Greg - Thanks for that link! Ingo - We are leaning toward ATA since the unit is used for tertiary storage. Primary backup is to tape, stored off-site, and secondary backup is to a SCSI based system in a different bldg. So yes, its a budgetary issue. Though I do not understand why we need triple copies of that data. The box in question was built as a single ATA drive based box. The drive on that box died about a week ago, and thus the need to replace it. The boss wants a simple mirror on it as "cheap " insurance for a tertiary unit. I wanted to go with a 2-channel SCSI design since I felt it would be better suited for the task and only modestly more expensive but I was over ruled. I thought I had read somewhere (and of course I can't find it now) that there was a higher probability of the mirrored drive failing of the primary drive failed when using ATA. We'll probably go with the 3Ware since they are well established and the 7000 series is on the supported hardware list.
Steve
