Is anyone using eSATA? Need advice on controller and enclosure.

  • Thread starter Thread starter BrooklynBadass
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BrooklynBadass

Hello

My brother has a small business with 7 workstations. He uses a Windows
XP workstation as his server but there is no RAID array or tape backup
and no free bays in the workstation. I'm looking for an inexpensive
way to provide RAID 1 plus tape backup. I was thinking of purchasing
an eSATA controller card capable of RAID 1, a (4) bay enclosure that
supports SATA II, (2) Sata II drives, and (1) Sata 3.5" tape drive. I
looked at the Adaptec 48300 SAS controller but I'm confused about a
single infiniband cable that supports 4 ports. Is my plan okay? Should
I use scsi instead? I'd appreciate advice.

thanks
 
Previously BrooklynBadass said:
Hello
Click to expand...
My brother has a small business with 7 workstations. He uses a Windows
XP workstation as his server but there is no RAID array or tape backup
and no free bays in the workstation. I'm looking for an inexpensive
way to provide RAID 1 plus tape backup. I was thinking of purchasing
an eSATA controller card capable of RAID 1, a (4) bay enclosure that
supports SATA II, (2) Sata II drives, and (1) Sata 3.5" tape drive. I
looked at the Adaptec 48300 SAS controller but I'm confused about a
single infiniband cable that supports 4 ports. Is my plan okay? Should
I use scsi instead? I'd appreciate advice.
Click to expand...

I think you should use an SATA controller instead. Make sure it
supports Hotplugging. Apart from that I see nothing wrong with the
plan. Of course shoftware used and schedule is critical. You also
need to make the occasional trial-restore on the spare server hardware.

Arno
 
I think you should use an SATA controller instead. Make sure it
supports Hotplugging. Apart from that I see nothing wrong with the
plan. Of course shoftware used and schedule is critical. You also
need to make the occasional trial-restore on the spare server hardware.

Arno
Click to expand...

Hi Arno

Thanks for the information. Is there any specific enclosure and
controller you'd recommend? I was thinking adaptec controller and an
enclosure like the one at this link:
http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_enclosures/scsat3e.asp

thanks
 
Hi Arno
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information. Is there any specific enclosure and
controller you'd recommend? I was thinking adaptec controller and an
enclosure like the one at this link:
http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_enclosures/scsat3e.asp
Click to expand...

As to controller, Adaptec is high-priced trash. For example 3ware
makes excellent controllers. We also have some Arcea controllers
running 8 disk RAID6 with excellent performance under Linux and no
problems so far, although disk moniroting is a bit obscure. You can
get the Arcea ones with a direct multilane connector to the outside.

As for enclosure, I only have experience with single-disk ones, but I
recognize the disk trays in the one you ask about. I had to throw away
two (out of two) of them, because the PCBs were so shoddily
manufactured that I got SATA interface errors. Cooling is also pretty
bad. And then the case seems to use internal SATA cables, which is
asking for trouble.

This one http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_enclosures/scsat44x.asp
looks a lot better.

Arno
 
As to controller, Adaptec is high-priced trash. For example 3ware
makes excellent controllers. We also have some Arcea controllers
running 8 disk RAID6 with excellent performance under Linux and no
problems so far, although disk moniroting is a bit obscure. You can
get the Arcea ones with a direct multilane connector to the outside.

As for enclosure, I only have experience with single-disk ones, but I
recognize the disk trays in the one you ask about. I had to throw away
two (out of two) of them, because the PCBs were so shoddily
manufactured that I got SATA interface errors. Cooling is also pretty
bad. And then the case seems to use internal SATA cables, which is
asking for trouble.

This onehttp://www.pc-pitstop.com/sata_enclosures/scsat44x.asp
looks a lot better.

Arno- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply Arno. I had no idea which controllers were the
better ones. This is a great start for me. Thanks for pointing out the
enclosure too.
I contacted one vendor to ask if I could put a tape drive in their
enclosure and the answer was "I don't know, no one has ever done
that". I don't think placing a sata tape drive in an enclosure should
pose a problem. My plan is to have mirrored hard drives drives and a
tape drive in a single enclosure that will be plugged into an XP
workstation and later on, if necessary, a Windows 2003 file server.

thanks again.
 
Thanks for your reply Arno. I had no idea which controllers were the
better ones.
Click to expand...

Well I had one very bad experience with Adaptec a long timne ago
and another one about two years ago. Then I found out that
other people also have trouble with Adaptec. I guess they just have
enough brand recognition that they do not need to care about
quality anymore. A bit like 3com (maker of the absolutely worst
branded networking equipment on the market...).
This is a great start for me. Thanks for pointing out the
enclosure too.
I contacted one vendor to ask if I could put a tape drive in their
enclosure and the answer was "I don't know, no one has ever done
that". I don't think placing a sata tape drive in an enclosure should
pose a problem.
Click to expand...

I don't see why it should be. It is no different from connecting
a tape drive internally.
My plan is to have mirrored hard drives drives and a
tape drive in a single enclosure that will be plugged into an XP
workstation and later on, if necessary, a Windows 2003 file server.
Click to expand...
thanks again.
Click to expand...

You are welcome.

Arno
 
Neither does babblebot.
Well I had one very bad experience with Adaptec a long timne ago
and another one about two years ago. Then I found out that
other people also have trouble with Adaptec. I guess they just have
enough brand recognition that they do not need to care about
quality anymore. A bit like 3com (maker of the absolutely worst
branded networking equipment on the market...).
Click to expand...
I don't see why it should be. It is no different from connecting
a tape drive internally.
Click to expand...

Like there is no difference between SATA and eSATA.
 
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