which RAID set up is best for a CAD server?

[SolidEd]

We currently have all our CAD/3D models stored in it's own server. Ther server is set up as Raid 0 (I think. It has redundancy, but only one main drive and one back up drive).

What would be the best way to speed up the transfer of these files? Would we benefit if we keep the server as a Raid 0 but change the HD to a faster drive (10k, 12k or 15k SATA) or is a different RAID set up better?

 

[snes tor]

wait you have one main, and one back up... in raid 0?? ? ?

 

[Ayah]

Raid 5 SCSI.

 

[SolidEd]

shows you how much I know, I think that's raid 1 right?

 

[nweaver]

I would put this in a raid 5 or 10 using 10-15K SCSI drives with an external enclosure (assuming you will need more drives then your server handles)

We have several older Dell PE2650's hitting Dell Powervaults with Perc4 raid cards that are very reliable/hassle free/fast

question 2, what makes you think it's the drives and not the network slowing you down?

 

[SolidEd]

I'm just evaluating our entire set-up. Upgrading to gigabit ethernet is on my list of reccomendations, but I also want to mention the hard drive set up if it's indeed a factor.

Also, we ran some tests to see if the network was being maxed when transfering files through this server and it never was.

 

[Atheus]

What transfer speeds are you getting with the current setup? Is it all SATA/IDE stuff? Can the server take SCSI or a SCSI add-on card?

 

[aka1nas]

How large are the models you are transferring?

 

[SolidEd]

models/assemblies/drafts range in size anywhere from 10k to 600 megs. I am not sure if the size of an assembly includes all of the other files it brings with it. When you open an assembly, it also opens every single model/component that is part of it. When we put a packet sniffer on the network, we actually saw it open a screw model the twenty or however many times it was used in the assembly.

 

[skrewler2]

what are your goals? how many hard drives will you be using? budget?


raid 1+0 if you want to spend some extra for performance, or raid 1 for redundancy.

 

[SolidEd]

Originally posted by: skrewler2
what are your goals? how many hard drives will you be using? budget?


raid 1+0 if you want to spend some extra for performance, or raid 1 for redundancy.

Goal is to make our entire cad system(s) more effecient and productive (faster, reliable). Since I am also looking into updating/upgrading our CAD workstations, I want to note what improvements can be done to our server and network so that they are not then the bottleneck. I don't know what kind of budget I have or how may HD's I'm looking for. I'm just trying to list as many options as possible to give the bigwigs a good lsit to choose from. Maybe this part of it never even gets approved.

see thread links below for discussing workstation hardware or video cards

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=1946796

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=27&threadid=1945678

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: SolidEd
Also, we ran some tests to see if the network was being maxed when transfering files through this server and it never was.

I just installed a new SBS 2003 server at a CAD site. The new Dell server has dual RAID1 SATA drives (they didn't want to pay for SCSI RAID). I also upgraded their entire network to Gigabit, although I warned them that it may have no effect.

They, typically, load 10MB AutoCAD files across the network from their Server. In some limited testing, I saw NO measureable difference in load speed for those 10MB AutoCAD files when comparing Gigabit and 100Megabit transfers.

 

[SolidEd]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: SolidEd
Also, we ran some tests to see if the network was being maxed when transfering files through this server and it never was.

I just installed a new SBS 2003 server at a CAD site. The new Dell server has dual RAID1 SATA drives. I also upgraded their entire network to Gigabit, although I warned them that it may have no effect.

They, typically, transfer 10MB AutoCAD files across the network. In some limited testing, I saw NO measureable difference in load speed for those 10MB AutoCAD files when comparing Gigabit and 100Megabit transfers.

that's good to know. Also one of the reasons why I think changing/upgrading the HD's and possibly the RAID card might help performance more that the network.