Hardware RAID 6 or JBOD for FreeNAS? SMC2108

[Nigesh]

Hey guys,

I have LSI MegaRAID SMC2108 RAID controller on supermicro (128GB| 27 * 4TB) I want to use for FreeNAS ZFS!

I guess it doesn't support flashing IT mode, so which options below is worth taking?

Option A:
(Hardware Raid 6 ) 3 virtual disk -> ZFS (RaidZ0 on top of 3 virtual disks)
or
Option B:
Configuring JBOD and to pass disk to FreeNAS and then build ZFS?
https://plone.lucidsolutions.co.nz/...figuring-jbod-with-a-lsi-2208-controller/view

Please kindly help with Option A or Option B. I'm kinda stuck with this controller its for a virtualization cluster.

Regards,

Nigesh

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

it doesn't support flashing IT mode

Option C: get a different controller.

I'm kinda stuck with this controller

Well then, Option B, but don't expect a good outcome.

 

[Nigesh]

Option C: get a different controller.

Well then, Option B, but don't expect a good outcome.

Thanks Robert! I'll try option B tomorrow! I'm not worried about performance I'm worried about the data consistency! Will it be stable? Hot swap?

 

[Arwen]

@Robert Trevellyan
Wasn't there an option to use a different device driver for the LSI MegaRAID controllers?
One that allowed direct access to the disks?

 

[SweetAndLow]

Thanks Robert! I'll try option B tomorrow! I'm not worried about performance I'm worried about the data consistency! Will it be stable? Hot swap?

Neither will give you good data consistency. You will lose your pool most likely. Get a better disk controller.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Nigesh]

@Robert Trevellyan
Wasn't there an option to use a different device driver for the LSI MegaRAID controllers?
One that allowed direct access to the disks?

Thanks for the reply arwen! I didn't give that option because it's for a educational institution we had to use what we have rather than buying stuff online.

 

[Nigesh]

Neither will give you good data consistency. You will lose your pool most likely. Get a better disk controller.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Thanks guys! Let me try to convince my prof to buy a raid controller online! Can you suggest me a raid controller from B&H, staples, or amazon, cwg? Those are the sites we are contstrained by organization!

 

[Arwen]

Thanks for the reply arwen! I didn't give that option because it's for a educational institution we had to use what we have rather than buying stuff online.

What I meant was, a built-in software driver for the LSI MegaRAID hardware that your system board includes.
The default driver only gives the hardware RAID LUNs from the MegaRAID. The alternate device driver, (software),
gives the underlying disks.

That said, I don't know as much about the LSI MegaRAID and the alternate driver. But, if it is available and works,
just a bit of time to configure it, no money needed.

 

[SweetAndLow]

Thanks guys! Let me try to convince my prof to buy a raid controller online! Can you suggest me a raid controller from B&H, staples, or amazon, cwg? Those are the sites we are contstrained by organization!

Check it the hardware guide. Get that h310 or something, it's super cheap used.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Wasn't there an option to use a different device driver for the LSI MegaRAID controllers?

Could be. Maybe @dlavigne or @Ericloewe can help.

 

[Arwen]

Actually I think the alternate device driver is mrsas and this has some helpful hints;

https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...nstead-of-mfi-driver.34632/page-2#post-242013

 

[Ericloewe]

Only for SAS2308 controllers and for SAS3 controllers. Older SAS2 (2008, 2108, etc) are stuck with mfi.

 

[Arwen]

Only for SAS2308 controllers and for SAS3 controllers. Older SAS2 (2008, 2108, etc) are stuck with mfi.

Thanks. Though a bit more research indicates it's the MPS driver;

https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi...FreeBSD+10.3-RELEASE&arch=default&format=html

 

[Ericloewe]

Thanks. Though a bit more research indicates it's the MPS driver;

https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi...FreeBSD+10.3-RELEASE&arch=default&format=html

mps is the SAS2 IT driver, mfi is the SAS1, 2 and 3 crap RAID driver, mrsas is the new SAS2 and 3 RAID driver that also does proper direct-attach. mpr is the SAS3 IT driver and mpt is the SAS1 IT driver.

 

[Nigesh]

Thanks @Ericloewe @Arwen @Robert Trevellyan @SweetAndLow!

I have ordered Dell Perc H200 Integrated Sas Pci-e 2.0 Raid Controller online for 111$ I hope that works fine.

I'll post my review about the build once I have my FreeNAS up and running :)

Thanks again!