PERC H330 vs Windows Server Storage Pool

[JessC]

Hi Experts,

We're planning of creating a raid 5 array in our Dell Poweredge R530 using the PERC H330 controller that comes with the server.

We will use 3 X 4TB SATA for the array, but I have come across few forums that the H330 is bad idea for a parity raid array since the controller do not have cache and the performance of the array is quite slow.

 

What should be the best option for us in this situation? windows server software raid or H330 controller? 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[leadeater]

31 minutes ago, JessC said:

What should be the best option for us in this situation? windows server software raid or H330 controller? 

Performance wise Windows Storage Spaces Parity is just as slow as the H330 would be for parity RAID. You need a write-back cache, for Storage Spaces that is an SSD and for an RAID card you need a better one that supports Flash Cache module upgrade.

[Falconevo]

If you want to use hardware RAID, swap the H330 for a the H730 and use the 1G cache on the controller with a battery backup unit.  This will give a performance increase for mechanical drives in RAID with parity but you will still be limited by cache performance and underlying drive performance.  The H330 in RAID will also disable the cache of the any disk which doesn't have power protection with Dell certification so performance will be pretty dire on the H330 with commodity SATA drives.

 

If you want to use Storage Spaces as leadeater mentions it is garbage in parity without a SSD cache present.  Ideally an SSD would be required to give a bump in performance with mechanical disks as without them you will struggle for random IO performance.  Sequential performance will be ok, but no one who knows storage really cares about sequential performance numbers.

 

 

[JessC]

6 hours ago, Falconevo said:

If you want to use hardware RAID, swap the H330 for a the H730 and use the 1G cache on the controller with a battery backup unit.  This will give a performance increase for mechanical drives in RAID with parity but you will still be limited by cache performance and underlying drive performance.  The H330 in RAID will also disable the cache of the any disk which doesn't have power protection with Dell certification so performance will be pretty dire on the H330 with commodity SATA drives.

 

If you want to use Storage Spaces as leadeater mentions it is garbage in parity without a SSD cache present.  Ideally an SSD would be required to give a bump in performance with mechanical disks as without them you will struggle for random IO performance.  Sequential performance will be ok, but no one who knows storage really cares about sequential performance numbers.

 

 

Let me correct myself sir. We will be using SAS Drive for the array.

Is there any difference if H330 will be used for the array.?

[Falconevo]

18 hours ago, JessC said:

Let me correct myself sir. We will be using SAS Drive for the array.

Is there any difference if H330 will be used for the array.?

SAS has command queue benefits over SATA but the drives are essentially the same and will give about the same IOPS figures like for like.

 

I personally wouldn't use the H330, you would be better off with the HBA330 (this is a completely different Dell card) if you are planning to not use hardware raid and want to use storage spaces.