Best IDE-RAID controller for FreeBSD?

[Alasdair Lumsden]

> Hello! I need to buy a IDE-RAID controller for a customer. I know
> there
> are a lot of good controllers out there, but which one should I choose
> for my bsd-machine? Is there a de-facto controller which I should
> choose?  I can choose between brands like Adaptec, Highpoint and
> Promise. Is there any way for me to check which one is compatible with
> freebsd (the hardware list at freebsd.org feels a little sparse) ?

I'd highly recommend the 3Ware IDE Raid cards (www.3ware.com). We use
them (Both the 7506 and 8506 series) with our FreeBSD Servers. The
drivers are rock solid and the management software is superb
(/usr/ports/sysutils/3dm). For example, it can be set to email you any
events that the card picks up, such as a disk failing. They do 2 port up
to 12 port cards, both Parallel ATA and Serial ATA.

They are slightly difficult to get hold of (At least in the UK), but its
well worth making the extra effort to get hold of a card. Having used
Promise cards before, I have to say the 3Ware cards are far superior.