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    So in typical form, I am planning a grandiose WHS installation that will probably end up eating way too much time and money, but who cares Smile

     

    I store all of my movies in .VOB format, then rename to .WMV format which I then stream to my xbox 360.  This means that my files are quite large and I am looking to go to the WHS route as a storage medium so that adding drives is super simple for all of the family to use.

     

    Here is my planned setup:

     

    Gigabit network connecting 3 Xbox 360's for media players to servers

    3u Micro BTX server, probably a core 2 duo with 2 GB of ram

    3u Norco SATA 12 bay array with growing number of 500 GB Seagate HD's, 7200 rpm and 16mb cache

     

    My real question is in the interface between the array and the server.  There are two versions of this array, eSATA 4 port (with port multipliers) and 3 port Infiniband Multilane.  I want the largest pipe between the server and the array possible.  The infiniband is cheaper than the eSATA, so I would like to go that route, but I don't know much about the multilane technology, so I am a standstill deciding between the two.   I think that I would probably end up making up the difference in price (and then some) by going with multilane because the controllers are more expensive, and I am concerned about this "port multiplier" business on the eSATA and bandwidth back to the MB.

     

    If anybody is curious or wants to look at the specs, go to newegg and search on "norco 12 bay".

     

    Could somebody give me a little direction on this?  Which one is the way to go?  What are diffenences in Multilane and eSATA?

     

    Much thanks to anyone who sheds some light....

     

    Danno

     

     

    Saturday, July 28, 2007 2:46 PM

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    Danno,

    I'm no expert in this technology, but the multilane topology is in effect, a multiple way Sata cable:

    Quote

     "A multilane connector/cable  has multiple independent serial topology channels / data paths/ ports, it can be 2x to 16x channels / data paths/ ports.

    In Serial ATA, only four channels / data paths/ ports per connector/cable are used. In order to use this type of connector/cable, there must be a FOUR SATA ports host controller card. "

     

    I currently have a Sil 3132 PCI-e adapter with 1eSata port feeding an eSata to 5 port Sata multiplier, this can run at 3Gb/s (Sata II), but it means all five 1TB drives are feeding down the one eSata to eSata cable to the Server.

    I've never managed to saturate it yet, but I guess it's possible, but feeding 2 HD streams over a Gigabit wired network while the server is also doing it's regular 'stuff', I've never had problems.

    Maybe is I set up the drives in 2 pairs of Raid 0, there would be a speed increase, but as this is an experiment for WHS, I've  set them up a 5 independant drives and allowed WHS to use the drive as it wants.

     

    HTH,

     

    Colin

    Saturday, July 28, 2007 5:17 PM
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    Hi,

    I used the ver of the RAID cards that as "Multilane" interface.

    THe different are simple issue, mainly for cable managamnet, as normal esata ports, you need normal sata cable, for multilane, you get simple connection cable one port to the raid card, then the other end of it, 4 ports connection cable (thins one) to the disk drives.

    It a lots better to use multilane interface than the normal sata, better hockup as well, do not mess up and take a lots of space for these sata cables, as well better orginaze, and finally, very secure connection than normal sata cables.

    Also cosider as well, better proformance with these cables.

    Hope I explain the issue.

    My best.


    Saturday, July 28, 2007 10:56 PM