SPU the next must have add on card?

[CptStern]

we have processors for video cards, graphic cards, sound cards and now physics cards but now there's a processor for hard drives called the SPU or Storage Processing Unit:

Netcell’s SPU (Storage Processing Unit) technology provides the kind of safeguard you need to prevent a hard drive crash from becoming overwhelming. In fact, you might not even notice the crash with a SPU.
Revolution SPUs provide benefits to almost any computer user, from high-end home users to professionals creating data-intensive content. To receive the most benefit from an SPU, though, you’ll need at least three hard drives.

The Revolution SPUs make use of a 64-bit data path that can move up to 800MBps of data through a chip. Revolution handles almost all aspects of data management, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks.

It’s tempting to think of the Revolution SPU as a RAID controller. Netcell’s SPU does use RAID 3 technology, and both types of products provide some sort of protection against hard drive failures. Revolution, however, offers more flexibility than RAID controllers and some unique features such as the easy addition of multiple hard drives and automatic backups.

so benefits are no crashes, swap hard drives on the fly without having to install drivers or re-install the OS and no more backing up files because if one hard drive malfunctions you can replace it without data loss

as hard drives have more capacity and files become larger there may be a point where the SPU becomes standard in every computer

http://www.computerpoweruser.com/ed...les/archive/c0603/29c03/29c03.asp&source=1359

 

[VirusType2]

Well this is - of course, a good thing, especially for critical data that just can't be lost.

I installed a second hard drive on my computer recently and I turned on the computer, put the installation disc in and installed it with a few "next" button clicks. It asked me if I wanted to mirror copy the current drive and it did. Then I swapped the slave/master roles of the drives and I had a brand new drive with all the same info on it, in fact I guess I had two installations of everything, including WindowsXP and I'm still using it now with no problems, and didn't have to re-install anything. I don't even have the full installation set of discs for WindowsXP since it came pre-installed, all I have is a re-install Windows XP recovery disc.

Eventually, I formated the slave drive and use it to store data like images and movies that I download, that I can periodically back-up with CD-R or DVD-R discs.

Most people won't have a need for this tech, but like I said it might be good for some, but I don't see why they shouldn't just use other forms of storage instead. Businesses use like some sort of tape drive, how does that compare? Plus with new Blu Ray, HVD(holographic), and HD-DVD discs coming out soon - although expensive at first, sound like they might be just as good - if not better, and all-around more useful.

Damn how many cards do weeee neeeed? So you think it may become a standard built-in feature for motherboards?

 

[CptStern]

tape drives are expensive ..it's mostly used for back up purposes

this has benefits in that instead of mirroring drives like you've done this makes it seem like a raid set up where more than 3 hd drives have data spread across them ..but without the problems of RAID ...if one drive screws up in raid your entire array goes down ..not so with a SPU. In raid you have to use drives of the same capacity and speed, not so with a SPU, you can add hardrives easily without having to reinstall drivers or OS

this is already on the market ..it's not in use in the home market but will be as soon as prices come down or if/when enthusiasts see the benefits over RAID set ups

 

[VirusType2]

Oh, I see, now it makes much more sense to me.

 

[CptStern]

I want one ..no idea why ..but I want one

 

[AzzMan]

Theres a lot of crap I dont need, bit Iwant anyways