Re: How to choose a disc array for Postgresql? - Mailing list pgsql-performance

From Steve Poe
Subject Re: How to choose a disc array for Postgresql?
Date
Msg-id 721b21dc0803022002r28f03a8fg9184bb823c8d073b@mail.gmail.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: How to choose a disc array for Postgresql?  (Vivek Khera <vivek@khera.org>)
Responses Re: How to choose a disc array for Postgresql?  ("Joshua D. Drake" <jd@commandprompt.com>)
Re: How to choose a disc array for Postgresql?  (Vivek Khera <vivek@khera.org>)
List pgsql-performance
Vivek,

I've had the same issue with the LSI MegaRAID card previously, I had
to drop to U160. Since it happened with a brand new card and
the local vendor's disc array, I've blamed the local vendor since this
happened before.

I've been leary of using Adaptec since they've had issues in the past.

It seems the RAID card manufacturers have more to do with failures
than the drives themselves. Have you found a RAID card you did not
have to drop to U160?

Thanks again for sharing your feedback.

Steve

On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 7:11 PM, Vivek Khera <vivek@khera.org> wrote:

On Mar 2, 2008, at 2:37 AM, Steve Poe wrote:

> I need to consider a vendor for the new disc array (6-
> to 8 discs). The local vendor (in the San Francisco Bay Area),
> I've not been completely pleased with, so I am considering using
> Dell storage connecting to an retail version LSI MegaRAID 320-2X card.
>
> Anyone use any vendors that have been supportive of Postgresql?

I've been 1000% satisfied with Partners Data for my RAID systems.  I
connect to the host boxes with a fibre channel.  They've gone above
and beyond expectations for supporting my FreeBSD systems.  I don't
know if/how they support postgres as I never asked for that help.
Their prices are excellent, too.

As for your plan to hook up Dell storage to a 320-2x card, the last
time I did that, the lsi card complained that one of the drives in the
14-disk chassis was down.  Identical on two different arrays I had.
Dell swapped nearly every single part, yet the LSI card still
complained.  I had to drop the drives to U160 speed to get it to even
recognize all the drives.

I hooked up the same arrays to Adaptec controllers, and they seemed to
not mind the array so much, but would cause random failures
(catastrophic failures resulting in loss of all data) on occassion
until I dropped the disks to U160 speed.   Dell swears up and down
that their devices work at U320, but the two arrays I got from them,
which were identical twins, both clearly did not work at U320 properly.

It is these Dell arrays that I replaced with the Partners Data units
last year.  The dell boxes still have a  year of warrantee on them...
anyone interested in buying them from me, please make an offer :-)



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