Is it possible to implement a RAID 5 or 10 across 2 hardware(s)

[johnston]

I'm currently building a computer which I hope to have completed within a month and was wondering about implementing a RAID array across two or more devices or pieces of hardware. I'll explain an example of what I'm talking about; say I have a motherboard which has only x2 sata3 connectors and I want to implement RAID 5 or 10. Is it possible to have another 1 or 2 hard drives connected to a pci card which has available connectors and implement which ever RAID I want (assuming both the pci card and the motherboard both support RAID 5 and 10)?

And the same question but instead of a PCI card assume I have a RAID enclosure which has available spots for hdds and it supports the same RAID types as the motherboard.

If the answer to either of the above is yes will it make a difference if the RAID array holds the OS as opposed to just being a means of secondary storage?

 

[rearendhat]

It would be possible to do that in a software RAID. Your best bet is to get a SATA RAID PCI card. I have had good luck using these in the past: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124028

 

[rearendhat]

An external RAID device will be controlled, most of the time, through a small web based interface on the device itself. I would suggest you do not put your OS on a RAID array, unless you are just going to do a mirror.

 

[johnston]

It would be possible to do that in a software RAID. Your best bet is to get a SATA RAID PCI card. I have had good luck using these in the past: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124028

So you're saying a hardware RAID won't be possible across multiple devices like how I explained in my examples? And if I didn't have room in my case for all the HDDs would a software RAID, like you mentioned, be possible to implement on drives attached to the motherboard and the rest of the drives in a RAID enclosure?

 

[rearendhat]

What OS are you using?

 

[johnston]

What OS are you using?

I would be using Windows 7

 

[rearendhat]

Which version? Home, Pro, Ult; 32 or 64 bit?

 

[rearendhat]

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/36504/how-to-create-a-software-raid-array-in-windows-7/

 

[johnston]

Which version? Home, Pro, Ult; 32 or 64 bit?

I'm not positive about the version but certainly 64-bit. Possibly Ult, if not, then Home Premium.

Thanks for the link.

Rearendhat, you seem to know quite a bit about RAID arrays, have you had experience with both software and hardware RAID setups? If so, I've been told that hardware RAID setups are faster than software, or maybe that they are more stable, I don't remember; is that something I should worry myself with? is there much noticeable difference?

 

[rearendhat]

Hardware RAID will be faster than a software RAID. As for stability, hardware might be more resilient, but I have run software RAID on several servers that have been up for years.

What is your primary goal/need for RAID?

 

[noidea_77]

Only for clarification: up to now we have no hardware raid example in this tread! The onboard sata support only software raid configurations. It's all included in the driver and done by the cpu. And that's the same for the mentioned pci card. The only active chip on the card is a sil3124 and that does not support any raid level without the help of a driver. What it supports though is the sata port multiplier. That's what you need for an external enclosure for n disks, but only one esata connection to your pc. Most of the enclosures include a PCI or PCI-E card with a sil3124 and the drivers to support raid 0/1/5.

 

[FireWire2]

So you're saying a hardware RAID won't be possible across multiple devices like how I explained in my examples? And if I didn't have room in my case for all the HDDs would a software RAID, like you mentioned, be possible to implement on drives attached to the motherboard and the rest of the drives in a RAID enclosure?

Yes, there is 100% hardware RAID5 that interdependent from OS.

You can use this hardware raid to MAC, Windows, Linux or UNIX... Any OS have SATA port it will work.

Internal solution SPM393-I
http://www.amazon.com/multiplier-hardware-RAID0-CLONE-Controller/dp/B004JPUZWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354321654&sr=8-1&keywords=SPM393

This you can mount to this PCI bracket:
http://www.datoptic.com/pci-to-scsi-1-bracket-adapter.html

External solution SPM393-E
http://www.amazon.com/eSATA-hardware-RAID0-CLONE-Controller/dp/B005G5L98G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354321751&sr=8-3&keywords=SPM393

I have using over 30's of these. There is no PCI HW raid comes close to this
it term of cost/performance.

Edit: I would stay away from SiI-3124 raid function at any cost!