Simply put, IDE. Okay, well let me clarify my position.
Until more recently, an IDE RAID array would have been grounds for fun and laughter. IDE was slow and the whole
setup just wasn’t worth the hassle. But, we now have ATA/66 and, better yet, ATA/100 drives. And they are dirt
cheap. Today, IDE RAID arrays are a great alternative to a SCSI array.
First, let me tell you, SCSI arrays are EXPENSIVE. A good SCSI RAID controller will set you back several hundred
dollars. Add on top of that the need for two or more SCSI hard drives (depending on what RAID level you will be
employing). Are you seeing the dollar signs yet? On the plus side, SCSI does offer a wider array of options and is
faster. Also, in big server environments, IDE would be a bad option because the IDE design limits the number of
drives to four. SCSI RAID can support up to 60.
IDE RAID is more affordable and quite fast. Many times, a good RAID 0 array using two decent speed IDE drives can
outperform a high-end SCSI alone, while costing much less. For this reason, many users are finding IDE RAID 0 (or
possibly RAID 0+1) a good way to go. Some of today’s real powerful systems are now employing RAID arrays.
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