Tuning RAID performance: stripe alignment, etc...

[Brian Mathis]

I have a new R710 server that will be running CentOS 5 with a PERC6/i
controller and (4) 450GB 15K SAS drives configured as a RAID10 (plus a
hot spare).  This system will be a database server so I/O performance
is top priority.  I've been doing a lot of searching on how to get the
best performance with regard to correct PV and stride alignment using
Linux and LVM, but so far I've only been able to find a few vague
guides and emails discussing the issue, but no real information on how
to ensure everything is aligned properly.

I suspect this is somewhat server-specific, which is why I'm posting
here.  Anyone have recommendations on how best to set this server up
for best performance?