Need Opinions on Server Upgrade Options (Raid: Storage & Perfomance)

[Blk02]

Dell PowerEdge 1800
Current Configuration:

2EA processors 2.8Ghz and 3.0Ghz (one is old and one is new)
4GB of ram
Windows Small Business Server 2003
2EA 147GB 15000rpm SCSI drives in Raid 1
DLT VS160 Tape Drive


Proposal:
I need to increase storage and increase capacity. Right now these two Raid 1 SCSI drives hold the operating system, databases, and all the applications. We use Quickbooks Enterprise and we have massive datafiles that must be accessed repeatedly from two or four users. In addition, we have field personnel that access the server remotely through there WM6 phones to conduct email through Microsoft Exchange Server. We also run an email archiver program on the drives along with storing all of our records that are scanned in and filed according to their job numbers.

Option 1:
I would like to add a SATA II raid controller to the system and then attach three to four 1TB enterprise drives and configure a Raid 5 array. Then I will move the database files and all other files to the new array and keep the OS/Apps on the SCSI 15,000rpm Raid 1 array.

Option 2:
Configure the same Raid 5 array with SCSI 300Gb 15,000rpm drives. However, this would limit my storage capacity.

My question is will this increase my performance and are the parts below sufficient to do the job (reliability and performance wise)

Proposed Hardware:

3ware 9650SE-4LPML PCI Express Lanes: 4 SATA II Controller Card RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 10, Single Disk, JBOD - Retail

$339.99 @ www.newegg.com
Supports four internal Sata II hard drives
Needs PCI Express 4 lane to operate (need to verify with our server)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/PCI-EXPRESS-SATA-RAID-CONTROLLERS-FOR-SMB-SERVERS,1381-13.html
Review article comparing several 4 port SATA II PCI Express raid controllers this one came out on top.


Western Digital RE3 WD1002FBYS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$159.99 @ www.newegg.com
Ideal for servers, storage arrays, video surveillance, and other demanding write-intensive applications.
1 TB, 1.2 million hours MTBF, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM
High performance enterprise SATA drives designed specifically for business-critical applications.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=503

[Syntax Error]

You should think about getting a Dell Perc 5/i, which can be had off of eBay for under $150 easily and even with a BBU. It has eight ports and is also true hardware RAID.

EDIT: though your uses do appear to be for enterprise use, so I suppose budget might not be as huge as a consideration as a home user. ;)

[hbidad]

Option 1:
I would like to add a SATA II raid controller to the system and then attach three to four 1TB enterprise drives and configure a Raid 5 array. Then I will move the database files and all other files to the new array and keep the OS/Apps on the SCSI 15,000rpm Raid 1 array.

I'd do it the other way around. SCSI will be better for concurrent connections (db) and I would toss in another drive and go for raid 10 for better results. But do you really need 15k SCSI or sata raid 5 for the OS or vice versa? I'm having a hard time understanding without seeing any numbers.