[Nottingham] HP Proliant DL320 - Debian etch install vs RAID controller

[NLUG]

Graeme Fowler wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-07-10 at 01:57 +0100, NLUG wrote:
>> As i said i'm definitely not the only one to whom it happens with that 
>> OS/Hardware combo, but i cannot find a solution.
> 
> It's not real RAID, is it? AIUI, the DL320 G5 series servers have two
> SATA or SAS slots, the SATA slots being serviced by an "integrated SATA
> controller with with RAID0/1".
> 
> This is "dmraid", or "fake raid", which requires drivers in the OS. It's
> probably an Intel chipset, or a Promise chipset - you'll have to dig
> through your tech specs to find that.
>

Yes indeed it is an Intel chipset. (with 2 SATA slots)

> You need to either find the drivers and get the installer to ask for
> them at boot time, or find a patched installer that includes them.
> 
> Note that dmraid (ATARAID) is a bodge - it requires the CPU to do a lot
> of the work of reconstruction. If I were you I'd forget it, and use
> Linux software RAID instead - that way you *know* the OS is doing the
> work.
> 

I see...I'll suggest this to the colleagues. I know some of them have 
personal issues with software RAID. But in this instance i think they 
will have to be brave and swallow their pride :-)

Thanks Graeme.