RAID using HPT366 under BeOS

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Czeslaw
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:12 am
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

RAID using HPT366 under BeOS

Post by Czeslaw »

Hello, Be-friends.

I'm working with a BP6 that was given to me by a friend two weeks ago. My understanding was that the HPT366 IDE controller would support RAID configurations, but now I have learned that it is just a multichannel hard drive controller, not a RAID controller. At least, not with its own BIOS firmware.... There seem to be some rumblings here and there about upgrading the BIOS for the HPT366 so that it believes it is an HPT368, after which it can be made to support RAID. Is this really possible? How is it done?

I tried flashing the HPT BIOS with the binary available on BP6.com called "RV with HPT368" (or some similar name). The result was that the new iWill HPT BIOS failed to see my four hard drives at all (on IDE Channels 3 and 4). So I reverted back to the standard RU BIOS from Abit. Is there a different binary available somewhere that may yield better results?

I intend to use this machine as a dedicated BeOS (and later, Haiku) box. Does anyone have any success stories on running RAID under BeOS? I gather that the IDE Replacement Driver on BeBits.com is the driver of choice for supporting Highpoint controllers at this point. My understanding is that it supercedes the earlier, more specific HPT366 driver also available on BeBits. Is this correct?

Any advice on getting RAID running using the HPT366 on the BP6 -- under BeOS -- would be most appreciated! (I would like to exhaust all avenues before resorting to a PCI add-on RAID controller card, if only out of doggedness.)

Many thanks in advance,

Czeslaw
InactiveX
BeOS Forever
Posts: 1385
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2002 8:25 am
Location: UK

Re: RAID using HPT366 under BeOS

Post by InactiveX »

Hi there Czeslaw. Good to see another BeOS fan here!
Czeslaw wrote:I'm working with a BP6 that was given to me by a friend two weeks ago.
Wow! That's some friend! :)
Czeslaw wrote:I tried flashing the HPT BIOS with the binary available on BP6.com called "RV with HPT368" (or some similar name). The result was that the new iWill HPT BIOS failed to see my four hard drives at all (on IDE Channels 3 and 4). So I reverted back to the standard RU BIOS from Abit. Is there a different binary available somewhere that may yield better results?
Sadly, this is the experience others have had with the BIOS. See the comments here.
Czeslaw wrote:Any advice on getting RAID running using the HPT366 on the BP6 -- under BeOS -- would be most appreciated! (I would like to exhaust all avenues before resorting to a PCI add-on RAID controller card, if only out of doggedness.)
I have never tried RAID in BeOS, but I believe you will have to bite the bullet and get a PCI card as software RAID is not possible AFAIK. In fact, I don't even know if RAID is possible at all under BeOS.
Like BP6.com? Not a member?
Then why the hell not? It's great!
-> BP6.com Membership <-
Czeslaw
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:12 am
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Re: RAID using HPT366 under BeOS

Post by Czeslaw »

InactiveX wrote:Hi there Czeslaw. Good to see another BeOS fan here!
Likewise! First, I was surprised to find this excellent site. And then, to find a forum section devoted to BeOS was almost too good to be true.
InactiveX wrote:I have never tried RAID in BeOS, but I believe you will have to bite the bullet and get a PCI card as software RAID is not possible AFAIK. In fact, I don't even know if RAID is possible at all under BeOS.
These are my first forays into RAID under BeOS right now. It's part of building my dream machine, starting with this BP6 and a pair of Celeron 500 processors. I even have a new blue case (hearkening back to the BeBox)!

Trying to coerce the HPT366 into supporting RAID may be a lost cause...

I'm hopeful still that I'll get RAID working under BeOS as soon as I get a PCI RAID card that is supported by the IDE Replacement Driver. My optimism at this point stems from these words, right from the horse's mouth.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Czeslaw
davd_bob
Confused
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Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2004 2:30 am
Location: Houston, TX

Post by davd_bob »

Cleslaw,
You didn't mention your application needs for RAID.

1. If the goal is protection of data maybe mirroring would work using the 33s'...and do NOT trust the 66s' if data safety is important. There have been complaints about HPT366 causing data corruption.

2. If the goal is speed do yourself a favor and get a Promise IDE card and skip right up to ATA100 or 133(or a raid card). If you are budget limited you might just settle for a 7200RPM - 8meg cache hard drive on that Promise card. A single fast drive will match speed with any older drives on RAID5. Or go with SCSI.

Good luck
There are *almost* no bad BP6s. There are mostly bad caps.

No BP6s remaining
Athlon 2800
Sempron 2000
ViaCPU laptop with Vista.(Works great after bumping ram to 2Gig)
P-III 850@100
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