Raid
 

Whats the best Software raid for OS X?
Also, do i need 2 identical drives?

"Best" and "Software RAID" are not two terms I would often use in conjunction with each other, but I suppose that SoftRAID http://www.softraid.com/ is marginally better than the free RAID that Apple gives you with OS X. However, I would suggest if you have a PowerMac that you would be much better off with Hardware RAID.

Trevor

Seconded. With the cheap cost of SATA/ATA cards with hardware RAID, if your data is worth mirroring at all, just get the hardware. I don't know which ones are OS X compatible, but I use Promise cards in Windows often, they work great, and cost next to nothing.

…and, yes. You do want to use identical drives.

I'd have to partially disagree on the drives. Ideally, identical drives are great. If you're using stripe sets, then you want identical drives so you're sure they definitely spin at exactly the same speed.

For mirroring, all you need is for the new drive to be at least as large as the old drive. Keep in mind that one 80GB drive could be a slightly different size from another 80GB drive, and if it is smaller, you won't be able to add the mirror (same applies to all drive sizes, just using that as an example). I would keep the basic specs of the drives the same; spin rate, ATA type/level, etc. Don't pair a 5400 RPM drive and a 7200.

If you call $300 cheap, well then ur mental :-)

For a $80 drive im not going to spend $300 for a stripe RAID

Who is that directed at? And where do you get the $300 price? For example, if you have ATA drives, then the Acard AEC-6880M is $39.99.

If you have SATA drives, then the Acard AEC-6890M is $129.00.

Coincidentally, SoftRAID is also $129.00. http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/r1.cgi?QCO&&

(Prices above in USD.)

Trevor

I live in Australia and the only local place that i found to have it wanted $299 and that was an SIIG

+ that ATA Card isnt mac compat

Mmmmm, you're right. OK, here's some more links then:

$119 http://www.mars-tech.com/aec-6880m.htm
$119 http://www.microlandusa.com/microlan...0&cat_id=11701
$139.99 http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_It...em=ACDAEC6880M

There's plenty other sources, all of which would be happy to ship it to you down under, and most for less money than SoftRAID.

Trevor

Hell, I'll pick one up and ship it to you if they are that overpriced at your local sources. I just got a Promise controller for $27 that does up to four SATA drives with RAID. Don't know if it's Mac-compatible; I bought it for a Windows server.

Nope… There's no Mac compatibility with the Promise cards. Although there is Linux source code for the enterprising Mac programmer.

Not true. The Sonnet non-RAID ATA cards are all Promise cards (like this one). The Sonnet RAID cards are all Acard cards.

I'm not a big fan of Promise cards, myself. I'd stick with Acard products.

Trevor

I can get ones for PCs cheap but not mac compatible ones :-(

Just curious, why do you want to run RAID 0 on your mac?

Sonnet cards a OEMed from Promise. Promise doesn't sell them. Sonnet cards are Mac compatible. Promise aren't. Now… What would be nice is if someone out there could figure out a way to flash Promise cards with Sonnet's firmware! :)

Speeed and More SPEEEED

Well, what are you doing with your system? Your average end user will not benefit any system performance increase from a RAID array. Its really only beneficial when dealing with large databases, or huge files (like digital audio/video files ect.). If you just do basic office apps and internet use a RAID will not make your system hardly any faster at all, and it would not be worth the investment or maintenence to have one. Yout might install apps slightly faster and load things off the HD slightly faster but not that much, and probably not even noticeable. With the new SATA drives out a lot of times the single SATA drive will perform equally or better than a SATA RAID, in normal usage situations, like internet surfing and office apps.

Now, if you could actually utilize a raid, or need the mirroring for back up reasons then it could be beneficial. However, if you want speed and won't really utilize it, then I suggest you don't even bother with the raid array.

I do heaps of video editing

cool, i suggest a RAID 0+1 then so you always have a mirrored back up of your edits.

what about for a server... you want speed. we have another mac we CCC to for backup's... what ide card (raid or not) can I use that cost less then the $75 that apple cards cost.

George