Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World
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@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
Regardless if the OS you use has the drivers/software built in, it won't do anything, because the motherboard doesn't have it in there to configure.
Incorrect, most of us do this all the time. Normal RAID has no such limitations. @WrCombs just did this in the other thread, in fact, while we were having this discussion.
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@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
In the case the motherboard didn't come with RAID built-in, well, then as i said above, you need add a RAID card, or do extra stuff to create a software RAID, like configure Windows software RAID. But when the motherboard has it built-in, you don't have to do anything.
In both cases you have to configure it and install the OS containing the software. The motherboard doesn't simplify the process. At best, you are arguing that you like one particular software RAID's menu better than another's. That's not really relevant.
In both cases you have to configure the RAID, and install the software. They are, quite identical. Except one tries to trick you into thinking your hardware is doing part of the work, and the other is honest. That's about it.
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@scottalanmiller said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
Regardless if the OS you use has the drivers/software built in, it won't do anything, because the motherboard doesn't have it in there to configure.
Incorrect, most of us do this all the time. Normal RAID has no such limitations. @WrCombs just did this in the other thread, in fact, while we were having this discussion.
You took this out of context.
However, when in context, you'll agree that simply installing an OS does not give you RAID. That was the point there. You'd need to set up a RAID first, whether via hardware raid, software, or whatever. Don't take thigns out of context like that.
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Many enterprise software RAID systems also do RAID without any work, out of the box. In fact, one could argue that most FakeRAID takes MORE work, and provides less than many normal software RAID systems.
Windows software RAID is clunky and confusing, and handled late in the process. That's unfortunate. But you can't use that one bad software RAID example to determine "how software RAID works." Take a Synology box, that will do RAID with far less configuration than any FakeRAID system I've seen.
FakeRAID could do a totally transparent install, too, if it wanted. Any software RAID could. It's not that one is easier than the other, it's that both are just the same thing. Both are software RAID. Neither has an advantage at the code level.
It's just the one is promoted unethically as a scam, and the other is up front and honest.
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@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
However, when in context, you'll agree that simply installing an OS does not give you RAID. That was the point there. You'd need to set up a RAID first, whether via hardware raid, software, or whatever. Don't take thigns out of context like that.
I had already written something up that disagreed with this.
In both cases, you have to set up the RAID equally. The motherboard doesn't make things easier here.
Both cases you configure, both cases you install. In both cases, the installation is typically done as part of the OS install and totally transparent. Both optionally require manual acquisition and installation.
But some software RAID, like common in a NAS, does not require that and does it all automatically. So even the configuration piece is not always required. That's simply a choice of the implementer.
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@scottalanmiller said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
In both cases, you have to set up the RAID equally. The motherboard doesn't make things easier here.
Yes it does.
When the motherboard DOES come with RAID:
- Configure RAID in BIOS
- Install OS
That it's fakeRAID is irrelevant here. I'm just saying RAID.
When your motherboard does NOT come with raid:
- Install separate RAID hardware
- Configure RAID
- Install OS
or
- Install OS
- Configure software RAID in OS
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@obsolesce What you are missing (it's easy to miss) is in the first scenario you are setting the options on a config file (at best) and the OS installation process is smart enough to see that the configuration file is "setup" and applies those settings while installing.
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@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
Yes it does.
When the motherboard DOES come with RAID:
- Configure RAID in BIOS
- Install OS
or...
) Install OS
When your motherboard does NOT come with raid:
- Install separate RAID hardware
- Configure RAID
- Install OS
or
- Install OS
- Configure software RAID in OS
or...
- Install OS
In both cases you are making incorrect assumptions about what is needed. Both can be as simple or as hard as they want. In neither case is it the FakeRAID making the difference.
And, FYI, enterprise Software RAID can do all that BIOS menu stuff, too. That's not what makes it FakeRAID. So everything you are describing as an advantage, is equal. Silly, most people don't want that, but definitely an option to do.
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@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce What you are missing (it's easy to miss) is in the first scenario you are setting the options on a config file (at best) and the OS installation process is smart enough to see that the configuration file is "setup" and applies those settings while installing.
Right, instead of doing the setup in reverse... starting the install then configuring. But if you need to configure it, it's the same two steps either way. Same effort.
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@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce What you are missing (it's easy to miss) is in the first scenario you are setting the options on a config file (at best) and the OS installation process is smart enough to see that the configuration file is "setup" and applies those settings while installing.
I'm well aware of that, but is besides the point.
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@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce What you are missing (it's easy to miss) is in the first scenario you are setting the options on a config file (at best) and the OS installation process is smart enough to see that the configuration file is "setup" and applies those settings while installing.
I'm well aware of that, but is besides the point.
That is the whole point though, yes there is a config file that you are setting up through a BIOS menu. No the hardware isn't actually doing it.
It is 3rd party software to the entire setup.
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Too many post in this thread for me to read but I just wanted to chime in and say that Supermicro for instance have a couple of motherboards in each generation that has a LSI/Broadcom RAID controller on them. It's real hardware raid but low end. I haven't actually used it for hardware raid but it makes a decent HBA for chassis with SAS/SATA drives and port expanders.
For instance this: https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C620/X11SPH-nCTPF.cfm
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@pete-s are you certain it isn't the same FakeRAID we're discussing here?
I'd be interested in seeing what models specifically include this.
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When I buy a motherboard that comes with RAID, vs one that does not come with RAID, the difference is significant if your end goal is to have a RAID5 for example. So, lets assume that you want to build a home computer that has a RAID5:
Motherboard that comes with RAID:
- Configure RAID in bios
- Install OS
You now have an OS installed on RAID5.
Motherboard that does NOT come with RAID:
- Install additional hardware RAID card
- Configure RAID
- Install OS
or
1.) Install OS
2.) Configure software RAID
(yes, software RAID here is superior in this case)
You now have an OS installed on RAID5.
Yes you CAN do other things, but is not typically... I'm talking 99% of the cases would be like above.
99% of typical motherboards you buy do come with RAID, so the first scenario is the one that will be in the case you want a RAID. This is easy.
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@pete-s that board appears to have fakeRAID
Intel® C622 controller for 10 SATA3 (6 Gbps) ports; RAID 0,1,5,10 Broadcom® 3008 SW controller for 8 SAS3 (12Gbs) ports; RAID 0,1,10 -
@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
When I buy a motherboard that comes with RAID, vs one that does not come with RAID, the difference is significant if your end goal is to have a RAID5 for example. So, lets assume that you want to build a home computer that has a RAID5:
Motherboard that comes with RAID:
- Configure RAID in bios
You can't configure raid in BIOS, period.
You can setup a configuration file, but the OS installation is setting up the array way after the installation has started.
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@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@pete-s that board appears to have fakeRAID
Intel
C622 controller for 10 SATA3 (6 Gbps) ports; RAID 0,1,5,10
Broadcom 3008 SW controller for 8 SAS3 (12Gbs) ports; RAID 0,1,10With this we can assume that raid 0,1,5,10 are all FakeRAID? this that correct?
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@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
When I buy a motherboard that comes with RAID, vs one that does not come with RAID, the difference is significant if your end goal is to have a RAID5 for example. So, lets assume that you want to build a home computer that has a RAID5:
Motherboard that comes with RAID:
- Configure RAID in bios
You can't configure raid in BIOS, period.
You can setup a configuration file, but the OS installation is setting up the array way after the installation has started.
For simplicity, I'm referring to the hitting of CTRL+R after POST as the RAID BIOS.
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@dustinb3403 said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
@obsolesce said in Discovering FakeRAID in the Real World:
When I buy a motherboard that comes with RAID, vs one that does not come with RAID, the difference is significant if your end goal is to have a RAID5 for example. So, lets assume that you want to build a home computer that has a RAID5:
Motherboard that comes with RAID:
- Configure RAID in bios
You can't configure raid in BIOS, period.
You can setup a configuration file, but the OS installation is setting up the array way after the installation has started.
wouldn't CTLR+R (or in my case it was F for Fast track) allow you to configure RAID? and make sure Bios are set to boot with the RAID ?
@Obsolesce is that what you are talking about? I'm just trying to learn, I knew nothing about RAID at the beginning of the day...
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@dustinb3403 No, Broadcom 3008 has it's own integrated cpu, on board memory etc. It's just not enough performance for it to do all kinds of raid. It's the same controller as Dell H330 and a bunch of others make cards with it as well.
From the specs:
The SAS 3008 offered with the Avago Integrated RAID (IR) feature is a
low cost, high performance RAID solution designed for blade, entry and
mid-range servers that require redundancy and high availability but where
a full featured RAID implementation is cost prohibitive or not desired. The
Avago advanced Integrated RAID options include Integrated Mirroring
(IM), which is RAID 1, Integrated Mirroring Enhanced (IME), known as RAID
1E, Integrated Striping (IS), which is RAID 0, and Integrated Mirroring and
Striping (IMS) which is RAID 10. By simplifying the RAID configuration
options, Integrated RAID is easy to install and configure and meets the
needs of most internal RAID requirements.
