RAID: Performance increase over 0 5 5e?
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RAID: Performance increase over 0 5 5e?
I've acquired a server which I want to configure as a file server.
It's going to get hit fairly hard and will be dishing out big files (over 4gb) to 10-20 concurrent users.
Disk wise, it's got 6 x 34gb U320 drives.
Being controlled by a ServeRAID-5i card capable of:
0, 1, 5, Enhanced-1 (1E), 00, 10, 1E0, 50
While I have the data backed up on my main rig at all times, losing the dataset would be a real PITA. But I really need to maximise the disk space for storage / speed.
What do you think the best raid structure for me would be?
It's going to get hit fairly hard and will be dishing out big files (over 4gb) to 10-20 concurrent users.
Disk wise, it's got 6 x 34gb U320 drives.
Being controlled by a ServeRAID-5i card capable of:
0, 1, 5, Enhanced-1 (1E), 00, 10, 1E0, 50
While I have the data backed up on my main rig at all times, losing the dataset would be a real PITA. But I really need to maximise the disk space for storage / speed.
What do you think the best raid structure for me would be?
#2
Raid 5 Across the 6 Disk will give you 160GB usable space. Perfomance will take a slight hit. It will allow for a dirve to go bang. If one does the disk array will slow down considerably
What OS?
What OS?
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Raid
Raid 5 accross all disks will give 170Gb of space (5x34) it will then need an OS partition (no apps 5-10Gb should be ok) allow for page file etc which would give 160-165Gb file area
Last edited by mal_howarth; 23 April 2008 at 03:17 PM. Reason: Update
#5
IMO that should work fine. You will always get a difference of opinion when setting up servers so no right or wrong answer to a lot of it.
If you are able to I would allow about 20GB for OS partition. It is better to have too much than to run out 2 years down the line.
If you are able to I would allow about 20GB for OS partition. It is better to have too much than to run out 2 years down the line.
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I was going to put the OS onto it's own flat disk, with a minimal swap file (which I'll move onto the raid if performance takes a hit) - and a bucket load of RAM (4gb)
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If the files are going to be that large then I would look into the cluster sizes of the Array, Logical drive and NTFS Cluster sizes so you reduce the performance hit
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I know it's not answering the question you asked, but I'd also be looking further than the server such as LACP links in to a Gigabit switch - you can have a fast RAID set up, but if the data can't get out of the server quick enough...
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