Best configuration for RAID-setup?

After reading the post about what FS would be best for 5x500GB, it occurred to me that I have to migrate my RAID-setup soonish and that I would like to hear some more opinions before doing so.
At the moment, my server is running 64bit Arch for 1.5 years now, and it is composed of new parts (C2D 8400, 4GB RAM and 3x320GB HD) with an 'old' 6-port SATA RAID-controller (HP-rebranded Adaptec 2605-card) that I recuperated from our previous office-server. Since I had never worked with RAID before in my life, I was very happy that installing an FS on it and installing arch on that FS went without a hassle.
Now I have to grow the capacity, and although I have some spare ports (3 out of 6 are free), I fear that I'll have to rebuild the FS, since I didn't install LVM. Rebuilding the array might include a risk to lose my data, so I'm thinking of just starting over and doing it right this time:
1. Separate disk for the OS, not in a RAID-array
2. 3-disk RAID-5 array, with LVM
3. Partition the LVM in two slices (1 for work and 1 for 'play').
Are there any considerations I have to think of before doing this? I think Ext4 is the FS-of-choice for a server that will be doing mainly NFS (media), CUPS, and some HTTP/PostgreSQL...

All sounds good to me... I'm not personally a fan of RAID-5 just due to personal preference, but with 3 disks it's your only option really.

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What is the guideline and/or best practice for EMC setup on ASM?

We are going to use EMC CX4-480 for ASM storage on RAC. What is the guideline and best practice for EMC setup on ASM?
Thanks for the advice!

Probably a poor choice of words. Sorry.
So basically, I have gotten further, but I just noticed related problem.
I'm using the WebServices(WS) 1.0. I insert an account, then, on a separate WS call, I insert my contacts for the account. I include the AccountID, and a user defined key from the Account when creating the Contact.
When I look at my Contact on the CRMOD web page, it shows the appropriate links back to the Account. But when I look at my Account on the CRMOD web page, it shows no Contacts.
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Based on the above, it looks like I need to, as the next step, take the ContactID and update the Account with it so that their is a bi-directional link.
I'm thinking there is a better way in doing this.
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AccountID = NewAcctRec
ContactInsert(NewAcctRec)
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Thanks,

Best configuration for maximum WiFi speed?

Hello, I am trying to configure my network for the best WiFi speed. I have a Comcast/Xfiinity Modem/ Wireless Router (SMCD3GNV) with speed of 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up (acutally 87 down and 11.5 up last time tested) and 3 Airport Extremes, and a 16 port GB switch. I am really confused about what should be plugged in to what and how to set up the Airport extemes for best WiFi speed for laptops, iphones and iPads etc. . I have a large house and want the WiFi to be available everywhere. Shoud I plug the Modem/Router and the first Airport extreme into the switch and then set up the other 2 Airport extremes as extended networks, or should I plug all the Airports into the switch, or should I plug just the first Airport into the switch and then connected the other 2 Airports into the 1st? Like I said I am really confused. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Vic

For the best configuration for maximum WiFi speed, connect all your Extremes to the switch.
The effective range of your wireless network will be a function of the distances the Extremes are from one another. Each will be limited by Ethernet specification to a maximum distance 100m from the switch or adjacent Extreme.
This picture may help:
From Wi-Fi base stations: Extending the range of your wireless network by adding additional Wi-Fi base stations

I will be buying the new IMac 27 inch in December. Would like input on the best configuration for photographic and possibly video processing-dream machine!

I will be buying an IMac 27 inch in December. What is the best configuration for photo and possibly video processing.Does one need a Mac Pro? Dream machine!

Just to explain what I just wrote to Laundry Bleach:
Why is there no iDVD on my new Mac?
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3673
UPDATE & ADDENDUM:
But even though you can still buy iLife 11 that includes iDVD 7 from Amazon, Apple now make it difficult to install:
Poster jhb21939 posted this in another thread:
“when I attempted to load iDVD into a new iMac. A notice came up on the screen stating that the 'Authorisation Licence' had expired on 25 March this year (2012).
I contacted the Apple support team and eventually, I was told that the Licence had been withdrawn and could no longer be used.”
In other words Apple are now so adamant that we don’t use iDVD that they have tried to make it impossible to install.
In response, Old Toad posted this solution:
“You can still use it one all of your Macs. If you get an invalid certificate message just set your Mac's clock to sometime before early 2011 and run the installer. After you're done reset the time back to the correct time.” He added this comment:
“It began after iDVD and iWeb were discontued and they were dropped from the Apple Store. All I can think of is the certificate was set to expire after a certain time period after the intitial iLife disc was released.
I've been able to use the installer even without setting back the date. I just clicked on the Continue button and it would work as expected. For some it would not continue unless the date was set back.”
The latest anorexic iMacs just announced do not even include a CD drive! Proof positive that Apple virtually prohibit the use of DVDs - although the newly announced Mac Minis do include a Superdrive.
Yet, they still include iMovie! Heaven alone knows or understands what you are supposed to do with your newly edited masterpiece - except make a low quality version for YouTube?

Best option for initial setup of HD's on Xserve (possible RAID)

I'm just about to set up a new network in a new office and have an Xserve with 3 HD's 2x700GB and 1x500GB drive.
Now i have a fair bit of experience with the server itself, however i have zero experience with RAID.
I would like to start automatic backups of the OS (which i do already in a round about way). And have several share points for users network homes and data.
Does anyone have any suggestions of how to setup the HD's themselves, should i RAID? what would be the best option? etc etc etc.
All suggestions are very welcome and appreciated.
Thanks
Steven

No one can answer your question - at least not without more information.
When deciding disk layout you need to factor things like how much usable disk space you need - in this case for users' data. Are the users home directories on the server, or do they just upload files to the server for storage/backup?
What's the intensity of the data? Is reliability or performance more important? Would you pull your hair out if you lost a single file? a day's work? a week's work?
How much downtime could you tolerate if the server crashed?
These questions (and probably more) are important because it helps focus on the needs. For example, if the integrity of the data is more important than uptime you could mirror the two 700 GB drives for the user data and install the OS on the single 1TB drive. Of course this leaves you (slightly) vulnerable to a problem on the OS disk and you could be offline for hours if that disk failed. However, your user data would be mirrored and likely protected from disk failure.
On the other hand, if the uptime of the server is more important, you might opt to install the OS on the 700GB mirror, using the 1TB for user data, relying on backups to restore this disk if it fails.
Or, you might decide to put everything (OS and data) on the 700GB mirror, using the 1TB as the backup destination.
On the other hand you might determine that you need 1TB of user storage space, in which case you either need to use the 1TB for user data, or you need to stripe the two 700GB drives into a 1.4TB array, but then that array has no redundancy and the loss of a single disk will result in the loss of all data.
So, as I said, there is no one single answer to your question. You'll need to balance storage capacity and redundancy to find the best match for you.

Best Configuration for Laptop

I just purchased, and upgraded, a laptop that has:
GTX 470 (3 GB dedicated video)
24 GB DDR3 RAM
120 GB primary internal SSD (C Drive) (up to 550MB/s read, up to 500MB/s Write)
480 GB second internal SSD (D Drive) (up to 540MB/s read, up to 460MB/s write)
i7 processor
I shoot with 3 Sony HDR CX550V's. They of course compress to H.264...
So, what is the best way to setup this laptop? Basically, I installed the OS and software on the primary drive. Then I opened up premiere and created a blank project and setup "Media" and "media cache" under project settings to store in a folder on the D drive. I assume I don't want anything on the primary drive, no cache, no renders, just keep it clean.
But the C drive is faster and I would like your professional, experience opinion as to how to best configure this. Should I render out to the C since it has faster write? Should I store cache on C in a folder that I clean out every now and then? Data files on D? etc...
This laptop has a thunderbolt port too, and 4 USB3.0, it's an Asus laptop. I have an external drive, but it's RDD, 7200 RPM's. I could get an external SSD but for the most part I don't want to use an external drive in my workflow. However, for bigger projects if there's a major advantage I may need or at least want to do that. So, suggestions for this scenario would be appreciated too, but mostly curious about the best way to deal with my internal drives. I am curious if there would be a big difference expected with an external drive(s) in the mix...

Also, please be specific, like where to put what:
Project (premiere project files)
Scratch (video/audio previews)
Source files, my H.264 files that is)
Exports (Renders)
"Media Cache Files" and "Media Cache Database" under preferences/media
And anything else specific that would be helpful to know.
Thanks!

Any ideas on the best Config for RAID-0 on the Precision M6800 using SSD's (and the mSATA slot)

Hi, I have an M6800 on order that has a single 500GB 7200RPM hard drive. I am going to upgrade the storage the day it arrives (removing the 500GB drive and not utilizing it at all). I plan on setting up an SSD RAID-0 array and want to take advantage of the mSATA slot if possible.
I thought of using the 2TB 2.5" Seagate/Samsung Momentus SpinPoint ST2000LM003 hard drive for storing unused vhd\vhdx files as well as video and photos, then using an SSD RAID array for the OS, Applications, Data and any active vhd's.
Is it possible to set up RAID-0 using the mSATA SSD slot and the primary internal hard drive slot?  I want to use those 2 drive connectors so I can still use the 2TB 2.4" regular notebook hard drive without removing the Blu-Ray Writer? I plan to write video to Blu-Ray discs that will be stored on the internal 2TB drive, so removing the optical drive is something I want to avoid.
As a general question, Is there any advantage to using RAID with SSD's, or would a single 1TB mSATA SSD in the mSATA slot be nearly as fast in real world use as a 2 disk SSD RAID? Would I have a noticibly quicker boot time and application load time if using SSD RAID? I know the speed test specs show large increase in performance, but will the computer really run a lot faster with 2 x 500GB SSD in RAID-0 as opposed to getting a single 1TB SSD card for the mSATA slot?
I was planning on getting the Samsung Evo 840 SSD 2.5" drive and the matching Evo 840 mSATA card. There is a Samsung 850 series drive, but it is only available in 2.5" (mSATA is not available in the 850 as far as I can tell).
Please suggest the best solution that is compatible with the M6800 or provide any information that might help.
Thanks

Hi Ential,
Thanks for the info, I thought my question would go unanswered forever. I posted the question in January, and I have since set up the computer. Below I will detail my research and the configurations of drives that I have used on my M6800 since the time I posted the question you answered. Perhaps the results of my research and testing might help you.
I originally I bought the same exact model SSD's that Dell sells with the computer thru their website;    the LiteOn 512GB drives (mSata & SATA), I configured them in RAID-0. The LiteOn drives are sold under the brand name Plextor, I found the proper model numbers by looking at the SSD drive firmware upgrade file from the Dell support website.
From what I understood, my RAID-0 drive consisting of the 2 LiteOn drives had impressive performance using the AS SSD benchmark program, I was getting performance scores over 1600 back in February.
I have since changed to the Samsung EVO 850 1TB drives and again created a RAID-0 drive, one SATA drive and one mSata drive totaling 2TB. This drive array is getting AS SSD performance scores over 1900. I contacted Samsung to get some advice on the configuration of the drives and I got some interesting advice that seemed to help a lot:
Samsung told me to leave 200GB of the drives (100GB each) unallocated when I partitioned the drives, this is generally referred to as "overprovisioning" (which you probably knew already).  I initially thought that overprovisioning could only be configured by the Samsung Magician software and a special process needed to take place to tell the firmware to utilize a specific amount of drive space for overprovisioninng.  The Samsung support agent told me that the Samsung SSD firmware (on both mSata and SSD) automatically uses any unallocated space as overprovisioned space (they are basically the same thing to the drive firmware) and it increases performance in a very noticible way when you have sustained use of the drive and/or durinng the time in between the TRIM process (garbage collection). The unallocated space is used by the firmware to write data to while blocks of data are awaiting internal wiping initiated by the TRIM process.
Since I have 200GB of unallocated space, I am able to have more sustained deletion and writing of data between TRIM/Garbage Collection runnninng than I would ever utilize without affecting the performance of the drive. Basically most SSD drives have performance decrease throughout the day until the TRIM process is completed by the drives firmware, so Samsung instructed me to leave at least 10% of the drive space unallocated to limit that problem. Smaller drives likely need a higher percentage of space unallocated as compared to larger drives since the daily amount of read/write operations is typically the same regardless of drive size.   The amount of space left unallocated/overprovisioned is based upon the amount of read/write operations done on any given drive, not based on the size of the drive itself. If you run drive intensive applications, you would then want to overprovision more GB of drive space, if you have light use of the drive then you can overprovision/unallocate less GB of drive space (all of the configuration info regarding overprovisioning and TRIM was given to me by a Samsung specialist over the telephone - I called their tech support phone number and got a storage specialist to talk to me).
I will look into the SATA version on the optical bay, I never thought about that with this computer. My prior computer was a Dell XPS 17 3D (L702X) notebook which had 2 internal 2.5" SATA, in which I installed an optical bay drive. On that specific computer the optical bay was technically an SATA 3, but due to design constraints it couldnt run at that speed since there was voltage leakage across some pathways in the chipset when the optical bay has read-write throughput that is typical of a hard drive (as opposed to much less data transfer typically seen on an optical drive).  The M6800 can be factory configured with an optical bay hard drive, so I suspect it can support one properly. The XPS 17 was not available with an optical bay drive as an OEM configuration from Dell, so it couldnt be expected to properly support one. The design issue with the voltage leak across the chipset pathways on the XPS 17 was known by Dell, but due to the low bandwidth of an optical drive, the problem never occured with any of the factory OEM configurations.
It is possible that the optical bay hard drive offered by Dell (the exact OEM Drive installed by Dell) could have an internal limitation to SATA 2 due to a similar design limitation. It would not be surprising if an SATA channel designed for optical drives had SATA 2 speed since I suspect there is no SATA Optical drives that could use more than 3GB/s of data anyway.
I purchased 2 of the 2TB 2.5" hard drives that Dell uses for OEM configurations for this computer, they are Samsung 5400 RPM drives. I have one in a 2.5" internal bay and the other in the optical bay - I converted my Blu Ray Recorder/Writer drive to an external drive. I will do some extended time speed tests on the optical bay drive to see if its performance matches the internal drive (which is the same exact model drive - I have 2 of the same Seagate 2TB drives installed with the same firmware).
I use the pair of 2TB drives to store .vhd and .vhdx drives for test platforms for Hyper-V machines. The virtualized servers with high hard drive utilization get moved to the SSD RAID-0 array, the rest are stored on the 4TB rotational drives.
If you have any questions or comments for me, please let me know. I will see what info I can find on the optical bay SATA revision for this notebook, I am very curious to find out if it is in fact SATA 2. I will let you know what my test results are, I will try to use the AS SSD benchmark program, I believe it will work with rotational drives, otherwise I will find another benchmark utility - do you have a recommendation on which to use?
Thanks again for your info and for pointing out the possible limitation of the optical bay..

Best configuration for Time Capsule & Airport Extreme running one wireless network?

We just moved to a house that does not have Ethernet pre-wired so I've had to re-setup the wireless network in a different configuration and it seems we're experiencing deteriorated wireless signal for devices like laptops. It will work perfectly fine (and fast! wheee!!!) but then it will slow to a crawl and mostly timeout. before I reset everything and start from scratch, I'd like some help. As an FYI, when connected via Ethernet to either of these, Internet is blazingly fast… so my problem here is the Wireless portion.
As some background, here is how we had the network set up in the previous house which was working great (although it was wired for Ethernet which made things A LOT easier):
Airport Extreme (4th Generation)
Wireless Mode: Create a Wireless Network
Internet Facing (Connected to the Cable Modem)
Location: Upstairs Utility Closet (with Smartbox and cable modem)
Time Capsule (1st Generation)
Wireless Mode: Extend a Wireless Network
Joined to existing network above, but also connected to the Ethernet jack
Location: Upstairs Office
Here is the current set up we have running:
Time Capsule (1st Generation)
Wireless Mode: Create a Wireless Network
Internet Facing (Connected to the Cable Modem)
Radio Mode: 802.11n (b/g compatible)
Location: Upstairs Office
Airport Extreme (4th Generation)
Wireless Mode: Extend a Wireless Network
Joined to existing network above with NO incoming Ethernet connection
Location: Downstairs Family Room
My understanding is that the Airport Extreme should pick up and relay the signal downstairs, as well as provide the router for the devices downstairs that need Ethernet (TiVo, Apple TV, etc).
So, my question is (and thank you in advance for helping me sort this out!), what would be the best configuration to optimize the Wireless performance in the house?
Also, for whichever device is the one picking up the existing network and providing the router capabilities for the Tivo and such, is it possible for it to pick up but not rebroadcast the signal? I think in this new house we may have a good enough signal from the office, without the need to rebroadcast it. My theory is that in this house, they are too close together and interfere with each other and/or devices aren't sure which to choose so they bounce back and forth endlessly. Again, just a theory.
Many thanks again for your help! If I've left out any information, please ask and I can provide.

Should they be running on the same channel (as with the "Extend" option previously? Or just both on Automatic channels?
I would recommend the Automatic setting on both devices because this will allow each router to scan and choose an open channel automatically. If you want to set the channels manually, keep them separated by at least 4-5 channels. You would not want to ever use the same channel for both devices in this type of "roaming" setup.
Is there a way to limit bandwidth per device (or action) so that it doesn't monopolize the network and keep other devices from using it?
Nothing that I am aware of. It sounds like you have some young users who are likely visiting Bit Torrent sites, which will really gobble up the bandwidth with big, heavy downloads. The Time Machine has to back up the same files again when it makes the next pass, so that clogs things up again.
Backups would go 3-5 times faster, on average, if the computer(s) could connect using Ethernet, but I understand that wires are not cool with the younger crowd.
should BOTH the TC and AE be set up in Bridge mode?
The AirPort Extreme should be set up in Bridge Mode.
The Time Capsule...it depends. If the TC is connected to a simple cable modem...then the correct setting for Connection Sharing would be "Share a public IP address" on the TC. That is because a simple modem has only 1 IP address to deliver. The TC takes that address and "shares" it with other devices by setting up a local network for all your other devices.
If the TC is connected to a gateway....a combination modem/router in the same box that usually has 3-4 Ethernet ports on the device....then that device would be considered the main router on the network and the TC would be configured in Bridge Mode in that case to function correctly on the network.

Best Configuration for running adobe Premiere Pro CS3

I have a 4 HDD system and the ability to run RAID. What is the best configuration to run Adobe premier pro CS3. I want to be able to get the best perfomance out of my system.

Is it possible to run different RAID combination using the same controller card?
For example:
1) 2 HDDs, RAID 0 configuration for Operating System/Programs
2) 2 HDDs, RAID 0 configuration for Project/Scratch Disk/Paging
3) 2 HDDs, RAID 0 configuration for Media/data.
I have a Asus Striker Extreme Motherboard.

Best Practices for Initial Setup

Hi, I'm going to be helping a friend setup his new Time Capsule and Airport Express for his home network. I've been following some of the threads here about the nightmare problems some people are having with speed, connectivity, reliability, etc.
So I was thinking it might be helpful to have a list of steps to take among setting up that might avoid some pitfalls. Feel free to add stuff not mentioned.
1) Should firmware be updated first? What is current version?
2) Would doing a '7-Pass Erase' on the TC first potentially avoid some issues (seems like this has helped some folks)?
3) If you plan on storing other data on the TC yourself (not a TM backup), do you need to partition the drive first? What is the best method for this? Would this have any potential on slowing TM backups?
4) What is best method for determining best channel to set TC to? (ie, are there ways to test?)
5) Should you perform initial TM backups from each computer over ethernet before attempting wireless?
6) What tools are there to accurately check your wifi and/or file transfer performance? Are there listed standards that a good working TC 'should' be to compare against.
THANKS in advance. I'm trying to help them avoid some of the pitfalls people have encountered. Hopefully this can help others as well.

1) I would update first Airport Utility is 5.3.2 and firmware 7.3.2
2) not needed is over kill
3) partition is a waste of valuable space, Airport Utility is not going to do that; you'll need to pull the drive and do it then you'll run into unusual problem over the long term.
4) jump by at least 6

Best configuration for video editing ?

my boss wants to buy a best computer for our future projects. we are a small studio so we don't have really big budget. so I am thinking 2.66 cpu, 4gb memory, x1900 graphic card...
we are going to do, some 3D and video editing, and all other graphics stuff.
any suggestions?
do I need 8core or 4 core 3.0 cpu?

I don't know if you have seen it
but in [this thread:http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=5800151#5800151 we (so far two forum members and I) discussed about machine configuration options and other technical aspects!
I wish to insist on a point, do test (if you can) and read a lot before you buy!
Best,
G.

Best Configuration for temporary move

I have recently moved for 90 days. During this 90 day stay I’m in a separate area of a house that has a wireless network set up. I have their Wireless Key and able to use their connection to the internet. I also have access physical access to where their modem & router are at, but I’d like to set it up and be out of their way. In 90 days I’ll be back at own house and able to plug it back into my DSL modem and be on my way. I’d rather leave my network configured the way it is configured – even if that means buying some additional hardware during these 90 days.
I own a Linksys WRT54G Router and have everything all set up correctly to go to DSL modem, but now need to connect it to a Wireless Connection in this temporary house.
During my temporary 90 day stay – what is the best configuration to connect to wirelessly from my “network” to my temporary connections internet access?
Any good links you can send me with set up & configuration advice?

If they have a Wireless router that you could use You could just connect a wireless access port (portable usb access card) that plugs in your usb slot and will give you access to their wireless connection. I don't know if Linksys makes wireless cards or not maybe someone can help you in that regard but you can probably get them cheaply at your local computer store or big box store.
hope this helps
Tekkiefirst
(Mod Note: Email address removed.)
Message Edited by giantherockstar on 07-18-2008 01:41 PM

Best slot for raid card

got a sata highpoint raid card coming
any advise on best pci slot for raid
im assuming 4 but what are you lot using

i have proven this time and time again to a many a people. i do not know why others have had this problem. i have had the sb live, usb, and the nic steering the same irq. not one single problem, audio hiccup (pops, cracks), nor problem with throughput. this was in win98 and me.
seriously, although i do agree in allocating in the order of priority. scsi, nics, soundcards, etc-thats my zen . if you get my point. although i have seen good credible people i know that handle hardware correctly and they have had a minor problem with a p.o.s. periph, but they noted usually fixed with a new driver. sound blasters work well, contrary what many have said, steering irq's with another periph-i have done it for years, literally. this is also with systems i have built for my friends and family.
agp1, pci1, pci2, pci3 unless there are integrated features for the motherboard always have their own interrupt lines. obviously though if you are going to use agp1 you are not going to want to use pci1 if you dont want to steer the interrupt. pci4, 5, 6 always have a duped interrupt line like agp1 and pci1.
it really doesnt matter. specially with an os that will allow the usage of the apic. if that was the case then there would be a lot of servers in this world that are more fu**ed up than you think.

Using Disk Utility for RAID setup?

I just purchased 2 1TB Seagate Hard Drives 32mb cache 7200prm that I want to setup a RAID 0 (striping I believe) for Final Cut Pro for rendering. Well I also have a 3rd drive that is identical, question is does more drives in that RAID setup mean faster performance? 2 drives vs 3 or 4, etc.? Also what do you think that actual difference in reading and writing would be approximately?

You can find the max sustained, the average I/O, and minimum. From reviews and Seagate product spec details. There is some overhead for each drive as you seek and assemble the parts of a file.
The burst rate of the drive is likely around 135MB and average of the outer half a solid 100MB/sec.
The bandwidth in the Mac Pro totals 1GB for all drives, even though each is supposed to have 3Gbps.
SSDs are fast catching on for speed and fast system drives, even in stripe raid.
Don't mix 7200.12 with .11s or even different model/series/firmware. And Seagate has had its hands full with firmware issues for years, going back to the intro of SATA actually.
If you want one large volume and if having 200MB/sec matters or helps, you might want to RAID, even partition each drive first to 3/4 level and stripe that 3/4 together to guarantee 200MB/sec range.
But experiment for a couple weeks first.

Best Throughput for RAID - Internal SATA vs. PCI RAID Card

Hi, we're upgrading our old server, which has been on an upgraded G4. We put 3 SATA drives in it, connected to a Highpoint 1820a RAID card running RAID 5.
We're moving this to an older G5 1.6 GHz model (2003). It currently has 2 internal SATA drive bays, but I know can be expanded with an adapter kit. It also has just plain PCI slots (not PCI-X or PCIe).
So I'm wondering what would provide better performance (throughput I guess):
• Using the 2 internal bays with a software RAID 1?
• Putting our old Highpoint RAID card in the PCI slot and running RAID 1 or possibly RAID 5 (with another drive)?
I know the RAID card doesn't use the processor for RAID functions, but I think in a RAID 1 it's fairly minimal, correct? I'm mostly wondering if the older basic PCI slot would bet the bottleneck in a fast system compared to the onboard SATA controllers?
THANKS!

Well, we're most concerned with data security and reliability. We're not streaming video or anything else that would demand extreme throughput. The server is mostly serving files to 4-5 users. So I imagine the performance gains would only be noticed when opening/closing files off the server, correct?
And we already own the Highpoint card, which has 8 internal SATA ports, so we'll probably use this. It works fine on PCI bus. So we can run this with 4 drives in either two RAID 1s (boot & files); a RAID 5, or a RAID 10.
We'll probably stick with Western Digital or Seagate 'enterprise' SATA drives, such as the WD RE3.
So, do you think we would see much real-world difference between the different RAID options (RAID 1 software, RAID 1 hardware, RAID 5 hardware, RAID 10 hardware)?
Thanks!

Best configuration for RAID-setup?

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