ICH5R Mirror for System Disks?

[Eli]

I'm setting up a new Windows 2003 Server file server using an Intel P4
server board with an 875P chipset. It will contain an 8 port 3ware
SATA RAID controller. My data store will be in 4 drive RAID 5 array
with a hot spare.

I want to run the system disk from a RAID 1 mirror set. Given the
choice between the onboard ICH5R controller and using the 3ware
controller for the OS partition, which would you choose?

I realize there could be a performance difference between the 3ware
and the ICHR5 controller. I suspect, though, that unless the
difference is significant it won't be noticed in a file server where
most disk activity will be from the RAID 5 array.

The 3ware no doubt gives the ability to have a hot spare for the RAID
1 array, while I don't believe the ICH5R has this ability. That's the
biggest difference I can see on the surface.

 

[Ron Reaugh]

I'm setting up a new Windows 2003 Server file server using an Intel P4
server board with an 875P chipset. It will contain an 8 port 3ware
SATA RAID controller. My data store will be in 4 drive RAID 5 array
with a hot spare.

I want to run the system disk from a RAID 1 mirror set. Given the
choice between the onboard ICH5R controller and using the 3ware
controller for the OS partition, which would you choose?

Either will work nicely.

I realize there could be a performance difference between the 3ware
and the ICHR5 controller.

Not much.

I suspect, though, that unless the
difference is significant it won't be noticed in a file server where
most disk activity will be from the RAID 5 array.

The 3ware no doubt gives the ability to have a hot spare for the RAID
1 array, while I don't believe the ICH5R has this ability. That's the
biggest difference I can see on the surface.

Right. The 3Ware may supply slightly better overall system performance as
it relieves the host's bus structure of the write I/O load to the second
member of the RAID 1 set. The 3Ware is true HW RAID and the ICH5R is
SW/firmware RAID.