How to configure RAID 5 system using SAS controller for APP CS4

[Bob Dix]

Hi Nathapushpa,

Ask Dell how to do this , they may do it under warranty if they have installed all the drives ? They did a Raid 0 for me which is recommended by Adobe but your requirement may be better ?

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA

[Lee Coward]

If you really want to go with a RAID config then a few more drives should be added to the system. a RAID array probably isn’t the best choice with only 3 drives.

Whether you run 3 individual drives or add a few drives to make RAID possible, the following should result in good disk performance.

C: = OS and Programs. Single fast drive or a pair of drives in R0
D: = Media and project. Single fast drive or 4 drives in R5 (5+ drives for R6)
E: = Previews, temp, etc. Single fast drive or 2+ drives in R0.

Lee

[Pushpanatha De silva]

Thx Lee for ur advice too.

At present I am having three 600GB (15,000rpm)drives connected on SAS Controller and looks like one big drive C;\(0.98TB free of 1.08TB) with one SAS connector as a spare.

The problems I am facing with this present config: freezing out clips when play on monitor on time line on draft setting…I had to use Ctrl+Alt+Del to get out the prog.

Do u think that if I purchase another 600GB(15,000rpm)and connect to the SAS will act like a D:\ drive?

Probably I have to contact the configurer of this machine and sort it out locally…I am in a very confused state at present..thinking what to do next !!!

Still I would like to hear ur comments/suggestions for my never ending problems. Thx.

[Pushpanatha De silva]

Hi All

Is there any possibility of taking off one hardrive from C:\(two, 600GB drives) and name that drive as a D:\ (600GB HDD)drive and add another new hard drive (600GB)of same type(15,000rpm) and name as E:\ drive…so that I can install APProCS4 in C:\drive and all ther stuff in D:\ and E:\ and be still on RAID 5 system??

Please help…Thx in advance. e-Mail: nathapushpa@gmail.com

[Brian Louis]

A raid 5 needs a minimum of three disks for an array, plus its a waste to use it for your(c: Drive) operating system and apps as both when loaded don’t need the speed of an array to function and do housekeeping tasks, the array is better suited for video data storage, the smart thing todo would to purchase a sata drive for C: and use the array for data, a more efficient is to have a OS/Apps drive(C:), a second single drive for things like audio clips, preview files, cache files, etc and the array for video storage particularly if doing alot of layers when editing as the second drive removes the extra load from the video source drive.

[Pushpanatha De silva]

Thx Brian for ur comments.

So u mean to say that I have to install a new drive for C:\ for OS and programs..So this means I have to move all the OS & Programs to HDD and leave the SAS/SATA RAID 5 array for data. If u do not mind, please explain in detail as I am new to this game….

Ur help is much appreciated. Thx.

[Lee Coward]

It sounds like you would do well to seek out someone local to you that knows how to configure systems and let them worry about the details.

Lee

[Jon Bagge]

I have a somewhat similar system, so I may be able to help. I have a Dell Precision T7500 with 3x 450GB SAS drives on the same controller.
RAID5 in this setup isn’t really that useful. I’ve set it up with:
c: single disk, 450gb (system, applications)
d: 2way stripe, 900gb (data, media)

You should probably aim for the same. And if you add a 4th drive you can either add a new partition as a temp/render/scratch disk, or make d: a 3way stripe.

To change this you will have to go into the Perc 6/i controller setup when you boot your machine. This means deleting your current raid5 setup. So you should backup your current c: partition onto an external drive so you can restore it after you’ve finished changing your setup. You can use somthing like Acronis True Image for that.

If you have a Precision workstation (you didn’t say) with the full service warranty you should be able to phone Dell for support. Their workstation support is excellent.

————–
Jon Bagge
Editor – London, UK
Avid – FCP – After Effects

[Pushpanatha De silva]

Thx Lee and Jon for ur advice…Much appreciated..
Jon,
Yeah it’s Dell Precision T7500. At the mom I am shuttling between Dell Sales and Support. Dell support guys have suggested to call the Sales guy in Dell-Bangalore to arrange to return the existing machine and organise to ship anothe machine with following config.
C:\ SAS drive 600GB – for OS and Applications
D:\ Two, 600GB SAS HDD on RAID 1 config for scratch disk info and Project files
E:\ SAS Drive 600 GB for other data files like audio files, etc,
Dell Sales guy from Bangalore said, the factory guys in M’sia are not cable of doing these type of cofigurations. And he has agreed to send another 600 GB SAS HDD free of charge to see whether I could resolve the problem. I do not why he has not agreed to re-configure a new machine for me !! Anyway I am waiting for a new HDD now.

I am going to ask to take everything back and return the money if it all did not work very soon. It’s very sad that this Dell mechine has given so much trouble. I was using Dell machines since 1997…Yeah I accept that Dell Workstation supports guys in M’sia were very helpful to sort out my problem.

I am not very much familier with the RAID systems….I will wait and c..
My system is Xeon 2.4GHz/12GB DDR3RAM ECC, Video card Nvidia Quadro FX3800.

Thanks

[Bob Dix]

If you are a business or consultant ask for service for Dell Precision when you phone in Sydney Australia 1300662087 between 9am and 4pm otherwise you will get Kuala Lumpa in Malaysia, if you have a 3 year warranty they may send a Dell tech out to fix the problem. They configured Raid 0 for me on two drives and it is to CS5 Premiere Pro requirements and it works fine. good luck !CS4 is only a 32 bit application you may be better going to CS5 with Adobe Raid configuration if you want to run the latest codecs, AVCHD and H.264 mov etc in a faster operation ?

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA