[K12OSN] K12linux and SCSI... any thoughts?

[R. Scott Belford]

On Tuesday 12 July 2005 10:25 am, John Baillie wrote:

> fwiw - We have just built a new server with a 3ware sata 9000 series
> card in it. Will be bringing it on line tomorrow morning.
> Our oldest server has a 3ware ata raid that has worked like a champ for
> 3 years now and it has supplied /home to all the students.

They make outstanding FOSS friendly cards.

>
> Our intention is to compare the performance of our 4 k12 servers, well
> actually 3 because 2 are identical. One has the 3ware ata, two are scsi
> running Linux software raid and now the the 3ware 9000.
>
> Anyone have any input as how to make these comparisons? Bonnie++ I guess
> is the tool of choice but it would be nice to have results that a laymen
> could wrap their arms around.

Last year we ran Bonnie++ on a SCSI Hardware Raid System, a SCSI Software Raid 
System, and a 3ware SATA controller.  The results are here

http://lists.hosef.org/pipermail/hosef-managers/2004q2/001841.html

and would benefit from more details.  Long story short: SATA raid performs 
very well, but the CPU utilization on a hardware raid SCSI system is 
substantially less.

>
> John

--scott