If you are using a vendor-specific hardware box, probably best to go with one supported by the vendor. We use IBM ServRAID cards, there is support in RHEL for them. They also have a very nice linux-bootable configuration CD, a Java GUI that runs on RedHat, and a nice command-line interface. The 2 factors that will affect RAID performance the most and hence a major factor in selecting a RAID card are (1) The clock speed of the chip on it. (2) The amount of cache on it, typically 64Mg - 128Mg, and whether or not the cache is backed up by a battery. The most important thing for performance consideration is what RAID level you are going with. I've found that RAID-1 or RAID-10 is about 20-50% faster than a RAID-5. Keith Deterling deterlin@us.ibm.com Technical Services Professional, Unix & Intel Server Services - IBM Account IBM Global Services - Americas Service Delivery – Server Systems Operation Team Essex, Junction, VT 05242 – Bldg. 967 – 1C2009 Tie-Line 8-446-3535 or (802) 769-3535 Fax: (802)-769-4253 (T/L: 8-446-4253) What would ye do then? should ye suppress all this flowery crop of knowledge and new light sprung up and yet springing daily in this city? Should ye set an oligarchy of twenty engrossers over it, to bring a famine upon our minds again, when we shall know nothing but what is measured to us by their bushel? -- comments on software patents from a long time ago