Add more HDDs to system based on ICH10R: PICe SATA controller vs SATA port muiltiplier

dieterbsd at engineer.com dieterbsd at engineer.com
Thu May 13 15:22:56 UTC 2010


>   I  have hjome storage server, which is equipped with 6 HDDs (one 
with
> system and five for geom_raid5 in SuperMicro SATA hot-swap cage).
> I need add more HDDs :)
>
>   What is better: PICe SATA controller or SATA port multiplier?

How many more disks do you want to hook up?  How many PCIe slots
are you willing to use for this, and how many lanes do they have?

Better?  A controller can be faster, but uses up a slot.
A port multiplier doesn't require a slot (although you can get
one that does) but total throughput is limited by the uplink.
Of course a x1 slot is also limited, and the controller might not
be fast enough to max it out.

If you go the PM route, make sure the controller you have supports
PMs, not all do.  And make sure FreeBSD supports PMs for the
controller, FreeBSD only got PM support in 8.0.

>   Is here SATA port multipliers for internal installation?

Addonics makes SATA port multipliers that fit a cutout meant for a
SCSI connector.  If your case doesn't have this type of cutout, then
depending on your case and your tolerance for kludges, you might be
able to fasten one inside somewhere, providing you can keep it from
shorting out.  If you're into metalworking you could add a cutout.
Addonics also makes PMs in a standalone external box.

Addonics makes SATA port multipliers that go in an expansion slot.
Also Photofast has a similar card.  Lian-Li has a PCIe-x1 card with a
JMB362 2 port controller and a JMicron JMB393 SATA port multiplier.

http://www.addonics.com/products/pm/
http://www.semiaccurate.com/2009/12/31/lian-li-vs-photofast-pcie-x1-raid-controllers/

>   Which  PCIe  controllers  (pure  controllers,  I  don't  want  to 
pay
> additional  money for soft-RAID and I don't have budget for true SATA
> RAID) works best with FreeBSD?

Almost everything with more than 1 port is going to claim to have RAID,
even controllers costing under US$20.  I haven't heard of any 
controllers
that can't do JBOD.

Sil 3132 (PCIe-x1 2 SATA drives) cards work well with siis(4) driver.
JMB363 (PCIe-x1 2 SATA drives + 1 PATA channel) cards work with ahci(4) 
driver.
JMB363 is faster than Sil3132 but my Syba brand JMB363 cards have been 
trouble.
Try a different brand.  Both 3132 and 363 are available on cards with 
both
internal and external connectors, with jumpers to route the signals to 
the
connector you wish to use.  A nice feature, just don't be fooled when it
says "4 ports".

In message <4B027C3E.7020700 at FreeBSD.org>, Alexander Motin writes:
> >>>>> - SiI3124-based - fast and functional. It is actually PCI-X 
one, but
> >>>>> there are many boards with built-in PCIe bridges.
> Syba PCI Express SATA II 4 x Ports RAID Controller Card SY-PEX40008

Reviews on newegg say it "Gets a bit hot" and "gets quite hot under 
load",
despite that big heatsink.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16816124027
Not sure why a 4 port controller would be putting out that much heat?

If you like the SiI3124 chip and have a x8 slot available there is this:
http://www.cooldrives.com/4expcmaca.html

>   Maybe,  here  is good-but-not-too-expensive hotswap cages with port
> multipliers   (my   one  have  5  SATA  connectors on backplane for 5
> HDDs)?

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product04.php?cl_index=12&sc_index=42&ss_index=115
http://www.addonics.com/products/enclosures/default.asp
http://www.addonics.com/products/raid_system/ast4.asp

The Addonics has more configuration options than the Lian-Li, you can
get it with or without a PM, with or without hotswap, etc.  Both are
more expensive than they should be.  Pointers to other external
enclosure options would be welcome.

Does anyone have recommendations for/against specific port multiplers?
Do they all work well with FreeBSD?  Is one faster than the others?
Can they saturate the uplink, or do they suffer from the same slowness
as the 3123 and 363 controllers?

So far I have found:
        Sil 3726
        JMB393
        Marvel 88SM4140
Any others?

http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/tutorial_pm.asp
indicates that the JMB393 has more features than the Sil 3726,
although I think I can live without those features.  I haven't found
any products using the Marvel chip.

I was hoping someone would have a port multiplier with a 600 MB/s uplink
by now?




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