Re: Windows XP RAID 5

"Palindr?me" <me9@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:127opihoei00225@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Software RAID has significant performance issues for many applications. If
you do get an operating system problem, you may easily find the entire
array "disappears". Restoring 750GByte from backup is going to take a
while...

Looking at Tom's guide to Windows XP RAID 5, they essentially took the
drives out of one PC, put them in another and the array was found and worked
fine. Performance alone isn;t that big an issue for me - disk size and
stability/reiability is more important.

I would suggest using inexpensive hardware RAID (under 20GBP for a PCI,
but your mobo may already have it) and making do with 500Gbyte or simple
mirror - or add another couple of disks to get the 750. Or buying a decent
hardware RAID card..

I want Raid 5 rather than 0+1 or any other similar option. I want more than
500 gig, I want it all in one easy to find and organise place. The
motherboard already has a raid controller onboard, but it is limited to 0, 1
and 0+1. 0+1 is a waste of disk space IMHO. 0+1 would limit me to a 500
gig drive, which is smaller than I really need for this application.

Examine the throughput on your 100 meg nic. I doubt that it is maxed out,
so putting in a 1000 meg link isn't going to achieve anything

Which is why I'm sticking with to 100 meg network until and unless I feel
the need to upgrade it. having said that, the majority of the equipment in
that room has gig ethernet built in, so it isn;t a huge step to move over
when I feel the need. The only time that the gig would be needed is for
moving massive files around - this won;t haen often and can be done at a
quiet time when nothing else needs to use the machine.

Hardware 4 port cable routers with built in USB printserver are <15GBP on
ebuyer, IIRC. Worth considering, rather than using your PC.

They don;t work on multi function devices, this printer has a scanner etc
built in. It needs to be plugged into a PC to work properly with all the
available features :-)

You may want to look at a freenas server. I use them a lot. Their software
RAID is rock-solid and well outperforms XP/2k/NT.

The issue with anything other than Windows is that it then breaks the
printer. the new PC will be turned off when not in use, the file server
will always be on, hence the desire to use it as the print server as well as
a file server.

Also, Windows on the PC to be used as the file server is rock steady - it
goes weeks without crashing or needing to be reset. The onl time t gets
shut down is to add r remove hardware, or when I'm doing something with the
electricity supply - stability wise the box fits the bill perfectly.


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