Dell PERC5/i SAS5/5IR - RAID monitoring

[Michael Worobcuk]

Am 18.07.2007 um 01:27 schrieb Tom Judge:

> Michael Worobcuk wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I am trying to set up my first webserver. I bought a Dell  
>> Poweredge 860, provided with a SAS5/IR RAID-Controller.
>> The problem is now, that I cannot find software, that monitors the  
>> state of my disks. I already tried megarc from the ports but all I  
>> get is a short answer that no adapters where found:
>> ##################################################################### 
>> ####
>> megarc -AllAdpInfo -nolog
>>          
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> *
>>               MEGARC MegaRAID Configuration Utility(FreeBSD)-1.04 
>> (03-02-2005)
>>               By LSI Logic Corp.,USA
>>          
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> *
>>           [Note: For SATA-2, 4 and 6 channel controllers, please  
>> specify
>>           Ch=0 Id=0..15 for specifying physical drive(Ch=channel,  
>> Id=Target)]
>>         Type ? as command line arg for help
>>         No Adapters Found
>>         Error: No MegaRaid Found
>> ##################################################################### 
>> ####
>> I had emails with Dell and LSI. Dell does not support FreeBSD and  
>> LSI says I should go and ask Dell ...
>> The second thing is, the perfomance.
>
> <<<<SNIP>>>>
>
>> Final score for writes:            16
>> Final score for reads :          2025
>>   
>> ##################################################################### 
>> ####
>> (Just to remember: Pentium D; 2,8GHZ; 4 GB RAM; 2 x 500GB SATA RAID1)
>> That is pretty poor, isn't it ?
>> I am wondering now, if somebody has experience with the PERC5/I  
>> Controller. Would it be possible to monitor the disks, if I would  
>> buy that controller ?
>> Any hints are highly appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Michael
>
>
> I don't know about monitoring the SAS5/I however I read some posts  
> on one of the lists that was talking about the linux compatibility  
> system providing all of the correct interface for the linux version  
> of ?megacli? to work on FreeBSD.  As the SAS5/I is mpt driver based  
> could it not be checked with camcontrol? (Just an idea never tested).
>
> As for performance issues with the SAS5/i, there is a problem in  
> the controller.  A work arround was created by Scott Long which  
> created a sysctl that could be set to cause the controller to turn  
> on the on drive write cache's. These changes where commited to  
> RELENG_6 on 2007-06-05 21:32:57 UTC.
>
> The PERC5/[ei] controllers do not suffer the performance problems  
> of the SAS5/i controller, we have ~30 systems with these  
> controllers and have never seen any performance problems with them  
> even when they have 20 drives attached to them.

Hi Tom,
thank you for your response. What about monitoring the PERC5/ie ?  
Does it work with megarc or any program under FreeBSD ?