ESXi, Dell Poweredge SC1425, RAID Controller add on suggestions
Hi all-
We're (stuck) using two or three Dell Poweredge SC1425 servers as ESXi 4.1 machines. I'd like to get a hardware raid controller in there that will be recognized by ESX(i) 4.1.
The add on slot is a 3.3-V, full-length, 64-bit, 133 MHz PCI-X
Budget is everything here. They just don't have $200+ to spend on high quality adaptec.
Anyone have experience with this: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/SYBA-PCI-X-4-port-SATA-II-RAID-Controller-Card/4381430/product.html ? I don't even know if this is hardware or software raid, let alone something that would work with ESX(i).
Looking for suggestions of cards to consider, cost, places to buy used, etc.
This install is for a charity (fully documented and registered), so if there are sources that might be willing to donate the hardware, that's even better!
Thanks
We're (stuck) using two or three Dell Poweredge SC1425 servers as ESXi 4.1 machines. I'd like to get a hardware raid controller in there that will be recognized by ESX(i) 4.1.
The add on slot is a 3.3-V, full-length, 64-bit, 133 MHz PCI-X
Budget is everything here. They just don't have $200+ to spend on high quality adaptec.
Anyone have experience with this: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/SYBA-PCI-X-4-port-SATA-II-RAID-Controller-Card/4381430/product.html ? I don't even know if this is hardware or software raid, let alone something that would work with ESX(i).
Looking for suggestions of cards to consider, cost, places to buy used, etc.
This install is for a charity (fully documented and registered), so if there are sources that might be willing to donate the hardware, that's even better!
Thanks
ASKER
Thanks arunraju for your reply. I should have put in my original post that I'm aware of the compatibility guide and that I kknow that the SC1425 isn't on it. Of course there are also tons of posts that talk about perfect installations on the SC1425 without issue, not using the built in SOFTWARE raid of course.
I know we can get ESXi working on the SC1425, but want a very inexpensive compatible SATA raid card that'll work in the PCI-X slot of this machine. The HCL only lists "certified" and expensive cards. I'm looking for a low cost acceptable card for them.
Specifically, I want to know if the SYBA PCI-X 4-port SATA II RAID Controller Card that's on overstock is hardware or software raid and if it's hardware, if it'll work with ESXi. I don't care that it's not on the HCL and that it'll be unsupported by vmware support staff. My gut says that it's software raid, so useless, but I can't find anything definititve.
I know we can get ESXi working on the SC1425, but want a very inexpensive compatible SATA raid card that'll work in the PCI-X slot of this machine. The HCL only lists "certified" and expensive cards. I'm looking for a low cost acceptable card for them.
Specifically, I want to know if the SYBA PCI-X 4-port SATA II RAID Controller Card that's on overstock is hardware or software raid and if it's hardware, if it'll work with ESXi. I don't care that it's not on the HCL and that it'll be unsupported by vmware support staff. My gut says that it's software raid, so useless, but I can't find anything definititve.
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ASKER
dlethe- thanks for the candid reply. All stuff I knew, BUT reading it so directly sealed the deal for me. Three is no budget, but I won't let them skimp either. Appreciated.
Thx - It really is pretty bad out there with people saying something "works", and they never tested any failure scenarios by even just yanking a disk in the middle of I/Os.. (Let alone, yanking disk when I/O queue is FULL -- rookie mistake by highly experienced storage people, but nothing you think about unless you've done time in a testing lab); or programmatically generating ECC errors and/or unrecoverable read errors in singles, or groups, or groups with multiple threads.
Let's face it, don't trust anything that isn't in an HCL. If something is in the HCL, see specifically which disks and firmware they use. Sometimes firmware is VERY important. That is why people pay the big bucks for NetApp, EMC, and others. I've got first-hand experience with the amount of testing they do and have sat in on those meetings (with one of these vendors), talking for hours about just one firmware bug that has potential to cause data loss and seeing a man-year spent on one of them by a team. While same bug is out there, and affects other controllers, and I know that they just ignore it.
Let's face it, don't trust anything that isn't in an HCL. If something is in the HCL, see specifically which disks and firmware they use. Sometimes firmware is VERY important. That is why people pay the big bucks for NetApp, EMC, and others. I've got first-hand experience with the amount of testing they do and have sat in on those meetings (with one of these vendors), talking for hours about just one firmware bug that has potential to cause data loss and seeing a man-year spent on one of them by a team. While same bug is out there, and affects other controllers, and I know that they just ignore it.
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php