Hi,
I have to add a new sata controller with 2 o 4 disk (over soft mirror raid) to a samba production server. Anyone could advice me the best one ? I mean the most stable... now I have a promise tx4 but I've got tons of error so I have to change it.

Several years ago I had problems with a Promise chipset on a Maxtor IDE PCI card. I eventually replaced it with a Highpoint IDE PCI card which works perfectly. I don't have any experience with the current models but I recommend Highpoint based on my experience on older model controllers.

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Steve Stites

I would go with a Card from 3Ware. They have excellent support in Linux. You do get what you pay for sometimes, so I'll warn you now the card's are not cheap. What good is a cheap card that's flaky as opposed to a rock solid card that just works ? You also have to ask yourself, "What is your data worth ?"

So did you want PCI, PCI-X or PCI-Express interface on that SATA RAID controller ? http://www.3ware.com/

http://www.provantage.com/3ware-an-a...t~73WAR01H.htm

pci or pci-express... 3ware seems quite expensive...

This is the enterprise section, so my response is for a proper controller for an enterprise environment.
You said a 'samba production server' which implies a server being used in a business, so I'll stand by my recommendation.

Expensive is a relative term.

I have some 8 port SATA RAID-Core controllers I'll sell you.. I got a deal on them, the controller chips on the original boards were flaky, it dropped 3 Drives from my RAID 5 terrabyte array off-line simultaneously due to an apparently known hardware bug, losing all the data. The backup card I purchased was from the same batch, also containing the faulty hardware.

The manufacturer failed to acknowledge the hardware bug for a long time, and when they finally did acknowledge it, they failed to notify customers that purchased those controllers. Since that time Raidcore got bought out and the controller chip was replaced with one from a different manufacturer.

I replaced those RAIDCore controllers with 3Ware controllers so I don't experience a repeat performance. the 3Ware controllers are cheap compared to losing all the data again and having to recover it.

Hard to argue ...

I need only a sata controller not a Raid... with a 3ware controller I buy a new mother board..

Your motherboard doesn't have a PCI slot ?


if you just need a SATA controller, look on the HCL and check out the reviews.. http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php/cat/201