I believe such beasts already exist, although I can't remember the name off the top of my head. Using DMA like that is pretty smoove, it's a good RAID controller. Nick dopp at acm.cs.umn.edu, on 10/17/2000 02:40:20 PM To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org @ PMDF cc: Subject: Re: [TCLUG:22757] Raid and other storage stories > > My understanding was that the big disadvantage to IDE was that the > controllers were 'dumb' ie the CPU had to do most of the IO work. Whereas > SCSI takes the load off (as well as being faster, with more devices, and > just plain cooler ;) > > Now with something like the Escalade that does hardware IDE RAID... who's > doing the IO work? Is it still the CPU or does the card take over most of > the responsibility? > The co-processor on the controller is handling _most_ of the I/O. From what I read about the controller, it tries to keep load off the CPU by sending/reading as much data as possible from the main memory. Well, at least that's what it sounds like. Now, if they'de just make a hardware IDE controller with on-board SIMM or DIMM slots... heh.. What a mutant of a card that would be :) Gabe -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe Turner | X-President, UNIX Systems Administrator, | Assoc. for Computing Machinery U of M Supercomputing Institute for | Univerisity of Minnesota Digital Simulation and Advanced Computation | dopp at acm.cs.umn.edu "I'm gonna be a monkey. Monkey, monkey, monkey......" - Stimpy in "Monkey See, Monkey Don't" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: tclug-list-unsubscribe at mn-linux.org For additional commands, e-mail: tclug-list-help at mn-linux.org -------------- next part -------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: tclug-list-unsubscribe at mn-linux.org For additional commands, e-mail: tclug-list-help at mn-linux.org