Fedora 9 Boot Problem

[Craig White]

On Fri, 2008-10-24 at 14:26 -0500, Seann Clark wrote:
> g wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > Craig White wrote:
> >
> >   
> >> OK - understand, motherboard with fake raid connectors for fake raid.
> >>     
> >
> > not fake. see;
> >   http://www.motherboard.cz/mb/abit/kt7-raid.htm
> > for view of board.
> > [no longer shown on abit site]
> > [note: do not get sidetracked and lost checking top and side links.]
> >
> > from all that i can find, and reading wiki link, highpoint technologies hpt370
> > chip is a *true* raid chip. see;
> >  http://www1.epinions.com/review/S0616096-Socket_A_KT7-RAID/content_24339910276
> >
> > so, i maintain, abit kt7-raid is *true raid*, and where i stand. unless you can
> > find something to show otherwise.
> > - --
> I have to define, kt7-RAID, which I own a board with that on it, is 
> software assisted RAID. It does handle RAID in hardware, yes, but the 
> RAID itself does not boot off BIOS, allowing hardware control that isn't 
> dependant on the system board BIOS. "Real" RAID, and "Fake" RAID, are 
> just easy ways to differentiate in Linux hardware that relies on 
> underlying software to help it work.
> 
> "Real" RAID will offer you a different boot proccess: POST --> RAID BIOS 
> --> PXE --> O/s, which isn't in place for the Highpoint on board items.
> 
> Matter of fact I have the same exact board as you are mentioning, and 
> while there is the ability to set up a raid type on the BIOS, it doesn't 
> allow you to RAID before an O/S is installed. a 'REAL' RAID card is like 
> 3ware's 9500LP series, or other add on Multi-RAID option boards.
> 
> 
> If you need drivers to create your array it is software assisted. It is 
> that simple. The HighPoint chipsets have always been like that. It is 
> rather like arguing that a winmodem is a real hardware modem. You can 
> get this sucker to boot on Linux in RAID 1/0/which ever one you use, it 
> just has to work with the help of mdadmin as well.
> 
> 
> Sorry about the sort of Rant but the board is designed for Windows with 
> linux as an afterthought.
> 
> Other than that it is a great board.
----
translation...high point is fake raid though I don't want to denigrate
high point stuff or their attempts to support Linux.

It's not real hardware raid - in fact, it meets the classic definition
of fake raid already provided to you (Firmware/Driver based RAID)

Seann has omitted coverage of things such as hot spares, hot swap
awareness, automatic rebuilding of arrays, battery backed write cache,
firmware BIOS configuration and certainly many more features of real
hardware RAID which is why you are hard pressed to find these cards for
under $600.

Please don't think that you can get that type of performance built onto
a motherboard for $140

Craig