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August 3, 2007
2 Internal SATA and 2 External eSATA Ports
A Review of the HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 32-bit PCI SATA RAID Controller
By Arthur Whalem
HighPoint Technologies Inc. is shipping the RocketRAID 1742 four port 32-bit PCI SATA RAID controller ($129). The RocketRAID 1742 provides two Internal SATA and two external eSATA ports. Apple PowerMac models with an available PCI slot can utilize Disk Utility to create striped RAID sets or utilize the HighPoint web based RAID management software to create RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and JBOD configurations with the RocketRAID 1742. The purpose of this review is to determine how the RocketRAID 1742 will perform with an Apple PowerMac with PCI slots.
System Requirements
Requires an empty PCI or PCI-X slot.
Supports Mac OS X 10.4.8 or higher, Windows, Linux and FreeBSD.
Supports up to 2 internal and 2 external SATA hard drives.
PCI 32bit@33/66 Mhz compatible Interface.
Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD.
SMTP support for email notification.
Will NOT work in a PowerMac G5 Dual, Quad or Mac Pro built after October 19, 2005, as these models only support PCI-Express (PCIe) slots.
What's Included?
The HighPoint Technologies RocketRAID 1742 four port PCI controller includes a PCI SATA host adapter, two 78" eSATA data cables, two 39" internal SATA data cables, a CD with software drivers and a printed manual.
Install
The RocketRAID 1742 host adapter can be installed in any PowerMac PCI or PCI-X slot. There are two external eSATA ports on the rear of the card that can be used to connect to two external direct connect SATA hard drives. Two internal SATA ports are also provided. The image below displays a card being installed in slot #4.
Image courtesy of Apple
For those mounting the RocketRAID 1742 in a PowerMac G5, I would suggest reading the Apple Tech Q&A 1307 concerning the Power Mac G5 PCI and PCI-X slots. It states, "Slots 2 & 3 share a common bus. Slot 4 is on a separate bus. All cards on a common bus can only run as fast as the slowest card". If I only required one host adapter I would install it in slot four. It will run a little faster than slot 2 or 3. The key is not to mix 32-bit and 64-bit cards in slots 2 and 3 if you want to maintain full speed.
After the RocketRAID 1742 is installed, Macintosh users will need to download the latest driver available at the HighPoint web site. No Mac OS X drivers were available on the HighPoint CD that came with our RocketRAID 1742. The RocketRAID 1742 Mac OS X driver is installed by launching the rr174x.mpkg application. This will install the proper drivers for the PowerMac to communicate with the RocketRAID 1742.
Once the RocketRAID 1742 driver is installed and the computer has restarted PowerMac users can examine the Mac OS X system profiler data for the PCI card. As shown below, the RocketRAID 1742 shows up as a SCSI Bus Controller.
Web Interface
To access the HighPoint web based RAID management software the user will need to navigate to https://localhost:7402/ using a web browser. The user name is RAID and the default password is hpt.
While the user name cannot be modified the user password can be changed using the "Setting" menu. Macintosh users may also want to disable the alarm. The alarm will go off any time that the user attempts to hot swap hard drives without using the web manager. I usually disable the alarm during the setup process. It can always be turned back on if needed later.
The "Setting" menu also allows the web manager port to be altered and can be configured to send email reports to users about the status of the RAID volumes.
RAID Configuration
The RocketRAID 1742 can be used to setup hard drives using the "Manage" menu. However, with only two internal and two external ports, I prefer to use Disk Utility to initialize hard disks or for setting up a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration. As the RocketRAID 1742 will work in either configuration it's up to the user to decide which setup makes the most sense for their needs.
If I was setting up a RAID 5 or RAID 10 configuration I would utilize the HighPoint web manager. If I was setting up a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration I would use Disk Utility even though the web interface offers those options too. I find the HighPoint web manager is a little slow and I prefer the familiar interface provided by Disk Utility.
FeaturesThe HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 utilizes the Marvell 88SX6042 32-bit PCI to Serial ATA controller chip. It provides a dedicated channel for each SATA port and is compliant with both SATA 1.0 and SATA II hard drives. The RocketRAID 1742 supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ), dynamic sector repair and remapping, Online Capacity Expansion (OCE), Online RAID Level Migration (ORLM), write through and write back cache for RAID arrays, online array roaming, 64-bit LBA for RAID arrays greater than 2TB, automatic bad sector repair and hard drive S.M.A.R.T array monitoring using the web manager. It also features SMTP email notification for events and error reporting as well as a command line interface and a web based RAID manager. It supports Mac OS X, Windows (XP, 2000, Server 2003 and Vista), Linux and FreeBSD.
The RocketRAID 1742 supports two internal SATA ports and two external eSATA ports. This classifies the controller as a hybrid SATA host adapter. This type of configuration works well for users that want to support both internal and external SATA connections with a single card.While the HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 reports hard drive SMART data through the web manager it does not share SMART data with Mac OS X. As such, users will NOT be able to view the SMART data of hard drives connected to the RocketRAID 1742 via Disk Utility or with Hardware Monitor. If you are interested in more details about how the HighPoint web manager works with the Macintosh, the users guide is available in PDF format on-line.
No Boot Capability
The HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 does not provide Macintosh boot capability. PowerMac users looking for a SATA host adapter that supports boot capability may want to consider the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 four port external & internal SATA PCI-X host adapter ($139.95). Having internal and external bootable SATA ports provides enhanced functionality.
No Traditional Mac Hot Swap Capability
Most SATA host adapters built for the Macintosh support hot swap. Hard drives can be dismounted and then ejected from the SATA enclosure. Once a new hard drive is inserted it automatically mounts on the desktop or prompts the user to initialize the hard drive if it is not yet properly formatted.
The HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 driver is not designed to follow traditional Macintosh hot swap design guidelines. Instead, the HighPoint web based RAID management application must be used to dismount hard drives while the computer is turned on. The HighPoint hot swap implementation is more complicated than the traditional hot swap method that Macintosh users have come to expect. If you want traditional Macintosh hot swap in a 2+2 hybrid PCI card the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 provides this feature.
Performance - RAID 0The HighPoint Technologies RocketRAID 1742 was tested in slot 4 of a PowerMac G5 2.0 GHz Dual running Mac OS X 10.4.10. The HighPoint web manager version 1.5.1 was installed. Several 250GB Seagate 7200.10 hard drives were mounted to create various RAID configurations. DiskTester 2.0 10GB read and write tests were performed using a run area test so that this article could display how the RAID performed DiskTester is a Terminal application that measures the combined performance of a volume and the Mac OS X operating system. Using the command: ./disktester run-area-test --chunk-size 128M --test-size 10G --delta-percent 10 DriveName, puts DiskTester to work testing how the RAID will perform when empty, 10% full, 20% full and so on. The table below displays performance data for all three methods and provides the performance of the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 with the same striped RAID set for comparison.
RocketRAID 1742 Four Drive Striped RAID Set Comparison Test
| PowerMac G5 2.0 GHz Dual |
||||
| Area Full |
4 Hard Drives
|
4 Hard Drives
|
4 Hard Drives
|
4 Hard Drives
|
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
|
| empty |
176 - 217
|
170 - 212
|
176 - 217
|
306 - 308
|
| 10% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 210
|
177 - 217
|
302 - 304
|
| 20% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 212
|
177 - 217
|
299 - 302
|
| 30% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 211
|
177 - 217
|
290 - 290
|
| 40% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 210
|
177 - 217
|
282 - 281
|
| 50% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 211
|
177 - 217
|
269 - 270
|
| 60% |
177 - 217
|
171 - 212
|
177 - 217
|
251 - 252
|
| 70% |
177 - 217
|
170 - 211
|
177 - 217
|
232 - 233
|
| 80% |
177 - 214
|
171 - 212
|
177 - 214
|
215 - 215
|
| 90% |
176 - 187
|
190 - 188
|
176 - 188
|
188 - 188
|
| 100% |
156 - 156
|
156 - 156
|
156 - 156
|
156 - 156
|
| Average |
175 - 208
|
169 - 204
|
175 - 209
|
254 - 254
|
| MSRP |
$129
|
$129
|
$129
|
|
| Size |
930GB
|
930GB
|
930GB
|
930GB
|
The table above displays the performance provided by using all four RocketRAID 1742 ports in a RAID 0 configuration. Three different HighPoint configurations were tested. The RocketRAID 1742 can be used with hard drives that were not initialized by the web manager (legacy). This setup was used with Disk Utility in the first test. Next, the web manager was used to configure the striped RAID set. Finally, the web manager was used to initialize each drive individually in JBOD mode and then Disk Utility was used to create the striped RAID set. As you can see the RocketRAID 1742 is unable to keep up with the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 when a four drive striped RAID set is utilized.
The next table demonstrates the performance achieved when two hard drives are configured in a striped RAID set with the RocketRAID 1742. A 1GB test size was used for this Disktester performance test.
RocketRAID 1742 Dual Drive Striped RAID Set Comparison Test
| PowerMac G5 2.0 GHz Dual |
||||
| Area Full |
2 Hard Drives
|
2 Hard Drives
|
2 Hard Drives
|
2 Hard Drives
|
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
|
| empty |
155 - 152
|
154 - 154
|
155 - 152
|
155 - 152
|
| 10% |
154 - 152
|
153 - 153
|
153 - 151
|
155 - 152
|
| 20% |
152 - 150
|
152 - 149
|
152 - 149
|
151 - 150
|
| 30% |
146 - 145
|
147 - 145
|
147 - 145
|
146 - 145
|
| 40% |
142 - 139
|
142 - 139
|
142 - 139
|
142 - 139
|
| 50% |
135 - 134
|
136 - 133
|
136 - 134
|
136 - 134
|
| 60% |
129 - 126
|
129 - 126
|
129 - 126
|
128 - 126
|
| 70% |
118 - 116
|
118 - 116
|
118 - 116
|
118 - 116
|
| 80% |
110 - 107
|
110 - 107
|
110 - 107
|
109 - 107
|
| 90% |
95.7 - 93.9
|
94.7 - 94
|
95 - 94
|
95 - 94
|
| 100% |
78.5 - 77.3
|
78.9 - 77.3
|
78.8 - 77.3
|
78.5 - 77.3
|
| Average |
128 - 127
|
129 - 127
|
129 - 126
|
128 - 127
|
| MSRP |
$129
|
$129
|
$129
|
|
| Size |
465GB
|
465GB
|
465GB
|
465GB
|
The results above demonstrate that the RocketRAID 1742 can provide performance results that are equal to the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 when using a dual drive striped RAID set. As long as the RocketRAID 1742 user does not require a four drive striped RAID set the cards performance is excellent.
Performance - RAID 5 & 10The HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 provides RAID 5 capability using an XOR engine. Users will need to initialize the hard drives and configure the RAID 5 using the HighPoint web manager. Disk Utility does not provide this feature. Users that are looking for directions on how to use the HighPoint web manager and create a RAID 5 configuration may want to read the AMUG RocketRAID 2322 review. The same procedure is used to setup a RAID 5 with the RocketRAID 1742.
The HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 was tested in slot 4 of a PowerMac G5 2.0 GHz Dual running Mac OS X 10.4.10. HighPoint web manager version 1.5.1 was utilized in these tests. Four 250GB Seagate model 7200.10 hard drives were mounted to create the RAID 5 configuration. DiskTester 2.0 10GB read and write tests were performed using a run area test so that this article could display how the RAID performed with the RocketRAID 1742 SATA host adapter. The table below displays performance data for RAID 5, RAID 5 with spare and RAID 10.
RocketRAID 1742 RAID 5 and RAID 10 Tests
| PowerMac G5 2.0 GHz Dual |
|||
| Enclosure Type |
Direct Connect
|
Direct Connect
|
Direct Connect
|
| RAID Type |
RAID 5
|
RAID 5 + Spare
|
RAID 10
|
| # of Drives |
4 Hard Drives
|
4 = 3 + 1 spare
|
4 Hard Drives
|
| Area Full |
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
Write - Read
|
| empty |
101 - 212
|
87.5 - 154
|
87.5 - 155
|
| 10% |
102 - 212
|
87.2 - 152
|
87.5 - 154
|
| 20% |
101 - 211
|
87.3 - 150
|
87.5 - 152
|
| 30% |
101 - 212
|
87.8 - 145
|
87.6 - 146
|
| 40% |
101 - 211
|
87.6 - 140
|
87.5 - 141
|
| 50% |
102 - 202
|
87.4 - 134
|
87.5 - 135
|
| 60% |
101 - 188
|
87.3 - 125
|
87.5 - 128
|
| 70% |
101 - 175
|
86.8 - 117
|
87.6 - 119
|
| 80% |
101 - 160
|
87.5 - 106
|
87.6 - 109
|
| 90% |
102 - 141
|
87 - 93.7
|
87.3 - 95.2
|
| 100% |
100 - 117
|
79.7 - 80.1
|
79.9 - 81.6
|
| Average |
101 - 186
|
86.7 - 127
|
86.8 - 129
|
| Redundancy |
Yes
|
Yes + spare
|
Yes
|
| Size |
698GB
|
465GB
|
465GB
|
As you can see in the results above, the RocketRAID 1742 RAID 5 write performance is lower than the read performance. This may not be an issue for servers where the read performance is most important. The RocketRAID 1742 XOR RAID 5 engine is not able to provide the same high performance write capability that the RocketRAID 2322 can provide with a PCI-Express PowerMac G5 Quad. While the RocketRAID 1742 can provide RAID 5 functionality, it is not a high performance option.
The HighPoint web manager provides an easy way to setup a RAID 10 on a Macintosh. SoftRAID 3.6 does not support RAID 10 and I have been unable to get Disk Utility to create a complex RAID 10 configuration. I can get Disk Util to create a RAID 10 using the command line and a bit of time. However, creating a RAID 10 and rebuilding it is a lot easier with the HighPoint web manager than Disk Util.
RAID 10 provides awesome data redundancy. Unfortunately, the RocketRAID 1742 RAID 10 test data demonstrates that write performance is considerably slower than the read performance. Using Disk Util to create a RAID 10 configuration usually provides superior write performance. However, it is not as easy to setup or rebuild.
The HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 ($129) four port 32-bit PCI SATA RAID controller provides RAID 0, 1, 5 and RAID 10 capabilities when installed in a PCI based PowerMac G4 or G5. It supports two Internal SATA and two external eSATA ports. The RocketRAID 1742 adds the benefit of redundancy using RAID 5 and RAID 10. Recovering from a hard drive failure is much easier with RAID 5 or 10 than when using a striped RAID set.The RocketRAID 1742 does has some draw backs. It does not share SMART data with Disk Utility or Hardware Monitor, it does not support traditional Macintosh hot swap, it does not provide boot support and the HighPoint web manager seems a bit unresponsive. In addition, the write performance achieved while using a RAID 5 or RAID 10 configuration is almost twice as slow as the read performance. Users that want a fast eight drive, RAID 5 setup will find higher performance is available with a PCI-Express based Mac Pro and the RocketRAID 2322 or the Areca ARC-1221x.
The 2+2 Competition
PowerMac G4 and G5 PCI based users that do not require RAID 5 or RAID 10 compatibility may find the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 is a better choice. It provides four bootable ports, traditional Macintosh hot swap, requires no driver install, and shares SMART data with Disk Utility and Hardware Monitor. It is nice to have internal bootable ports with a 2+2 host adapter configuration.
However, if the user wants RAID 5 and RAID 10 configurations from a 2+2 card, the RocketRAID 1742 is the ONLY Macintosh SATA host adapter at this price point. It is nice to have a SATA host adapter option available that offers RAID 5 to older PCI and PCI-X PowerMac G4 and G5 models.
Pros
Works PowerMac G4 and G5 PCI and PCI-X slots.
Provides two internal and two external SATA data ports.
Includes 2 SATA and 2 eSATA data cables.
Disk Utility can create a RAID 0 or RAID 1.
Web manager or CLI provides RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 configurations.
4 Drive RAID 10 provided 129MB/sec average Read performance.
4 Drive RAID 5 provided 186MB/sec average Read performance.
Online Capacity Expansion and Online RAID Level Migration feature.
Quick and background initialization for instant RAID access.
Automatic rebuilding of a degraded RAID and drive failure alarm.
Provides non-traditional hot swap and hot spare support.
SMTP email notification for events and error reporting.
Write through and write back cache for RAID arrays.
64bit LBA for RAID arrays greater than 2TB.
Remote array management capability.
Web Manager displays SMART data.
Reasonably priced RAID 5 solution.
Automatic bad sector repair.
Staggered drive spin up.
Online array roaming.
Supports Sleep.
Cons
No boot capability.
No traditional hot swap support.
Does not support Port Multiplier enclosures.
Web management software may seem slow with Safari.
4 Drive RAID 10 provided 87MB/sec average Write performance.
4 Drive RAID 5 provided 101MB/sec average Write performance.
Mac users cannot change Web Manager user name.
Does not pass SMART data to Disk Utility.
User reported issue with Samsung SP2004C drives.
RocketRAID 1742 gets 3.5 AMUGs out of 5!
PowerMac users looking for a low cost 2+2 SATA host adapter that supports RAID 5 will find the HighPoint RocketRAID 1742 meets these requirements. The low RAID 5 and RAID 10 write performance should be noted, but it is hard to find any other SATA host adapter in a 2+2 configuration that provides RAID 5 support to PowerMac
G4 and G5 users for $129. Users that do not require RAID 5 may want to check out the FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2.Contact Information:
HighPoint Technologies Inc.
1161 Cadillac Court
Milpitas, CA 95035
Phone: (408) 942-5800
Fax: (408) 942-5801
http://www.highpoint-tech.com
Copyright 2007
Arizona Macintosh Users Group, Inc. (AMUG). Visit AMUG at www.amug.org for news, discounts and friends. JOIN AMUG!
Additional Resources
AMUG FirmTek SeriTek/1VE2+2 Review
AMUG FirmTek SeriTek/2SE4 PCI-X SATA Host Adapter Review
AMUG FirmTek SeriTek/1eVE4 Review