[K12OSN] Woe is me: Onboard SCSI/RAID Controller

[norbert]

Hi,

To keep costs down while still getting a RAID, try the RAID SW that 
comes with linux. Granted it's not a HW RAID but if works very well 
although figuring out how to configure it might be a challenge....

norbert

petre at maltzen.net wrote:

> I was over optimistic in the cost of a SCSI RAID controller.  Looking 
> at pricewatch.com, while a plain Adaptec SCSI controller can be had 
> for under $150, getting RAID bumps the price up to the $300-$400+ range.
>
> Petre
>
> Petre Scheie wrote:
>
>> One idea to consider: if, as Les recommended, you try to install 
>> K12LTSP and it does not work with the on-board SCSI controller, you 
>> might just buy another SCSI controller card and use that instead.  
>> You *should* be able to disable the on-board SCSI.  That way you can 
>> still use the system; it's only the SCSI controller that's apt to 
>> give you problems, so just replace that part, effectively.  I think 
>> you can get a good SCSI RAID controller for about $150, perhaps less.
>>
>> Petre
>>
>> Debbie Schiel wrote:
>>
>>> Les Bell wrote:
>>>
>>>> Brian Chase <networkr0 at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It sounds
>>>> like you went off and bought a motherboard and now that you've 
>>>> found it
>>>> doesn't support a particular version of Redhat, you're completely
>>>> willing to change your original plan.  Not a good idea.
>>>> <<
>>>>
>>>> In all fairness to Debbie, she probably saw some Acer Altos blurb 
>>>> that said
>>>> "supports Red Hat Linux, supports SuSE Linux", etc. I got caught 
>>>> the same
>>>> way - bought a couple of Acer Altos G301 servers for a school, on the
>>>> understanding that Red Hat 7.3 and 8.0 were supported (and 9 
>>>> shouldn't be a
>>>> problem, you'd think) - only to find out that the on-board RAID 
>>>> controller
>>>> was a MegaIDE chipset that only has precompiled binary drivers and 
>>>> only
>>>> supports the kernel supplied on the RH 7.3 and 8.0 CD-ROMs. If you 
>>>> want to
>>>> download and use a later official RH kernel, as a bug fix or security
>>>> patch, tough - you're out of luck. Acer tech support were less than 
>>>> helpful
>>>> - they had shipped a driver and as far as they were concerned, that 
>>>> was
>>>> Linux support and if I didn't like it, I knew what I could do. . .  .
>>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks Les & Brian for your advice.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately I was not the one responsible for buying the server. 
>>> If I was I would've chosen something different. Some guys down in 
>>> ACT (home of Samba) who were trialling K12ltsp gave me recommended 
>>> hardware specs from their supplier specifically for K12ltsp. And my 
>>> school got another quote from a different (non-linux) source. During 
>>> the holidays in my absence they (the ones with the money & the final 
>>> say) bought the Acer server from this other supplier. I am the IT 
>>> co-ordinator/teacher by the way, but we're a small independant 
>>> school and I don't feel like I can grumble about all the money spent 
>>> on this server (even though I wish we could take the Acer back to 
>>> the supplier this instant!)
>>>
>>> So I'll follow your suggestions, and try an install of K12ltsp on 
>>> the Acer this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some good news to report!
>>>
>>> Debbie
>>
>>
>>
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