[Kankamuso]

Hi all,

I am looking for a Linux compatible PCIe SSD card. As a relatively new to the field, I don't really know the state of the art for such peripherals like bootable/non-bootable devices, those supporting trim and those who don't, etc... I am planning to use it under Proxmox, a Debian Squeeze-based distribution with a RHLE6 customized kernel. This is going to be used for virtualization purposes and this is the origin of the need to performance.

Thanks in advance,

Jose

[Kevin OBrien]

What is your budget? All the major PCIe SSDs support Linux (most flavors), so it really comes down to price and expected performance levels.

[Kankamuso]

Kevin OBrien, on 24 February 2013 - 03:05 PM, said:

What is your budget? All the major PCIe SSDs support Linux (most flavors), so it really comes down to price and expected performance levels.

Than you for the response. Between 800 and 1500 bucks would be something reasonable. A bit above that is also ok. Also, when looking for a MOBO, should I check something special apart from being UEFI?

Bests,

Jose

[Kevin OBrien]

Are you sure you want a PCIe device for that price? You might be much better off getting a solid RAID card and a few enterprise MLC SSDs. Something along the lines of a LSI 9270 plus 4 Intel S3700 SSDs would give you the performance plus the endurance.

[Kankamuso]

 Kevin OBrien, on 24 February 2013 - 07:44 PM, said:

Are you sure you want a PCIe device for that price? You might be much better off getting a solid RAID card and a few enterprise MLC SSDs. Something along the lines of a LSI 9270 plus 4 Intel S3700 SSDs would give you the performance plus the endurance.

Thanks Kevin,

Yes I agree with you that could be a very interesting option. The system is not for myself and they insist on it being a PCIe. I also think this is too cheap but...

Do you know if the system you propose will work under Linux flawlessly? (I suppose so as it is a RAID). What about TRIM?. I have read this can be a problem with RAID cards and SSD disks.

I also wanted to know which model do you recommend... 8i?...

Bests,

Jose

This post has been edited by Kankamuso: 25 February 2013 - 02:56 AM

[Kevin OBrien]

Well TRIM will still be a problem with the majority of PCIe SSDs, although for Linux the main concern would just be along how good the internal garbage collection is on each drive.

Right now in your pricerange there aren't a lot of good options. Its pretty much consumer PCIe SSDs only since the "entry" enterprise models start around 2-4k. In that entry range, the market is filled with models that could be easily replicated with a good RAID card and enterprise SSDs (although without the space savings).

The first combination that came to mind is the 9270-8i plus four 100 or 200GB Intel S3700 or Micron P400m SSDs (depending on capacity requirements and budget). The advantage of going that route is say your data has hot and cold zones, you are only a hard drive or two away from implementing CacheCade on the RAID card and gaining bulk storage.

[Kankamuso]

 Kevin OBrien, on 25 February 2013 - 10:05 AM, said:

Well TRIM will still be a problem with the majority of PCIe SSDs, although for Linux the main concern would just be along how good the internal garbage collection is on each drive.

Right now in your pricerange there aren't a lot of good options. Its pretty much consumer PCIe SSDs only since the "entry" enterprise models start around 2-4k. In that entry range, the market is filled with models that could be easily replicated with a good RAID card and enterprise SSDs (although without the space savings).

The first combination that came to mind is the 9270-8i plus four 100 or 200GB Intel S3700 or Micron P400m SSDs (depending on capacity requirements and budget). The advantage of going that route is say your data has hot and cold zones, you are only a hard drive or two away from implementing CacheCade on the RAID card and gaining bulk storage.

Thanks a lot for such a precise and complete reply !!.

[Beenthere]

Linux performance may be significantly different than benchmarks from Windoze, so you might want to obtain certified test results on Linux when trying to make an informed purchasing decision. I'd also recommend carefully reading the SSD warranties and documented compatibility and operational issues prior to purchase as you may be in for quite a surprise.