[Tfug] HighPoint RocketRAID 100 and Linux

[Harry McGregor]

On Fri, 2003-03-28 at 14:13, Sam Hart wrote:
> I have had a server HDD go down (without adequate backups... no lectures) 
> and am replacing it.

Just had a similar issue (HD in a raid0 died due to power failure at U
of A, backups are about 4 days old, and about 290GB in size... tape is
SLOW).

> I would like to use hardware RAID on this system in the future, but am 
> running on very limitted funds right now.
> 
> I have found this:
> http://www.highpoint-tech.com/r100r.htm
> 
> The RocketRAID 100 by HighPoint (budget priced at ~ $50). It claims Linux 
> support, and even has "open-source" drivers available from here:
> http://www.highpoint-tech.com/r100r_down.htm

Don't do it.  The Highpoint and lowend promise cards (anything under
$175) are just a bios hack to get to a software "driver" that does the
raid.

Use Linux software raid, raid1 is easy to do, and quite fast under
software.

> So my question is this: Has anyone had experience with these cards (or 
> their ICs) under Linux? (I'm mainly concerned with it working with Generic 
> Linux installs, instead of specific ones like Red Hat, Caldera, etc... as 
> I do tend to use either Gentoo or Debian)

they are a major PIA to install, and get the kernel to see, the open
source drivers don't like anything over 2.4.18 last I checked, and they
have early support in the kernel for 2.4.20... They also like support
"distributions" instead of the kernel as a whole...

I would recommend a cheap promise ATA100 card from SWS (about $35), and
running software raid 1.

If you need any help setting it up, feel free to call me, I am now over
in ENRB (6th and park)...

		Harry
-- 
Harry McGregor, Computing Manager
Tucson Support Group - U.S. Geological Survey
University of Arizona - Environment and Natural Resource Building
520-670-5574 (office) - hmcgregor@espri.arizona.edu
520-661-7875 (Cell) - hmcgregor@usgs.gov

The opinions/statements expressed herein are my own and should
not be taken as a position, opinion, or endorsement of the
University of Arizona or the U.S. Geological Survey.