RAID Block Size?

Hi all:

I am walking a friend through setting up their RAID on their new Mac Pro. They are setting up two of their internal SATA drives as a RAID 0. When you go into disk utility and configure in the RAID tab, under options, you have the ability to chose RAID block size. The options range from 16K all of the way up to 256K. The default is 32K. Do we want to leave it at the default 32K or change it? We have two 1 TB internal SATAs and she will be using this to edit video using AVC Intra, AVCHD, DVC Pro HD and DV.

I know nothing about RAID block sizes. What does this control do? Any advice?

Thanks,

Dan

Software RAID sux, Dan. Is your friend using the incredibly expensive Apple RAID card?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

It depends a little on what your editing. The bigger the block size the faster it streams large contiguous files (MB/GB's) but access to small file (KB.s) will slow down.

However, more than software RAID sux as gafixjoe pointed out, RAID 0 really sucks if you are using critical data that cannot be restored easily.

Apparently the new Mac Pros (Neil Him ) cannot use the Apple RAID card or the CalDigit RAID card so I was told...

THe CalDigit only works for the HD element but not the internal HDDs - something to do with Apple changing the guts of the new Macs. The Apple RAID card will be a few weeks away from a solution/upgrade. CalDigit shortly afterwards.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Do you ever sleep Ben?

Michael Horton
-------------------

Not if I'm up working on the SuperMag for the NAB SuperMeet no...



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Do you ever put that glass down Ben?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I never saw Ben put the glass down when I was hanging with him. Course I never put the glass down either.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Ben,

I think the question is, is your glass half full or half empty?

CalDigit has to wait & see what Apple has done with the internal drives RAID set on the new MacPro machines. We know that on their NEW RAID card they're going through the logic board as there's no more i-pass connector. Ben is right though, currently our RAID card works only with the HDElement(s) externally on the new machines.

Sorry we didn't have time out from London to visit you in Bristol Ben, but the phone call was nice.

Hey Jon,

You guys jumping on the Solid State bandwagon? Can we expect a CalDigit external FLASH RAID in our future? No moving parts (except the FAN ) would be sweeeeeet.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Hey Joey,

Time will tell. I don't think there's immediate plans to do so, but we're always looking towards what the future will hold.