[olug] Booting from SAS drive in a desktop?

[Obi-Wan]

> I'm about to buy a Dell 2950 server that comes with a six 73GB,
> 15Krpm SAS drives.  Those drives will get replaced with some 2TB
> SATA drives.  I was also about to buy a new SSD for the boot drive
> in my desktop box, but I hate to spend the money when these SAS
> drives are just lying around.  73GB is plety big.
> 
> I know I can't plug a SAS drive into a SATA controller, but is it
> possible to get a controller card that will let me boot linux from
> a mirrored pair of SAS drives?  I'm using a 4.5-yr-old mobo.  If
> so, will that controller be cheaper than a new SSD?  Maybe I'm
> better off selling the SAS drives to recoup my SSD cost.  Any buyers?

Hmm.  Newegg's three cheapest SAS controllers run $70-100, which
is more on par with a 60-90GB SSD.  I'll forego the mirrored boot
drive, I guess, and just stick with the faster SSD and a near-line
backup on the 2950.

Any recommendations on a fast SSD in that size range?  They're not
all created equal.

-- 
Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth    obiwan at jedi.com    PrairieRimImages.com
   The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the
     Giver of all good things, so if I stand, let me stand on the
       promise that You will pull me through.  -- Rich Mullins