SCSI RAID

Hi,

I've been running NetBSD 2.0.1 on a PM9600 for a while and
now want to 
reinstall on 3.0.1.

My ideal scenario would be to create a RAID using an ATTO
Ultra2 card 
that I have spare, but I suspect that the card is not
supported (Linux 
uses the sym-2.1.17a driver for it I believe) and that there
are issues 
with the macppc port and RAID anyway. I don't see RAIDframe
being 
activated during the startup of another PM I have just built
using 
3.0.1.

Just wondered if anyone is successfully and reliably using a
RAID with 
macppc (possibly with an Adaptec card?) or whether it's a
lost cause 
for the time being!


Thanks,

Jeff

On Aug 31, 2006, at 2:06 PM, Jeff Tupholme wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've been running NetBSD 2.0.1 on a PM9600 for a while
and now want  
> to reinstall on 3.0.1.
>
> My ideal scenario would be to create a RAID using an
ATTO Ultra2  
> card that I have spare, but I suspect that the card is
not  
> supported (Linux uses the sym-2.1.17a driver for it I
believe) and  
> that there are issues with the macppc port and RAID
anyway. I don't  
> see RAIDframe being activated during the startup of
another PM I  
> have just built using 3.0.1.

We have a Symbios SCSI driver. What's the model number of
the chip?  
Did you follow the setup instructions in the NetBSD guide
for setting  
up the RAIDframe? Remember it's partition c and not d for
whole disk  
on macppc. It's possible the macppc kernel config file is
out of sync  
with reality WRT what is needed for autoconfigured
RAIDframe. Maybe  
cross reference it with an i386 GENERIC kernel config?

> Just wondered if anyone is successfully and reliably
using a RAID  
> with macppc (possibly with an Adaptec card?) or whether
it's a lost  
> cause for the time being!

There's no SCSI hardware RAID solution for any powermac
period AFAIK.  
Do you mean Adaptec/LSI/AMI hardware RAID, or just using an
Adaptec  
SCSI card? The former is definitely impossible and the
latter  
*should* work now that some of the driver bugs have been
hammered out.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the quick response.

On 31 Aug 2006, at 7:26pm, Chris Tribo wrote:

>> My ideal scenario would be to create a RAID using
an ATTO Ultra2 card 
>> that I have spare, but I suspect that the card is
not supported 
>> (Linux uses the sym-2.1.17a driver for it I
believe) and that there 
>> are issues with the macppc port and RAID anyway. I
don't see 
>> RAIDframe being activated during the startup of
another PM I have 
>> just built using 3.0.1.
>
> We have a Symbios SCSI driver. What's the model number
of the chip? 
> Did you follow the setup instructions in the NetBSD
guide for setting 
> up the RAIDframe? Remember it's partition c and not d
for whole disk 
> on macppc. It's possible the macppc kernel config file
is out of sync 
> with reality WRT what is needed for autoconfigured
RAIDframe. Maybe 
> cross reference it with an i386 GENERIC kernel config?

I'll be able to check the model number tomorrow when I'm
physically 
with the machine. I haven't actually tried anything yet,
I'm just 
developing a plan of action and I'd read some stuff about
RAID support 
in the macppc kernel being behind other ports.

I'm afraid kernel config is further than I've gone before.
I'm happy 
with the normal stuff of configuring and building from
source. Are you 
saying that I should be able to configure RAIDframe even if
the kernel 
doesn't report on it during startup?

>> Just wondered if anyone is successfully and
reliably using a RAID 
>> with macppc (possibly with an Adaptec card?) or
whether it's a lost 
>> cause for the time being!
>
> There's no SCSI hardware RAID solution for any
powermac period AFAIK. 
> Do you mean Adaptec/LSI/AMI hardware RAID, or just
using an Adaptec 
> SCSI card? The former is definitely impossible and the
latter *should* 
> work now that some of the driver bugs have been
hammered out.

Definitely software RAID! I meant just using a single
Adaptec card with 
multiple drives, as I'd seen Adapatec mentioned on the
supported 
devices page on the Web site. From what you're saying, it
sounds 
promising...


Thanks,

Jeff

Hi,

> My ideal scenario would be to create a RAID using an
ATTO Ultra2 card that I 
> have spare, but I suspect that the card is not
supported (Linux uses the 
> sym-2.1.17a driver for it I believe) and that there are
issues with the 
> macppc port and RAID anyway. I don't see RAIDframe
being activated during the 
> startup of another PM I have just built using 3.0.1.

Not sure about RAID, since I've never had good experience
with RAIDframe, 
but the ATTO cards work amazingly well. It's been a few
years, but the 
Adaptec cards, at least back then, always were problematic.

John Klos

Hi Chris,


>> My ideal scenario would be to create a RAID using
an ATTO Ultra2 card 
>> that I have spare, but I suspect that the card is
not supported 
>> (Linux uses the sym-2.1.17a driver for it I
believe) and that there 
>> are issues with the macppc port and RAID anyway. I
don't see 
>> RAIDframe being activated during the startup of
another PM I have 
>> just built using 3.0.1.
>
> We have a Symbios SCSI driver. What's the model number
of the chip?

It's an LSI/Symbios 53C896 (ExpressPCI UL2D).

The other news is that RAIDframe support is now showing up
in the dmesg 
of my existing PM7300 3.0.1 server, so it sounds as though
it is in the 
kernel by default (no idea why it didn't show up before!).


Thanks,

Jeff