Best IO performance on new server

[ashleymilne]

I will be building a server shortly to deploy into an environment that already has about 5-7 vm's running on an older server in a RAID 5 configuration using near line SAS drives. The new server will be a Dell with a H710 raid controller with 512MB NV cache and 8x900K SAS drives. I would like to know if a RAID 10 configuration using all the drives is the best way to go, or would four RAID 1 drives be better? The environment is about 70 users, there is Exchange 2010, a terminal server for about 15-20 users, no SQL however there is a server that runs pervasive SQL.

[vThinkBeyondVM]

RAID level config is depend on your actual requirement and budget/space available..

Below link should answer your query :

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/the-enterprise-cloud/choose-a-raid-level-that-works-for-you/3237/

https://www.adaptec.com/en-us/_common/compatibility/_education/raid_level_compar_wp.htm

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if it is useful, plz award points as correct or helpful

[ashleymilne]

Thank you, and I am not trying to me smart or rude, but do you really think I would post a question like that in this forum if I wasn't familiar with the various types of RAID?

I am asking this question as it applies specifically to performance within the environment I have described, and I am asking specifically about RAID 10 and or RAID 1 and which might be the better choice.

Thank you.

[JarryG]

I do not want to be smart or rude either, but if you are familiar with various raid-levels (as you say), then all must be clear to you. You specifically asked about performance and there is no doubt raid10 gives you better i/o than raid1. Apart from that, I really do not see any reason to make raid1 with 4 :smileyalert: :smileyalert: :smileyalert: (!!!) drives. But, of course, I am not so much familiar with various raid-levels...

BTW, on the first link "vickyvision2020" was so kind to provide you could (but apparently did not) read:

"In most cases, RAID 10 provides excellent performance since data can be read from multiple disks at the same time"

"RAID 1 by itself is a two disk system that doesn't get a huge performance boost"

[jrmunday]

The RAID 10 option is definitely going to offer you better performance (and so will additional spindles), but another often overlooked component is the cache on your array controller. Depending on your budget, go for as much cache as you can afford.

Cheers,

Jon

[vThinkBeyondVM]

ashleymilne ,

Seriously there is lot of info on RAID level design considerations in both the resources that I specified in my first response. It is really worth to go trough once.

Your question was on RAID 10 vs RAID 1. You will get none other good resource that this to get answer to your query. This was not only RAID intro resource, it is much more

Overall, if it is really not relevant to you, you could have ignored it. people those are going to view your query will get benefit out of it.   thousands of people are going to view the same, all may not be good in RAID design considerations.