Re: RAID Questions

From: Eric Stern <estern@dont-contact.us>
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 17:04:09 -0400 (EDT)

On Wed, 8 Apr 1998 nicole@webweaver.net wrote:

>
> > Hi
> >
> > We have been thinking about adding a RAID system to our FreeBSD/Squid
> > setup. Has anyone else added a RAID array to FreeBSD (2.2.6)? If so
> > what type of RAID are people using and what brands are supported under
> > FreeBSD?
> >
> > Also does anyone know if a DLT is supported?
> >
> > Dean Grubb
> > Infirmation Services
> > TAFE Tasmania
> >
>
> I am using a SCSI-SCSI controler from avistore with 32M memory and RAID 5 with 5 seagate FW Baracuda Drives.
> It Kicks serious butt!

(This is a general observation and not aimed at anyone in particular).

People keep saying this about RAID. (it kicks butt! its honking fast!
etc).
Fine, we all know RAID is fast. BUT, has anyone done an apples to apples
comparison of a squid w/RAID to a squid without RAID?

I'm talking about a cache with 5 standalone drives vs a a cache with 5
drives in a RAID array. No fair comparing a RAID setup to a cache with 1
drive.

I haven't either, but I'm guessing you would find that, in this particular
case, RAID is not all that much faster. Squid divides up your cache
between the 5 drives, and statistically there should be enough randomness
in the requests that IO is divided fairly evenly among the drives.

Note I am NOT talking about RAID in general. I am talking about this
specific application (squid cache).

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Received on Wed Apr 08 1998 - 14:31:43 MDT

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