Debian : RAID on SIIL3112

[starfury6]

Hey guys, just a piece of advice needed.

I have a basic server which acts as firewall, router and fileserver which I have just installed an Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe motherboard and want to use the Sillicon Image 3112 Control for RAID under Debian running 2.6 kernel.

I have compiled in the necessary for Debian to see the 2 identical SATA drives connected to the SIIL3112 controller and it can see them as sda and sdb no problem at all.

What I need to know is whether I should be using the RAID bios to create a RAID array (going for RAID1) or get Linux to do it for me entirely since I am told that's possible.

Also how do I recreate a disc in future 'when' one of them dies by each method?

Thanks for the help all.

 

[XOR != OR]

I have always been a bigger fan of software raid in linux than hardware. Too many different implementations, too wacky.

Assuming Raid1: If you lose a disk in a raid1 config, you can mount the "good" volume as a normal partition. Not sure about the procedure for raid5, I much prefer raid1 due to simplicity.

There is more to it than that, of course. All sorts of fun things you can do, but I assume you'd want to read up on those yourself.

 

[starfury6]

TBH I'm just interested in its basic use with a redundant disc.

I assume if the remaining disc is mounted as a normal one I can then plug a new empty same sized drive in and get Linux to recreate the other drive and raid them?

Man I have lots to learn!

 

[XOR != OR]

TBH I'm just interested in its basic use with a redundant disc.

I assume if the remaining disc is mounted as a normal one I can then plug a new empty same sized drive in and get Linux to recreate the other drive and raid them?

Man I have lots to learn!

You can. There are some tools to run, but it works well ( from experience ).

I would try googling Linux raid howto.