Hard Drives Configuration, Mirror, RAID5, ETC.

I have a database and I was asked a question that I need some help with:

I know the ideal configuration will be that one where I can have one hard drive for each table, index, rollback segment, etc.

Now if I have an external Compaq Storage Unit that allows me to have 14 hard drives,(either 9Gigs or 18 Gigs or 36Gigs) which one is better config and WHY?? Lets assume I need 36 Gig of storage:

1. To buy 4-9Gig hard drives on a MIRROR CONFIG
2. To buy 2-18Gig hard drives on a MIRROR CONFIG

Some one told me that the more smallest I buy the best. So even if I buy 8-4GIG hard drives it will be better, because the time that the internal arm that reads each hard drive will take less time covering a 4 gig that the time it will take to go thru an 9 Gig or an 18 Gig. I am not talking about the controllers, I am talking about spindles of each individual hard drive. I personally think it will not make a big difference and I think the bottleneck will be with the controller or controllers accessing all of this hard drives????

What do you think?????

What it instead Mirror I would have to do the same for RAID5, ,, Which is better, I still will think that cost effective also it will be better to buy BIG hard drives, this way I will not have to buy a new storage unit.???? Received on Mon Oct 09 2000 - 15:17:18 CDT