VT8237 SATA + RAID
Hallo!
I wanted to install a new low-usage linux-server, so I bought a mainboard with a SATA RAID controller (VT8237) onboard.
I know there are better solutions like RAID controllers with their own microcontrollers, but as I only wanted to mirror the data, a "BIOS RAID" should do, too.
So I have two 250GB SATA drives, a configured RAID and a Debian Netinstall CD (2.6.8-10 kernel). My problem is the "sata_via" module loads but does not recognize the RAID function, as instead of one drive it finds two.
Googling around I found many people sharing my problem but no one having a solution which does not consist of a software-raid managed by the kernel (I had some trouble with it when one of the two disks (RAID 1) crashed - all data lost).
There seems to be a driver at viaarena.com, but it looks like if it were only for 2.4 kernel.
To me it looks like if the sata_via driver lacks the BIOS support, so I ask You whether this is the case and what I can do.
Saluti!
Ludwig Meyerhoff
P.s.: I did not subscribe to the list, so please do not forget to cc me in replies!
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Quoted 19 lines · Ludwig Meyerhoff
Hallo!
I wanted to install a new low-usage linux-server, so I bought a mainboard with a SATA RAID controller (VT8237) onboard.
I know there are better solutions like RAID controllers with their own microcontrollers, but as I only wanted to mirror the data, a "BIOS RAID" should do, too.
So I have two 250GB SATA drives, a configured RAID and a Debian Netinstall CD (2.6.8-10 kernel). My problem is the "
sata_via" module loads but does not recognize the RAID function, as instead of one drive it finds two.Googling around I found many people sharing my problem but no one having a solution which does not consist of a software-raid managed by the kernel (I had some trouble with it when one of the two disks (RAID 1) crashed - all data lost).
Quoted 5 lines
There seems to be a driver at viaarena.com, but it looks like if it were only for 2.4 kernel.
To me it looks like if the
sata_viadriver lacks the BIOS support, so I ask You whether this is the case and what I can do.
BIOS raid is nothing more than software RAID. So what you're really asking here is how you can run software (kernel driven) RAID without it being driven by the kernel.
It's like asking how you can drive your car that runs on normal petrol without using petrol.
dmraid might help you out but regardless of how you look at it you'll always be using the in-kernel RAID support.
Before you ask, how windows does it is simple - they include software RAID into the windows driver itself instead of using the built in Windows RAID support.
Or as my mother normally says it "no matter how you turn your ass is behind you".
BIOS Raid == Software RAID.
If you don't want to use Software RAID you need a hardware RAID card.
// Stefan
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Quoted 2 lines
I know there are better solutions like RAID controllers with their own microcontrollers,
the microcontroller is usually orders of magnitude slower than the host, so "better" does not apply. offloading parity makes a certain amount of sense, but it becomes nontrivial where you draw the line (if you have a parity engine, it's nice to have a substantial cache. if you have a big cache, you have to add more smarts in managing it -> TCQ -> pretty soon you have a full blown SAN raid controller (and the mediocre performance that implies.) I think it's mainly marketing pressure that drives people away from the wisdom of simple-is-better.
Quoted 3 lines
a solution which does not consist of a software-raid managed by the kernel (I had some trouble with it when one of the two disks (RAID 1) crashed - all data lost).
don't be silly - md raid is used in probably tens of millions of servers and is not flakey.