[SOLVED] Creating a hardware raid (raid controller) using raid 5 or 6 array for workstation (separate from operating system) ?

[thatlinuxguy]

Hello - Please bear with me, this is obviously my first post here.

Overall, I want to have hardware (not software) RAID on a relatively new-ish workstation whose motherboard does not support raid 5 or 6 most likely achieved by buying a hardware RAID controller. I'm hoping maybe someone here may have experience adding a RAID hardware controller and creating a RAID 5 or 6 (not motherboard RAID, but a raid controller installed on the motherboard).
- I'm curious if after adding a RAID controller if the eight 4TB drives connected to the motherboard should be able to be handled by the RAID card... which seems obvious as it would, but I'm hoping someone with practical experience on this may be able to provide some tips.

Here is some background on my system:
The system is not a Windows system. It is loaded with the latest version of Red Hat Linux (Red Hat has a no-cost OS edition for those who use the Red Hat's Developer Program).
- Once I have a visible RAID, I can easily handle the creation of the RAID - but I am just looking for guidance on the hardware end of the feasibility of adding a RAID controller to a system.

I built my system with an x570 Phantom Gaming 4 motherboard (asus), I do not use the system for gaming, my goal is to use it for virtualizing servers, and to have the RAID on the eight 4TB drives.
I have the following disks:

• nvme0 (SSD-type drive) 500G where my Linux operating system is located. I want to keep this drive as non-RAID.
• I have eight 4tb spinning disks (not formatted) - I want to make a RAID 6 out of this, or at minimum a RAID 5 array using hardware (not software) RAID.

I have a whole lot of experience with RAID on servers, but not workstations, and I obviously bought the wrong motherboard to have RAID 5 or 6, but I'm probably not going to buy another motherboard and reload the system. I realy really do not want software RAID. I'm considering a RAID controller.

I've spent probably a couple of hours searching to attept to find a practical use of RAID 5 or 6 using a hardware controller, but I haven't been able to find anything.

My system can see the raw existance of the eight non-formatted 4TB drives, but I want to be able to create a RAID 5 or 6 using a raid controller. I'm considering a internal PCI-E SAS HBA controller card (but it doesn't have to be that, and my intent here is not necessarly to vet that card, but that's just one possible example of what I may buy)

I would appreciate any feedback that would have info on how to use a second non-motherboard RAID controller card on a workstation for RAID 5 or 6. Again, I'm not planning on using software RAID.

Thank you much
That Linux Guy

 

[popatim]

Lsi 9260-8i (well undr $100) or 9271-8i (under$200) and 9361 being the cream of the crop.
Areca 1680ix-N (N being the number of drives you want to support they make 8,16,24...) (the 16's are about 100 on ebay)
* be sure to get the battery backup units for any raid card you get. *

Someone else will have to chime in with a Perc recommendation.

 

[thatlinuxguy]

Hello - Please bear with me, this is obviously my first post here.

Overall, I want to have hardware (not software) RAID on a relatively new-ish workstation whose motherboard does not support raid 5 or 6 most likely achieved by buying a hardware RAID controller. I'm hoping maybe someone here may have experience adding a RAID hardware controller and creating a RAID 5 or 6 (not motherboard RAID, but a raid controller installed on the motherboard).
- I'm curious if after adding a RAID controller if the eight 4TB drives connected to the motherboard should be able to be handled by the RAID card... which seems obvious as it would, but I'm hoping someone with practical experience on this may be able to provide some tips.

Here is some background on my system:
The system is not a Windows system. It is loaded with the latest version of Red Hat Linux (Red Hat has a no-cost OS edition for those who use the Red Hat's Developer Program).
- Once I have a visible RAID, I can easily handle the creation of the RAID - but I am just looking for guidance on the hardware end of the feasibility of adding a RAID controller to a system.

I built my system with an x570 Phantom Gaming 4 motherboard (asus), I do not use the system for gaming, my goal is to use it for virtualizing servers, and to have the RAID on the eight 4TB drives.
I have the following disks:

• nvme0 (SSD-type drive) 500G where my Linux operating system is located. I want to keep this drive as non-RAID.
• I have eight 4tb spinning disks (not formatted) - I want to make a RAID 6 out of this, or at minimum a RAID 5 array using hardware (not software) RAID.

I have a whole lot of experience with RAID on servers, but not workstations, and I obviously bought the wrong motherboard to have RAID 5 or 6, but I'm probably not going to buy another motherboard and reload the system. I realy really do not want software RAID. I'm considering a RAID controller.

I've spent probably a couple of hours searching to attept to find a practical use of RAID 5 or 6 using a hardware controller, but I haven't been able to find anything.

My system can see the raw existance of the eight non-formatted 4TB drives, but I want to be able to create a RAID 5 or 6 using a raid controller. I'm considering a internal PCI-E SAS HBA controller card (but it doesn't have to be that, and my intent here is not necessarly to vet that card, but that's just one possible example of what I may buy)

I would appreciate any feedback that would have info on how to use a second non-motherboard RAID controller card on a workstation for RAID 5 or 6. Again, I'm not planning on using software RAID.

Thank you much
That Linux Guy

Thanks!

Lsi 9260-8i (well undr $100) or 9271-8i (under$200) and 9361 being the cream of the crop.
Areca 1680ix-N (N being the number of drives you want to support they make 8,16,24...) (the 16's are about 100 on ebay)
* be sure to get the battery backup units for any raid card you get. *

Someone else will have to chime in with a Perc recommendation.

Thanks, popatim!

 

[faalin]

The raid controller card is nothing hard to setup and is just like doing it on a server, i have a few LSI 9260-8i's and a 9260-16i. I run the 16i at home on a dell Precision T5610, during the boot up right after the bios check it will hang at the raid card doing drive checks, at this point you can log into the raid card and setup your drives however you want.

After you set the drives up in the raid card is where you are on your own as i dont know Linux, but for windows you just go into Disk Management and allocate the disk space and you have your drive.