freebsd-questions Digest, Vol 15, Issue 11

[Kevin Marcus]

> Message: 17
> Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2003 20:17:10 +0300
> From: Johan Paul <mailing-lists at johanpaul.com>
> Subject: Re: Using a RAID-card with FreeBSD
> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Message-ID: <3F031396.5010908 at johanpaul.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
> 
> > Yes, the RAIDing is completely transparent to the OS. You don't even 
> > have to reboot the machine if the disks are hot-swappable. Just pull the 
> > dead one out, install the new one, and the controller will bring it up 
> > to speed. RAID-1 is much faster to rebuild than RAID-5 (just a casual 
> > observation; I'm not sure if that's a hard-and-fast rule).
> 
> I just wanted to let you all know that I succesfully installed FreeBSD 
> 4.8R with Promise FastTrak TX2 on a RAID1 using two IDE drives. Works 
> like a charm all the way from installation! FreeBSD sees the RAID1 
> arrays as "ar0" and tells me that the two disks are 'READY' :)
> 
> It's so nice to know that it actually works and one can be much more 
> safe now than with software RAID... And the card wasn't even expensive. 
> I just have to say that I had my doubts in the beginning, but luckely 
> they were in vain!

i have usccessfully used various adaptec raid cards on freebsd, but i like
the 3200s the most.  Additionally, adaptec supports freebsd with their
utilities on their website which you can download.  However, they only
work on the 4.x series of freebsd, not the 5.x series.  So if you use an
adaptec raid card, you will be able to muck with tthe rid without having
to reboot the machien and go through the BIOS stuff.