From: Digest To: "OS/2GenAu Digest" Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:31 EST-10EDT,10,1,0,7200,4,1,0,7200,3600 Subject: [os2genau_digest] No. 1669 Reply-To: X-List-Unsubscribe: www.os2site.com/list/ ************************************************** Wednesday 09 July 2008 Number 1669 ************************************************** Subjects for today 1 IDE Raid : Chris Neeson" 2 Re: IDE Raid : Ed Durrant **= Email 1 ==========================** Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 13:09:08 +1000 From: "Chris Neeson" Subject: IDE Raid Hi guys. I'm wondering how OS/2 goes with IDE/ATA Raid adapters/chips. I'm hoping that the firmware takes care of simplistic mirroring, for eg, and OS/2 simply trundles along. But, is that the case? ( it would increase the 'reliability' of the old home PC if I could do that ). Regards Chris Neeson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **= Email 2 ==========================** Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:47:25 +1000 From: Ed Durrant Subject: Re: IDE Raid Hi Chris, This is something I wanted to test, but haven't got around to yet. The most common onboard or simple PCI card SataRaid controllers appear to be supported by the Dani drivers in non-raid mode. If you have one (as I do) that is set up via a key combination at system BIOS startup (or via CMOS), in theory you should be able to have two identical drives mirror themselves without the need for an OS based program. However - how do you know when a drive has failed and how do you tell the controller that it needs to rebuild the replacement drive after you fit it., if you don't have monitoring software? One add-in card I have, has Java based monitoring software, but whether this can gain access to the controller from OS/2 as apposed to Windows, I do not know. I would presume (and could easily be wrong) that the drives need to be in SATA mode rather than EIDE Compatible mode for this semi-hardware raid to work. I say semi-hardware as these solutions still use the main processor, so if your OS hangs the processor, I expect the RAIS array is impacted. If you are talking about the Adaptec or similar SATA Raid controllers with their own processors these are a far better solution, but you will face the same problem with monitoring / management software at the OS level. They have stopped supplying OS/2 programs several versions ago. It may also be worth noting that (if I am not mistaken) that OS/2 has for a long time come with a form of software raid (mirroring) of any form or mixture of forms of HD, through the FFST component of the OS. Most people would not have used this as it drains CPU power, however with the powerful processors we have now-a-days it may well be worth a look again ! Cheers/2 Ed. Chris Neeson wrote: > Hi guys. > > I'm wondering how OS/2 goes > with IDE/ATA Raid adapters/chips. > > I'm hoping that the firmware takes > care of simplistic mirroring, for eg, > and OS/2 simply trundles along. > > But, is that the case? > > ( it would increase the 'reliability' > of the old home PC if I could > do that ). > > > Regards > Chris Neeson > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------