SATA "Upgrade" Question

[rafe b]

I've been using a RAID-1 SATA system on
an Abit motherboard for the last year or two.
No big problems. The mobo uses the SI 3112
SATA/Raid chipset.

The two drives involved are now almost full,
and I need more storage. The mobo has only
two SATA connectors, so adding a 2nd RAID
pair requires, at the very least, adding
a new SATA/RAID-1 controller.

So, my questions are:

1. Recommended inexpensive SATA/Raid
controllers for PCI bus.

2. If I get a controller that handles
two sets of mirrored RAID-1 drives,
will I be able to move the two existing
physical drives to the new controller
without problems?

Is this a reasonable thing to expect?

Are SATA/RAID-1 systems interchangeable?

3. Any other general advice on this
situation.


TIA.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

 

[Paul]

I've been using a RAID-1 SATA system on
an Abit motherboard for the last year or two.
No big problems. The mobo uses the SI 3112
SATA/Raid chipset.

The two drives involved are now almost full,
and I need more storage. The mobo has only
two SATA connectors, so adding a 2nd RAID
pair requires, at the very least, adding
a new SATA/RAID-1 controller.

So, my questions are:

1. Recommended inexpensive SATA/Raid
controllers for PCI bus.

2. If I get a controller that handles
two sets of mirrored RAID-1 drives,
will I be able to move the two existing
physical drives to the new controller
without problems?

Is this a reasonable thing to expect?

Are SATA/RAID-1 systems interchangeable?

3. Any other general advice on this
situation.


TIA.


rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com

You cannot get a better deal than this:

SYBA SD-SATA150R PCI SATA Controller Card - Retail $13.30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815124006

In theory, a SIL3114 has four ports, and since internally it
has the same design as two SIL3112s on the same chip, it might
make for a directly transferable solution.

SYBA SD-SATA-4P PCI SATA Controller With optional RAID $21.50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815124020

Comments on the SD-SATA-4P PCI card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustRatingReview.asp?Item=N82E16815124020

RAID arrays generally use a "reserved sector" to store
configuration information. A Promise Technologies web page
I read, said the "reserved sector" is 32KB on their
products and near the end of the disk. It is not likely
that different companies definition of the reserved sector
are the same. That is why I suggest the SIL3112 as directly
applicable to your problem, and SIL3114 _might_ work the
same way as your disks on the existing SIL3112.

HTH,
Paul