[Mike Mendoza]

If your server contains high-bandwidth usage data files, such as large video, graphics, or audio files, you may want to weigh the benefits of using journaling against the performance needed to access your data. In most cases, the impact of journaling upon data access performance are unnoticeable to users, but its implementation may not be practical for servers where data access demands outweigh its benefits.

If a volume contains read-only data that is not mission-critical, it may not be necessary to turn on journaling if performance is more important than safety.

Journaling is best suited for servers requiring high availability, servers containing volumes with many files, and servers containing data that is backed up at infrequent intervals (nightly, for example).

When journaling is turned on on a storage volume, the server automatically tracks file system operations and maintains a continuous record of these transactions in a separate file, called a journal. The operating system can use the journal to return the file system to a known, consistent state after a failure. This eliminates the need to perform a consistency check on the entire file system during startup. Instead, when the server is restarted, Mac OS X simply replays recent transactions in the journal, bringing the system up-to-date and resuming operations that were interrupted during the failure. With a journaled file system, server restart takes just a few seconds, regardless of the number of files, or the size of the volume.

[Mike Mendoza]

First excuse me, but my questions/comments are sort of related to this post.

I have a G5 dual 2.5/ 8gb memory, FCP 5.1.2, and Kona 2 card, osx 10.4.8. I built a raid a few weeks back consisting of the Fusion 500p enclosure, Sonnet Tempo SATA X4P, and 5 x Maxtor 7H500F0 Sata II 500 gb drives.

Here is the weird problem: all works well when I stripe 4 of these drives with mac disk utility. I stripe at 0 raid, 256k option, and all works fine. It is when I try and add the 5th drive that I run into all sorts of problems.

The raid seems to stripe correctly, I copy all my files (from a backup firewire drive) sometimes my files copy correctly, other times they freeze at various points. When I do finally have all my footage copied over I restart FCP and run the timeline. As I run the time line it freezes and sometimes get the beachball endlessly spinning. At other times my raid dissapears for no reason.

I have tried restriping, no go. I have returned the 5th drive and gotten it replaced, no go. It is definatley not the drives, as I have striped the raid a variety of ways with all sorts of combinations, in example with the 3 original drives and new replacement drive…and it works just fine. In other words when I use 4 drives all is well, but with 5 it sucks.

I had originally checked for bad media. But why would bad mediawork on 4 drives, and not 5? Could I have a bad enclosure? so had it replaced, same problems. Maybe a bad bad controller card? The controller card was updated to the latest beta software, that did not help. Replaced controller card with a Caldigit and same problems.

I have tried a variety of diferent slots on both enclosures… no go.
Also tried ALL the various cache and striping settings as well (including using SoftRaid).

Called Sonnet tech dept, however not too helpful, suggestion wise, short of returning all hardware, which I did. Caldigit had me try some tests reseting Pram, testing memory, clearing login items, fcp prefs etc. No Luck.

Anyone ever run into these issues, or similiar??

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanx

[Mike Mendoza]

Weird, I seem to be having similar problems, with similiar hardware.

I think I have my problems narrowed down to my raid. Still testing and think it may be my Sonnet card, or a slim chance my Sonnet Fusion enclosure. I tried using the Caldigit forum here, but not to sure if anyone visits there often?

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/228/4?

[Mike Mendoza]

I was brave (or silly) enough to build my own raid… and so far so good 🙂

Picked up the Sonnet Tempo X4P card at Amazon $287.38, the Fusion 500p at thenerds.net $424.82, and 5 x MXT 7H500F0 500GB SATA Maxtor drives $129 each (xmas special). So all in total about
$1400 smackeroos for 2.5 terabytes.

Have a few projects in the can with this config, and all is well so far. However, I do have a raid question…. what should my block size setting be at for this raid (using mac os x raid)? I am currently at 256k, it runs good but I have read online that some folks are at 128……is there any difference ?

Best of luck

Hector
Power Mac G5
dual 2.5 GHz, 8 GB ram
osX 10.4.8, FCP 5.1.2
Kona 2
Sonnet Tempo SATA X4P
Fusion 500p
5 x MXT 7H500F0 500GB SATA II

[Mike Mendoza]

Just as an option.

https://www.monoprice.com

has very inexpensive supplies for all your cable/patch needs.

[Mike Mendoza]

I thought I was trashing my preferences correctly, however I was not.

To simplify trashing preferences (and backing up prefs as well) use FCP Rescue 5. This a free app and can be found at https://fcprescue.andersholck.com/

This worked for me…so far

good luck