Puzzeled! RAID definition from AnandTech ...

[Lars_Coleman]

AnandTech have a review <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.html?i=1491" target="_new"><font color=blue>"IDE RAID Comparison"</font color=blue></A> that I think is somewhat mis-understanding. Does anyone else see it?

I'm reading the section under <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.html?i=1491&p=6" target="_new"><font color=blue>"Types Of RAID cards"</font color=blue></A> and it specify's a "Software" RAID controller and a "Hardware" RAID controller. Aren't all RAID controller's hardware RAID controllers? I mean it's not like I am running a Software RAID in Windows 2000/XP. That's where I think I'm getting my mis-understanding from. It seem's that they're the only one's that call it a Software RAID controller. With their definition it's a hardware RAID only if it has a chip to calculate parity and cache onboard.

Does everyone call it like this or am I just now seeing it on their review? I have read Tom's review and it never said anything like this, so are they making up their own definitions?

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>

 

[AMD_Man]

Well, it is software RAID in a way because it relies on the CPU to process for it. "Hardware" RAID cards, manage all the RAID operations by themselves but the IDE interface itself uses CPU time.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[Toejam31]

This might help explain it, Lars. Look under Software vs Hardware on the page.

<A HREF="http://www.msdmag.com/98/9807art2.htm" target="_new">http://www.msdmag.com/98/9807art2.htm</A>

And another, under Section 4:

<A HREF="http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html" target="_new">http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html</A>

And my favorite:

<A HREF="http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/raid/conf/ctrl.htm" target="_new">http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/perf/raid/conf/ctrl.htm</A>

Enjoy the "read"!

Toejam31

<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847</A>
____________________________________________________

<font color=purple>"Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."</font color=purple>

 

[Lars_Coleman]

Thanks for the reply's. Good information! I just never heard them put in the catagory of "Software" and "Hardware".

Thanks again!

<font color=red>1GHz AMD x MSI K7T-Turbo x 512MB PC133 x 2-Maxtor 30GB/RAID 0 = Stream Line Butterfly</font color=red>