At our small office, I have one Intel S5000PSL fileserver (15-20 workstations), one Intel S3000 mailserver (15-20 workstations), and another Intel S3000 fileserver (4 workstations). All are set up for Raid10 using Intel Embedded Server RAID Technology (SW Raid).

My original thinking was that Intel's SW Raid should plenty suffice on these servers. However, I am now having serious second thoughts or perhaps Intel SW Raid is simply unreliable.

Six months in, the S3000 fileserver suffered several array degrades and a fail. A replacement MB worked fine for another 8 mos and now another degrade. Within the same week, the S5000 fileserver also suffered an array failure.

So, questions:
1. Just for my heads-up, any unfavorable history floating around on Intel's Embedded Server RAID Technology (SW Raid)?
2. Flaw or fluke, I have given up on the SW raid. Can someone recommend one or two reliable SATA controllers ($400ish or less) for use with servers?

Correction: I mean 'SATA Raid Controllers.'

1) No widely known unfavorable history regarding Intel SW RAID, other than the fact that it's SW RAID.

2) 3Ware and Areca made excellent enterprise level hardware RAID cards.

Generally speaking using SW RAID as a business solution is not a good idea. As you've noted, if the array fails or the controller goes bads, you have to replace the entire mobo. It is the extreme exception that an enterprise level hardware controller would fail. Hardware controllers and their arrays are also portable in that they can be up and moved from mobo to mobo, machine to machine.

I have been using a 3Ware 8506-8 for well over 5 years now with no issues at all hosting out multiple RAID (1, 0, and 5) levels with anywhere from 3 to 8 hard drives attached.

When it comes to recomending hardware controller cards, what are your requirements? How many SATA ports do you need each card to have, 4, 8, 12? Does the card interface need to be PCI-X or PCI-e? What RAID level are you looking for?

Here's a link to a list of 3Ware controller cards

Here's a link to a list of Areca controller cards

Chunky,
Thanks for the detailed reply. I went with the 3ware 9650SE-4LPML controllers. I will never use SW Raid again - not even at home.

Cheers!