What raid cards and servers are compatible with CentOS 7?

[technologyrocks]

After learning about the features of CentOS, I feel like I should be learning how to program it to function on a server.

I do not have a lot of money but am interested in setting up a server test lab, running CentOS exclusively.

My only question at the moment is, what raid cards and servers can run the latest distro? I am particularly interested in learning about setting the install up as a virtualization host. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[TrevorH]

In general "do not have a lot of money" and "RAID cards" are mutually incompatible. To get a decent RAID card you have to spend a lot of money. The cheap ones are almost all "FakeRAID" and depend on the BIOS and/or binary drivers and are more trouble than they are worth. Given the choice of FakeRAID and no RAID I would choose no RAID or I would use software RAID (mdadm).

[technologyrocks]

I have worked with raid cards in small business setting but I do not have a lot of experience with raid. I found a blog that praised software raid on linux....I assume that you setup the software raid before installing CentOS.

So basically if my processors on my server are capable of virtualization....then CentOS will work fine?

The other issue is finding compatible drivers for the os to recognize the components, such as usb, ethernet, video, etc....

My goal is to have ms server running as a virtual machine, along with some ms desktop os's as virtual machines, in hopes of using thin clients to access the ms desktop os's.

I appreciate your timely response. Thank You

[Post edited by moderator to remove obnoxious green font]

[TrevorH]

Don't get me wrong, RAID cards are a Good Thing(tm) but cheap RAID cards are generally, err, a bit rubbish.

[technologyrocks]

hahaha, sorry for the font colour.... Thought it was cool. I did have to adjust my monitor to see it.


This link seemed to be enlightening on software raid: http://www.chriscowley.me.uk/blog/2013/ ... ware-raid/

Is it a good assumption to make that drivers made for use with rhel, will also be usable on CentOS?

[gerald_clark]

The whole point of software RAID is that it doesn't need any special drivers.

[Kentmorrison]

SO,
Can ANYONE here tell us WHERE TO FIND THE LIST of compatible hardware SATA RAID controllers for CentOS v 7 ?

Anyone ?

... maybe a clue where to find the list?

Please ?

Thanks !

[drk]

List? No. I have had good results using a 3ware 9750-4i and WD VelociRaptor or WD Re drives though.

[TrevorH]

Perhaps https://hardware.redhat.com/ might help