# [OmniOS-discuss] areca or lsi

Günther Alka alka at hfg-gmuend.de
Sat Jul 20 11:30:10 UTC 2013

- Previous message: [OmniOS-discuss] areca or lsi
- Next message: [OmniOS-discuss] php-54 from omniti
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

    I have build a lot of OmniOS boxes and was involved in a lot of
    hardware decisions. All of them are using LSI HBAs in raidless IT mode.

    If there was ever a consensus in the Solarish world regarding disk
    controller than this:
    - prefer pure HBAs, avoid hardware raid cards, use those with IT firmware
    - avoid controller cache, ZFS needs full disk control especially with
    sync write -
       your regular RAM, used by ZFS is anyway larger and faster
    - prefer LSI (nearly all Solarish ZFS boxes are using LSI) where you can
    expect the best driver quality

    My own favourite on OmniOS is the LSI 9207 with PCI-E 3.0 and the new
    2308 chipset
    They come out of the box with the desired IT firmware, no need to
    reflash like with other LSI controllers.

    I would add:
    If you need expanders, use LSI ones paired with LSI HBAs, use SAS disks
    with expanders
    or if you intend to use Sata disks, prefer as much HBAs as needed
    without expander.

    Gea

    On 19.07.2013 00:48, Tobias Oetiker wrote:
    > Folks,
    >
    > We are specing a new omnios server box ... and were just told by
    > our vendor, that LSI HBAs were much slower (50%) than Areca Controllers
    > running in JBOD mode ... and that they would therefore recommend
    > Areca (we use areca for raid6 in linux boxes, but have never used it in JBOD
    > mode with illumos, yet).
    >
    > Which controller would you choose for a new system ?
    >
    > cheers
    > tobi
    >

    --

    H          f   G
    Hochschule für Gestaltung
    university of design

    Schwäbisch Gmünd
    Marie-Curie-Str. 19
    73529 Schwäbisch Gmünd

    Guenther Alka, Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
    Leiter des Rechenzentrums
    head of computer center

    Tel 07171 602 624
    Fax 07171 69259
    guenther.alka at hfg-gmuend.de
    http://rz.hfg-gmuend.de

- Previous message: [OmniOS-discuss] areca or lsi
- Next message: [OmniOS-discuss] php-54 from omniti
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

More information about the OmniOS-discuss mailing list