In collaboration with Steven F. Woolf, we bring you Part 2 of how to build your external SATA RAID array.Last time, we started with a PCI-based SATA RAID card with at least 4 ports.
At this point, if you have the available drive bays inside your computer, you can install your drives, connect them, and you're ready to go. But if you're like me, your drive bays are probably filled already. So how can we get the speed of an internal RAID array with the cost-efficiency of SATA? With a riser card that bridges the internal ports to the external PC case. Cool.
You'll need another open PCI slot for this baby, even though it doesn't actually plug into the logic board. For $25, you can purchase an 8-port internal to external PCI SATA port adapter from a site like MacGurus.com (scroll down to "Internal to External SATA Port Adapter"). You'll need the 4 internal cables that came with your PCI RAID card. Those go from the RAID card to the adapter, all contained in your PC case. Now you have 4 accessible ports on the back of your PC ready for *external* SATA cables. For future growth, you can always add another internal PCI SATA RAID with 4 more ports and plug them into the riser card.
Next: The External Array
1. So all you have to do to get rid of the 4 ugly external cables is wrap them in a cool-colored spiral cable wrap, yielding one fatter, less-ugly bundle!
Posted at 4:53PM on Dec 15th 2005 by Marc Lee Winnig