Comments on: The (current) state of (e)SATA port multipliers http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/ "Sometimes I don't know why I even fucking try" Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:41:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: mike http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-17939 mike Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:33:36 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-17939 <a href="#comment-17865" rel="nofollow">@FireWire </a> These are onboard RAID controllers in the unit. The idea here was to leverage the cable simplicity, performance and expandability of eSATA PMPs but the host would treat them as individual disks, most likely running ZFS as it is the most bitrot-resistent filesystem out there right now. I am not sure I would buy an eSATA unit with onboard RAID - at that point why not just attach a NAS box and not have to have a controller machine deal with it? @FireWire
These are onboard RAID controllers in the unit. The idea here was to leverage the cable simplicity, performance and expandability of eSATA PMPs but the host would treat them as individual disks, most likely running ZFS as it is the most bitrot-resistent filesystem out there right now.

I am not sure I would buy an eSATA unit with onboard RAID - at that point why not just attach a NAS box and not have to have a controller machine deal with it?

]]> By: FireWire http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-17865 FireWire Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:40:51 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-17865 Over 6 months ago, this would be impossible, but it is now.... a complete driver less hardware raid using port-multiplier technology allows you to have 10TB RAID5 WITHOUT Driver This is mean you can use this raid5 in Linux, MAC, Windows, Solaris or VMWare for that matter http://www.datoptic.com/esata-hardware-raid-controller-spm394.html with LCD display http://www.datoptic.com/5x-drive-hardware-raid-controller.html without LCD display Over 6 months ago, this would be impossible, but it is now....
a complete driver less hardware raid using port-multiplier technology allows you to have 10TB RAID5 WITHOUT Driver

This is mean you can use this raid5 in Linux, MAC, Windows, Solaris or VMWare for that matter

http://www.datoptic.com/esata-hardware-raid-controller-spm394.html with LCD display
http://www.datoptic.com/5x-drive-hardware-raid-controller.html without LCD display

]]> By: mike http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-14429 mike Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:54:01 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-14429 I would bring this up on the storage-discuss mailing list (and maybe zfs-discuss) and see what people say... I honestly couldn't help you there :) I would bring this up on the storage-discuss mailing list (and maybe zfs-discuss) and see what people say... I honestly couldn't help you there :)

]]> By: Gary Coy http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-14428 Gary Coy Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:45:50 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-14428 Looks like theraidbox dot com is nothing more than a re-seller of Addonics hardware with drives thrown in (for a profit, I'd guess). Nothing special there. I'm looking for a good OpenSolaris solution. I want to use COMSTAR+ZFS to serve up iSCSI targets to various machines on my home network/lab. I'm considering running Linux (Ubuntu or CentOS) as a base OS if I have to (for driver support), then running OpenSolaris as a VirtualBox guest - using the base OS's drives as 'virtual drives' to map through to OpenSolaris. I'm really interested in the COMSTAR+ZFS option. I'd hate to have to do this. I want to run OpenSolaris natively, and server up iSCSI from an external (Addonics) device. Will this work or am I up in the night? Looks like theraidbox dot com is nothing more than a re-seller of Addonics hardware with drives thrown in (for a profit, I'd guess). Nothing special there.

I'm looking for a good OpenSolaris solution. I want to use COMSTAR+ZFS to serve up iSCSI targets to various machines on my home network/lab.

I'm considering running Linux (Ubuntu or CentOS) as a base OS if I have to (for driver support), then running OpenSolaris as a VirtualBox guest - using the base OS's drives as 'virtual drives' to map through to OpenSolaris. I'm really interested in the COMSTAR+ZFS option. I'd hate to have to do this. I want to run OpenSolaris natively, and server up iSCSI from an external (Addonics) device. Will this work or am I up in the night?

]]> By: mike http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-13360 mike Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:10:28 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-13360 Nice advertisement but mainly against the point :) Nice advertisement but mainly against the point :)

]]> By: Anonymous http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-13359 Anonymous Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:55:37 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-13359 A better solution would be to use a 4-port Hardware Port Multiplier (HPM) with an Oxford OXUFS936QSE chipset. It has an integrated controller on the HPM and basically raid mode selection is done via a rotary switch and setup is done by a push button switch. Supports FAST2 (2 drive RAID0 Striping), FAST4 (4 drive RAID0 Striping), SAFE2 (RAID1 Mirroring), SAFE FAST (Mirrored Striped), BIG 2 (2 drive Concatenation), BIG 4(4 drive Concatenation), RAID 5 over 4 drives, or RAID 5+S using built-in hardware RAID No drivers to install so any linux distribution will work on this HPM. No more using software raid. Go to www.theraidbox.com to learn more A better solution would be to use a 4-port Hardware Port Multiplier (HPM) with an Oxford OXUFS936QSE chipset. It has an integrated controller on the HPM and basically raid mode selection is done via a rotary switch and setup is done by a push button switch.

Supports FAST2 (2 drive RAID0 Striping), FAST4 (4 drive RAID0 Striping), SAFE2 (RAID1 Mirroring), SAFE FAST (Mirrored Striped), BIG 2 (2 drive Concatenation), BIG 4(4 drive Concatenation), RAID 5 over 4 drives, or RAID 5+S using built-in hardware RAID

No drivers to install so any linux distribution will work on this HPM. No more using software raid.

Go to http://www.theraidbox.com to learn more

]]> By: Alain Kelder http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-11074 Alain Kelder Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:36:53 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-11074 Good info, thanks! I can report success with this Sil3132 based controller: http://www.sansdigital.com/adapters/ha-san-2espcie2.html connected to this enclosure: http://www.sansdigital.com/towerraid/tr2utb.html on Debian Lenny (haven't tested Etch with this config, but have every reason to believe it should work also). Some useful links I've found researching this subject: (1) A nice comparison chart of (e)SATA Controllers based on the Silicon Image chipsets: http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/hostcont_cc.asp (2) Great info on Linux support status of various SATA chipsets: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html Cheers, Alain Good info, thanks! I can report success with this Sil3132 based controller: http://www.sansdigital.com/adapters/ha-san-2espcie2.html connected to this enclosure: http://www.sansdigital.com/towerraid/tr2utb.html on Debian Lenny (haven't tested Etch with this config, but have every reason to believe it should work also).

Some useful links I've found researching this subject:

(1) A nice comparison chart of (e)SATA Controllers based on the Silicon Image chipsets:
http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/hostcont_cc.asp

(2) Great info on Linux support status of various SATA chipsets:
http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html

Cheers,
Alain

]]> By: brian http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/comment-page-1/#comment-4085 brian Sun, 25 May 2008 14:49:40 +0000 http://michaelshadle.com/2008/04/14/the-current-state-of-esata-port-multipliers/#comment-4085 It's a little late, Highpoint's FreeBSD drivers are closed source, but they do support port multipliers just fine. I have a file server with ZFS and 4 drives on a port multiplier (SiI-3726, I think), which sounds exactly like what you want. ZFS on FreeBSD is stable enough for home use right now, as long as you have plenty of RAM (at least 2GB) and don't push it too hard. It's a little late, Highpoint's FreeBSD drivers are closed source, but they do support port multipliers just fine. I have a file server with ZFS and 4 drives on a port multiplier (SiI-3726, I think), which sounds exactly like what you want. ZFS on FreeBSD is stable enough for home use right now, as long as you have plenty of RAM (at least 2GB) and don't push it too hard.

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