Will this storage set-up work?

[wanchan]

I have a file server computer built on Gigabyte GA-8IRXP motherboard that has been running for solid 5 years. Currently I am trying to achieve a huge disk storage increase. At least for the storage part, I am intending to go for SATAII disks using PCI SATAII interface raid card that will be attached to the mobo. I want to do all that using the current mobo. I will use one IDE disk for Windows OS. I don't feel it is very reliable to run OS on a SATAII disk via PCI SATAII card attached to an IDE mobo. If otherwise, I'd love to use SATAII disk for OS as well.

Does the below configuration make sense? Will it work? Are they additional parts missing? Don't feel very confident here...Please advise. Thanks!

Some features of Gigabyte GA-8IRXP
M1: Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium®4 processor
M2: Intel 845/ICH2 chipset
M3: Supports DDR266 memory
M4: Promise 20276 RAID chip
M5: ATX form factor


My configurations:
C1. Keep using current Gigabyte GA-8IRXP motherboard
C2. Use one IDE hard disk for Windows OS and set its jumper as master
C3. Disable mobo's on-board Promise IDE Raid controller
C4. Take away 4 IDE 120GB disks attached to the Promise controller
C5. Add PCI SATAII interface card to the mobo's PCI slot
C6. Attach 3-4 SATAII 500GB disks to the interface card
C7. Configure the SATAII disks at raid 5 or just use as regular disks with no raid
C8. Format and use the SATAII disks for pure storage purposes


Parts I will be getting:
P1: SATAII PCI interface card 4 port, supports raid 1, 0, 1+0, 5, 10, Or PCI-X compatible w/ PCI
P2: IDE 4-pin to SATA power cables
P3: SATA data cables
P4: 3-4 Western Digital RE2 WD5001ABYS SATAII/500GB/16M/Enterprise edition

 

[mooseracing]

I can't comment on the hardware matching up, but I just implemented a PCI-E card for Esata backups. I went with PCI-E for the better bandwidth over PCI. Remeber PCI bandwidth is about 1.1 gb/s max and a SATA I is 1.5 gb/s and II is 3gb/s max. Now I know the top Samsung is bursting at the top of PCI's limits, So i figured a PCI-E card would better future proof me and not bottleneck me either.

Also you will be more than likely using more than one drive off that card at a time, so you are sharing all that bandwidth. For me speed/throughput mattered as I am doing large backups on a business network.

But for home I am still trying to debate on going PCI-E or PCI.

 

[wanchan]

Unfortunately the mobo I have, Gigabyte GA-8IRXP, does not have any PCI-E slot. I am considering either pure PCI or PCI-X backward PCI compatible.
As said, I am more concerned about how all the hardware will fit together and reliably they run.

 

[lopri]

It's theoretically possible. I mean it should be. But things like this are always tricky. Do you know what controller does the card use? (SiI, Marvell, etc.?) Find it out and try googling to see if it supports ICH2 first. Do not get everything at once just in case.

 

[wanchan]

Originally posted by: lopri
It's theoretically possible. I mean it should be. But things like this are always tricky. Do you know what controller does the card use? (SiI, Marvell, etc.?) Find it out and try googling to see if it supports ICH2 first. Do not get everything at once just in case.

This is the only part I've already got. I am already using WD500GB via its eSATA connection w/o issues.


PCI SATAII Interface card:
SATAII (3Gbps), SiliconImage Sil3124 Chip, Supports NCQ, 1 eSATA external + 3 SATA ports internal, No raid chip
I dropped raid option and will use 3 WD 500gig disks individually. Is this card the right one to use?
Here is the picture

 

[wanchan]

Sorry to dig up this old thread. Frequent business trips kept me away from thinking about this whole thing till now.

Well since I've bought 4 Western Digital RE2 500GB disks, I will need a new interface card with 4 internal SATAII ports. The one I currently have has only 3 internal ports. I will load those 500GB disks on the new card and use them as individual disks at least for now. I might use them as raid 5 in the future, I am not quite sure yet. So raid 5 to me is a plus but not a must.

While reading the below manufacturer's FAQ, the below has got me very concerned about the possibility of using a Raid 5 SATAII card on my motherboard. My motherboard - Gigabyte GA-8IRXP has onboard Promise 20276 RAID chip. Of course, before installing new Raid 5 SATAII card, I will first physically detach my current IDE disks and disable onboard raid chip via BIOS. By doing so, will I be able to eliminate any raid conflict and be able to use a raid 5 SATAII card on my current motherboard? Please advise. Thank you!

Q18 Can we add RAID5 Cards to one PC system, which has RAID card (No RAID5, only RAID0 or RAID1) already?

A18 No, only one RAID GUI or RAID5 GUI can exist in PC system, so LyCOM don?t recommend to use the mixed RAID and RAID5 cards in one system. If you decide to sacrifice the RAID GUI and use the RAID5 GUI only in system, you must remove the existing RAID GUI from your PC system first before RAID5 Card hardware installation, otherwise the system will hang up. After RAID5 card, RAID5 driver and RAID5 GUI be successfully installed, RAID5 GUI can manage the activities of RAID5 card only, no RAID card activity.

Source: http://www.lycom.com.tw/Q&A.htm