Perc 4/SC 1 array to 2 arrays 1

[adamroof]

On a perc 4/sc, PE1600SC i currently have a raid 5 with 4 disks, we bought 2 more drives and i would like to expand the array to a RAID 1, and RAID 5.

2 36GB Array 1 RAID1
4 36GB Array 2 RAID5 w hot spare

all connected to single channel (hence the SC) via a 7 device terminated cable.

the cable would have to be 3rd party (found a few) because dell says it only sells up to 4 device 68 pin cables.

is any of this possible?

 

[technome]

From what I heard u320 is not reliable after 4 disks are attached to a scsi cable, you need to have them on a SCA backplane (drives chassis).

As far as two arrays on a single channel..you are allowed to have multiple arrays on a raid channel but there is an issue of scsi bus saturation if you have more than 4 to five u320 drives per scsi channel


........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 

[adamroof]

Thanks, would love to backplane front load hotswap, and we have a simialar server that has that, BUT DELL WONT sell me the parts! So to give us some life on this server, we need space.

The server will be replaced in just over a year when the warranty expires and redeployed with less intense app usage. Yet until then...

i read up a tad on the u320 attenuation and bus satch, im at the point to have to try it, and ill use that info to try to minimize. I spent the bucks on a really good cable and will try to make it last.

thanks again!

 

[technome]

How about Ebay ?
How about placing the raid 1 on a standard scsi adapter (preferably with an onboard raid 1 option or use the OS for the mirroring) and the raid 5 on the Perc4.

........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 

[adamroof]

ebay - nope - dont want used parts. There was a set with cage a while back for our server, but havent seen any new auctions.

already have a 2nd controller, but its for the tape drive.
a 3rd would be an option if this doesnt work out too well i guess, but another 3-400 dollars is kinda out of budget for a server with 1 yr left.

i do appreciate your bouncing ideas here.