RAID tips please!

I work in photoshop on 5-10GB files. Just bought the 8core mac pro with 32GB of RAM. Opening and saving files is not going much faster than it did on my G5. I was planning to get the Wiebetech xtr400-QR (built in RAID controller) with 4 1TB drives set to RAID 10 and connected via ESATA, with one set of two drives kept off site. I need continuous fast access to all my files (about 1-1.5TB), and for these files to be constantly backed up without slowing me down.
However, I'm wondering... What if I installed 4 internal drives into my MacPro, and RAIDed these as RAID 5 instead and mirrored this raid set to an external unit? Or is RAIDing internal drives a bad idea? if so, why?
Sorry I'm brainstorming here. Any ideas of the best way to access my huge library fast and safely, would be really great. I also need the ability to take a copy of everything off-site. Ideally, when off-site, I would also be able to access the files on this "off-site" duplicate, which I just found out I won't be able to using the Wiebetech, unless I have another identical Wiebetech unit with the exact same RAID controller off-site as well....

See how the questions grow!
Time for dinner for me.
So many people want to use dual/quad interface enclosures. They don't work well. They have problems.
The link to AMUG and to mbean comments on RAID are excellent in the other thread link.
RAID1 is a mirror. You break a RAID10 and you don't just walk off with a copy.
Create a backup copy of what you need.
Some people have 4-10TB of projects they want online. And use a 2nd array as backup for the first.
If you think you can take a project etc off site, then it sounds like a job for a portable hard drive. Does it fit on a single 1-2TB drive?
When you work on some files or project, copy them to your scratch array, that is temp space that gets used only for edits, is erased between jobs, projects, as you work, AND those files are SAVED TO a 2nd location.
Think of how long it takes to save to disk a 2-4GB file. You want to be able to load fast, edit on scratch even faster, and to be saving to RAID location - as you work and reach a step or point - SCRATCH/WORK area - which is faster.
There is a whole forum area on MacGurus devoted to this and more about Photoshop, with tips, and there is a bench utility to test real files on your system to gauge how well your setup is delivering.
If I want to pull a drive out of a mirror array, I also want that to be a simple, but 3-drives, mirror. Not two, and it takes time and a "hit" to rebuild with a new 3rd drive.
A mirror is not a substitute for backups.
And SoftRAID ( http://www.softraid.com ) has a better mirror technology than Apple's.
But if you plan to use RAID6 (or 5) I would never plan to pull a drive.
you could write your files to a dual-drive mirror and delete the array and take one drive out. THAT is where I see a nice $199 dual drive hot-swap case from FirmTek fitting in.
If you work with 4GB file, how have you been working on it? what system? how much RAM? With 2GB for system, 3GB for CS4, and room for file in memory, plus cache, you would be using 12GB RAM. And you would probably be seeing pageouts, swap files growing, and a lot of disk I/O if you don't. They call that 'thrashing' - using disk space due to lack of RAM and penalizing performance on Mac.

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Hi and welcome to the Mac!
Alright. Before you do anything else, you need to stop, sit down and - as William said - watch the tutorial. In fact, you need to watch all the Aperture tutorials. Second, Aperture is database. Repeat after me: +Aperture IS a database. Aperture manages my pictures... I don't touch them, move them or copy them.+
If you're worried about that well, don't be. Although it appears like a monolithic file in the Finder, there is no weird compression going on that makes pictures unreadable. You can always get to a photo through the Finder if need be. But I've never had to.
With Aperture you've bought into the mother lode in terms of photo management. So please understand this: Aperture HAS to be the master here. Believe me, it'll make your life a lot easier further down the road. There are all sorts of ways to integrate Aperture in the iLife workflow. In fact a lot of iPhoto 08's (fun) functions have made it into big brother Aperture 2. My advice to you would be to use Aperture for ALL your importing, cataloging and editing and then use iPhoto on a per need basis. You can import select pictures from your AP library into iPhoto without duplicating the files by going into iPhoto's preferences/advanced and unchecking "Copy items in the iPhoto Library". This means you'll be able to drag photos from the Aperture library panel into iPhoto without duplicating anything. IPhoto will simply link to your AP library package. Things you need to be aware of:
• read up on Aperture previews. Any picture that has a preview can be shared amongst any iLife app (iWeb included). To create an iWeb photo page for instance, you simply open iWeb, choose your template and drag the pictures you want from the media browser. Not much more difficult than iPhoto.
• read up on import strategies. Your process as described is quite convoluted and will only lead to duplicate files all over the place. It could also generate serious problems eventually.
Using Aperture to only do editing is like buying a Ferrari to drive in a school zone. You absolutely need to grasp the concept of the application, how it integrates with the rest of your computer life and what it can do for you. I know it may seem daunting at first and you might be tempted to revert to your old ways of doing things. But don't. You'll be a lot happier in the long run AND you'll also be making the most of your recent purchases. Trust the Mac young jedi....

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What I do:
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2 - Later, if the image is really good (at least I like it), I may export it for different purposes and then may choose or require a different proportion.
3 - I would really like to not have to re-crop in Develop, then go back and Export, then go back to Develop and change it back to original.
Besides being tedious and time consuming, can anyone recommend a better way for me to do these "one off" exports (seems to happen more often lately) without screwing around in Develop and messing up my original work?
Background:
One of the reasons I do this is to create wallpapers for computers, for various printing/framing proportions, and then for web site situations. Windows XP (and I think the others) gets really slow if the program must re-size an image for wallpaper (why? go ask Mr. Gates... better get in line). So to keep performance high, it is best to create the image in the exact pixel dimensions of the monitor. This is always some weird number and not like anything else I do this for. The other reason is for a quick, custom print job for someone who wants an odd matting setup for framing (don't ask). This results in odd proportions. Regarding the web.... well smooshing a pic into a column etc. etc... Now while I am proud of my art and understand LR3 will expect me to re-crop to preserve my artistic brilliance, but really..... I would be happy with a proportional crop from the parallel sides of the offending dimension.
Also, when I spec a dimension, shouldn't the DPI gray out? What am not understanding here?
One last request: please give me tips on solving for world peace... this one really bugs me.
Thanx in advance!

Bruce,
As you correctly noticed, the WxH ratio in export represents a canvas, into which the exported image is fit. Here are some illustrations on what the different settings mean:
For what you are trying to achieve, you have to crop the image to the correct dimensions before doing the export. If I had to do it, I would create virtual copies of the original image as the last step and give each virtual copy its own crop, then export the virtual copies.
Bruce in Philly wrote:
Also, when I spec a dimension, shouldn't the DPI gray out? What am not understanding here?
The DPI resolution has no meaning for the size of the resulting image if you specify pixels in your export dimensions. But the resolution tag is written into the image, which might affect the way an image is printed, depending on the printing application.
But if you specify your export dimensions in inches or cm, the resolution together with the dimensions in inch/cm determine the size of the resulting image in pixels. I.e. if you specify 5x7" and 300DPI, your exported images size will be 1500x2100 pixels.
Beat

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Hi everyone,
Recently I bought MSI 915P combo FR and 2 S-ATA HD and 1 ATA HD.
I want to use the two S-ATA HD as Raid but BIOS does not let me select the raid option under IDE/S-ATA configuration. I have tried to clear CMOS and use different BIOS version and checked all connection but nothing helps.
Any help, advice and suggestion is very welcomed
Thanks in advance

Quote
Originally posted by Guci
The MB is packed with the software that can be used for SATA Raid configuration and in the manual it is explained how you have to configure your SATA controller as RAID in the BIOS (please download the manual for this mobo and look at chapter 5) as well as in WindowsXP environment.
Please take a look at page 1-2, under Chipset, u will c this "Serial ATA 150 RAID 0, RAID 1 and Matrix RAID (for ICH6R only)."
Quote
Hi Darkslayer,
It is written at least on the pack that it does support both SATA and IDE RAID and the chip is ICH6 and ICH6R ready.
I have follow the instruct mentioned but I do not see the RAID option anymore since updating the BIOS
BTW, maybe u should call up ur local MSI distributor and ask the what the ICH6R ready mean. I wish to know as well

Overclocking tips please

have a 3500+, 1 gig of pqi turbo 3200(2,2,2,5), raid 0 raptor hard drives,430 watt true power supply, ati 9800 xt, bios version 1.3.........i cant get the system to overclock much, it seems to only be stable at 225 fsb with ht x4 and multiplier at x11,agp is set at 67, i have the timing settings for the ram at 2.5,3,3,5,2t with 2.65v and cpu 225fsb with 1.55v with cooler master heat sink. i have the aggressive time settings for the memory in the bios on enable.........i keep on getting freezes and i have to manually turn off the computer when i try to go over 225, i've tried more vcore voltage, more relaxed timings for the ram, more voltage for the ram, aggressive timings on disable, ht x3, nothing will let me overclock more and be stable. i know this setup is capable of running faster but i think i have it configured wrong................please help!!!!!!!!

JER101 gives sound advice. I think just by the sound of things that the limiting factor in your overclock is your memory. If you want to know how to determine your limiting factor in your overclock, read this:
Disclaimer:
I do not know everything. I do not consider myself knowledgable. I believe the knowledgable ones are those that design the hardware and us enduser's are mere peons. This guide is a combination of personal knowledge coupled mainly with knowledge from those smarter than myself. My intent here is not to plagerize. I intend to relay knowledge in the fashion which I obtained it -- free of cost. If I'm plagerizing, I apoligze, my intentions were not to cheat someone out of their findings. If you find anything in this sticky that looks like one of your findings then please notify me and I will be happy to give you credit where credit's due.
Now that we've covered all the bases, what should you keep in mind:
CPU manufacturers do not make different processors -- they make one and test it at the highest speed possible. This may be the case with each different core/design but I'm can't say for sure (I don't know all the details, I do not work for a CPU manufacturer, I only know what I'm told). What I do know, however, is that they test the chip at the maximum supported frequency (for a barton processor that would be 2.33ghz (166x14).). If that frequency yields an unacceptable rate of failure then they the slow the processor down to the next fastest frequency (in the case of a barton that would be 2.2ghz (200x12).). After slowing the processor down, they run the tests again and if it passes with an acceptable rate of failure then they stamp it at that speed. However, if it fails, they slow the processor down again to it's next slowest frequency (2.15ghz (166x13).). and then they repeat the process until they achieve an acceptable rate of failure/success. Therefore, if you think about it, your processor wasn’t designed to run any faster than it was rated for, otherwise it would have been stamped at a higher clock frequency (unless of course your processor has the highest possible stamping for that line of products). Why should you keep this in mind? If you hit a wall when overclocking and your CPU is the culprit, it may just be the case that the CPU cannot stabilize itself at a higher frequency (meaning your current highest stable frequency is the max stable frequency).
As you have noticed, VCore and cooling play a crucial role in acheiving the highest stable overclock. You always want the least amount of VCore running through the chip becuase this limits electromigration (which decreases chip life) and it will keep the processor cooler (which increases chip life). When overclocking, it may seem easiest to raise the VCore to some arbitrarily high number that you know will work regardless of which settings you pick but I wouldn’t recommend doing it like that. I recommend starting out at the stock VCore and bumping it up one step at a time, incramenting the VCore from the first lowest VCore, to the second lowest VCore, to the third lowest VCore, etc, etc, etc, until you can stabilize your computer with whatever VCore you've reached. Cooling plays a crucial role because sometimes you cannot use a designated VCore with an insufficent means of cooling. If you can't run prime95 without errors at one VCore but you can at another (but the problem is the computer shuts off after a couple of seconds into the run) then chances are the temperatures rose too high and the thermal throttling diode kicked in and shut down the computer. An aftermarket means of cooling whether it be a good HSF or a good watercooling kit will help you keep your load temps down, jumps in temperature will be less severe and less frequent, and idle temps will drop as well. Therefore when overclocking, you should consider a motherboard that has a wide range of VCore options available and a means of cooling that can take that much VCore (for those of you who are wondering it's possible to calculate whether or not your selected means of cooling will be sufficent enough to dissapate the estimated amount of power your processor requires).
What else do you need to know:
When it comes to overclocking there are a lot of factors to consider. First and foremost is no two computer components are alike; just because one person with the same components as you got to a certain point does not mean you will get there. Next, when overclocking, more often than not you need to raise the Vcore when you raise your CPU frequency higher than stock. This was not the case for my winchester as I could hit 2500mhz (stock being 2000mhz) and I could do this without a bump in VCore (and it was superpi, 3dmark, pcmark, prime95 stable). Lets just say I couldn't hit 2500mhz, me personally, I would be happy with 2200mhz because I didn't have to raise my VCore (which in turn theoretically decreases chip life -- this is also coming from a guy who’s running his computer at 2750mhz with an unspoken VCore so I’ll let you weigh that last statement yourself).
What process do I follow when overclocking:
When overclocking there is a process you must follow, this process will help you determine the limiting factor in your overclock. Note that I do not condone raising voltages higher than stock but you can do it at your own discression but we are all xtreme here and so there's no doubt in my mind that most of you will take this with a grain of salt. One thing to consider when buying parts is which memory module/s you're going to use. When I bought my computer, I had overclocking in mind and I bought PC4400 memory. Why would you want to buy memory that supports a higher FSB? PC4400 stands for the bandwidth of the memory (therefore PC4400 memory transmits data at 4.4GB/s as opposed to PC3200 which transmits data at 3.2GB/s -- you can see why someone would want higher frequency memory). FYI: If you're worried you may not be able to run your memory at it's rated speed if it's not PC3200, you can always keep it's rated timings (which are usually slower than PC3200) and lower the frequency to 200mhz (memory always runs at lower frequencies). If you've already purchased your components and you did not consider higher memory bandwidth at the time then you're forced to use your PC3200, PC2700, or PC2100 memory (most computers now a days require PC3200 memory) then you're going to use dividers. Dividers can also be used when your processor can go further but your memory can't (ie. you have a 3200+ A64 (locked max multiplier of 10) and you want to acheive more than 2500mhz with your 250mhz ram, you would put your memory on a divider and you would raise the FSB higher than 250 keeping your 10 mulitplier. This would keep your ram within specifications (it may not run at 250 but it will run higher than 200 (which is better than nothing) and your processor would go higher than 2500mhz).
Now that you've picked the right memory, what do you do:
First you raise your FSB to match your memory's stock FSB (pc3200 @ 200mhz FSB or pc4000 @ 250mhz FSB). Simultaneously, you lower your mutliplier so that your CPU frequency is now lower than stock (stock is 2000mhz so your new frequency is ~1600mhz (200x8 or 250x6). This omits your processor from the equation's list of potential problems because the CPU was designed to run at a higher frequency with your current (stock) VCore. Now that you've successfully set your FSB and lowered your multiplier so that your current CPU frequency <= stock CPU frequency, you would run memtest86+ for two entire days to ensure your memory is no longer going to be considered a limiting factor in your overclock. Memtest will help ensure that your memory is not the reason for your overclocking problems.
Quote
originally written by eva2000
memtest ain't 100% but you can use memtest to guage the max possible FSB/MEM which is the top limit of what you can expect... since i don't think i've ever experienced windows 100% stability and error free at a speed higher than the highest memtest passable speed
therefore
max FSB/MEM speed (100% windows error free/stability) <= max FSB/MEM speed (memtest error free)
My experiences and testing methods
test #1 - 4
are cpu fsb speed and or vcore related (meaning lowering fsb or increasing vcore saw errors in these tests disappear)
test #5
prior to 865/875 boards - memory speed, timings and vdimm related (meaning altering mem speed, timings and/or vdimm saw errors in this test disappear)
test#6
with 865/875 boards bigtoe has said related to cycle time (tras) in cpuz which i sort of confirmed with my current testing
note: prior to 865/875 boards, i've never had memory errors in test #6 only since these new boards have i experienced test #6 errors
test #7
not sure very rarely have i experienced errors
extended test
test #8 is a more intensive version of test #5
most memory related errors pop up at test #5 hence i like looping test #5 for memory testing for 12-24hrs after 1-4hr general standard loop of test #1-7
i like to loop test #3 and/or #4 for cpu related issues
I follow it up with at least goldmem 5.07:
2 quick test loops
+
2-4 full standard loops <-- can take forever trying doing it with 4 x 512mb xms3200c2
to loop a particular test
Note: if you decide to overclock your memory (pc3200 @ 225 FSB) then you will probably need to raise your VDimm and/or retard your memory timings (the ram you buy will determine which of the two you will end up doing). Ultimately you will be the judge as to what's acceptable and what's not. You can and should always record your results and test each of them with benchmarking ultilities so you know that your getting the most performance (in other words, a small gain in FSB with very laxidazical memory timings may yield worse benchmarks than a slightly slower FSB with tight timings). Now that you know this, raise your FSB in incraments of 5 mhz. test as specified and raise again. when you get an error you can back down 5 mhz and live with that, and/or raise VDimm and try again, and/or retard the timings and try again. When error time comes, you will be the judge of this.
Note: I got my DDR333 memory (166mhz) to run successfully at DDR374 (187mhz) with a change in timings of 2-2-2-5 to 2-2-2-11. The processor would not boot with a 200mhz FSB (in order to do so I would have to close a bridge and I was not willing to mod the customer's processor) but had I modded the processor I honestly believe I could have gotten the DDR333 memory to run at DDR400 speed with the right timings.[/SIZE]
Now what:
Now that you've reached a stable FSB that your memory can handle, begin to raise your multiplier. Try and pick a frequency that's <= stock frequency this way you don't need to experiment with Vcore just yet. Once this runs prime95 at priority 10 with inplace FFTs for days with no errors you can raise your multiplier. Raise it one notch at a time, recording your results with benchmarking tools to ensure your getting the most performance with each change that you make. If you run into errors, raise the Vcore and try again. Make sure to monitor the temperatures when using prime95, you don't want to kill your processor with too much heat. You will either find a sucessful outcome or you won't. Successful outcomes are higher CPU frequency that's prime95 stable with or without a bump in VCore. Unsuccessful outcomes are prime95 instability with or without a bump in VCore or prime95 stability with/without a bump in VCore but temperature problems forced you to end the test prematurely.
If you follow these steps you will know why your computer won't overclock anymore -- whether it be ram (timings), ram (FSB), ram (voltage), temperatures, cpu (multiplier), cpu (voltage), etc, etc, etc...
Note: if you want to test just your processor in prime95 and take the memory out of the equation (or take as much of the memory out of the equation as possible) then you would run a prime95 tortue test called "Small FTT's".
When I get the time, I will add certain components I have experience with into this sticky and my suggestions as to what parts you should purchase with them and what parts you should stay away from.[/FONT]

RAID tips please!

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