Are thumpers still interesting in 2011 ? (raidz3 on x4500 @ 3.0gbps ...)

[Michael Fuckner]

On 07/05/2011 11:07 AM, Gerrit Kühn wrote:
Hi Gerrit,

> I think then I get an SFF8087 lane (or even infiniband, which is even
> more expensive) with 24 drives connected and face the same issue: which
> controller do I connect this to?
You mean like CX4 Connectors for SAS or Infiniband over CX4/ QSFP
Connectors?

I'd stick with LSI 9211-4i + 846E16 Chassis
(http://www.supermicro.nl/products/chassis/4U/846/SC846E16-R1200.cfm)

SAS Controllers (HBA or RAID) typicially use Chips with 8 external
Ports. If you buy a Controller with more ports, they solder an
Expanderchip to the raidcard (LSI SAS2x36,
http://lsi.com/products/storagecomponents/Pages/LSISAS2x36.aspx or PMC
PM8005, http://www.pmc-sierra.com/products/details/pm8005/).

So in both ways (HBA with 24 ports, single cables to each HDD) or HBA
with 4/8 ports, Expanderchip on the backplane), the topology is
identical- and the expandersolution has less cabeling which makes the
whole system more reliable.

Regards,
 Michael!