't i? guess common sense with a
sprinkling of rational thought isn't politically correct
anymore. (fscking yanks
--
Paul Jakma [EMAIL PROTECTED] PGP5 key:
http://www.clubi.ie/jakma/publickey.txt
-------------------------------------------
Fortune:
The most delightful day after the one on which you buy a cottage in
the country is the one on which you resell it.
-- J. Brecheux
