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Configuring RAIDs for speed
So, I have been reconfiguring some HDDs and Raid arrays on my system.
Currently, I just reinstalled OSX to run on an external FW800 drive, freeing up my 4 500GB internal drives for a Raid media drive. Previously my internal HDDs have formed a RAID5 array, which had my OS on it, and after 2.5 years it was crashing alot. So now I have alot more externals drives then i did 2.5 years ago, I figured, well I might as well do a RAID0 for higher speed and just backup everything on my externals.
My RAID5 had 186.6 mbs write, and 204.8 read.
I also have 3 1TB eSata Drives on a RAID0. This is my primary scratch disk, they run currently at a speedy 216 mbs write and 245.6 mbs read, and that is at 80% Capacity!
So I figure 4 disks on internal SATA RAID0, would be much faster then 3 drives on eSATA RAID0. However I was clocking in speeds of 212mbs write and 280read! The read is a bit faster but write is almost the same!Shouldn’t
SATA be faster then eSATA?
4 drives on a raid0 be faster then 3?Also the eSata Raid starts out about 300mbs write for the first 10% of the file, and the internal will randomly almost stop writing. I uploaded the AJA system tests, to see what I am talking about. I was wondering if anyone had any insight as to what that meant?
And if I can somehow get this 4 drive R0 to run at its full speed, or are my findings normal.I have a MacPro3,1 I am not sure if my HDDs are SATAI or SATAII, I would assume two, but on my hardware monitor it only says Type: SATA
any help or advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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MacPro Octo Core Intel Xenon 2.8Ghz 10GB DDR2 Ram
FCP 7.0.3
-I highly recommend el Gato Turbo264HD- -
4 Replies
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PS
The eSata is a software raid (Apple Disk Utility)
The internal uses the Apple Raid Card and Apple Raid Utility, which I assume is a hardware raid, although I am able to easily build and destroy raids in the OS, not in the BIOS like I used to do back in my XP days.
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MacPro Octo Core Intel Xenon 2.8Ghz 10GB DDR2 Ram
FCP 7.0.3
-I highly recommend el Gato Turbo264HD- -
Christopher,
If you’re set on Internal…..
Have you considered looking at the Apple RAID card? You should be able to get better performance in hardware RAID as opposed to the software RAID you’re now using. Yes it would require you having to spend some money & you’d give up a PCIe expansion slot, but if what you’re looking for is better performance, the trade off could be worth it to you.
Externally with the right RAID card & Storage, you’ll always be faster.
Just a thought.
Jon
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Really? I figured internal raid would be faster
I do have the Apple Raid card is there some other way to configure it besides Apple Raid Utility. Also how would I configure a hardware raid through my raid card?
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MacPro Octo Core Intel Xenon 2.8Ghz 10GB DDR2 Ram
FCP 7.0.3
-I highly recommend el Gato Turbo264HD- -
You said: I do have the Apple Raid card is there some other way to configure it besides Apple Raid Utility. Also how would I configure a hardware raid through my raid card?
Ah, I see, sorry I missed that, I thought you were doing a software RAID internally….which would be limited in speed & also in RAID levels.
I don’t know of another way to configure your Apple RAID card except through their utility. The Apple RAID card is a hardware RAID card, it has both a processor & RAM on it.
The speeds you are getting probably have to do with a limitation of the processor on the Apple card. I do know that when the CalDigit RAID card worked internally on Mac Pro machines that it WAS faster than Apple’s because the processor was faster on the CalDigit CRC card.
I’d say this, wait & see, maybe Apple will come out with something new that’s faster internally. Time will tell.
Jon
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