Best way to have a big, safe storage array?

[ndee]

OK, I'm talking about a 100GB _pure_ storage array. No Applications are installed, just for pure data(MP3s, Pictures, etc.). I think to Raid-1 them and get 2x5400rpm harddisks cuz they're cheap and that they fail during the same time is rather unlikely.

I think that's the cheapest way cuz a tape-solution would be more expensive.

Your opinions are welcome.

 

[camshi]

your lookin for a promise fastrack tx2 100/133 pci card there amigo.
buy 2 x western digital jb 120gb 8mb cache and run a 0+1 array (stripe+mirror) this way u have all your data dynamically mirrored/backed up/stoed whatever u wanna call it on the second ide channnel on the identical hard drive in real time. so if 1 fails, the other takes over, u then swap faulty drive and promise controller rebuilds array (or mirrors the healthy disk) for ya onto new drive, hot swap i believe, correct me if i am wrong.

i believe this is exactly what u would want/need for your purpose, and a nice setup as well if ya can have it with 2 WDJB`s runnin on aa-100
hope this helps

anything else, i will check back.

all the best in yur plans,

 

[thorin]

100GB is nothing. Get two 60GB drives and a controller and you're laughing.

Thorin

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: camshi
your lookin for a promise fastrack tx2 100/133 pci card there amigo.
buy 2 x western digital jb 120gb 8mb cache and run a 0+1 array (stripe+mirror) this way u have all your data dynamically mirrored/backed up/stoed whatever u wanna call it on the second ide channnel on the identical hard drive in real time. so if 1 fails, the other takes over, u then swap faulty drive and promise controller rebuilds array (or mirrors the healthy disk) for ya onto new drive, hot swap i believe, correct me if i am wrong.

i believe this is exactly what u would want/need for your purpose, and a nice setup as well if ya can have it with 2 WDJB`s runnin on aa-100
hope this helps

anything else, i will check back.

all the best in yur plans,

you're sure you can make a 0+1 array with only two drives? You need 4 drives for Raid 0+1 And I don't think IDE harddrives are hot-swapable without a special module/etc. but yeah, I might get 2x120GB harddisks.


thorin:
I only use it for personal storage, why would I need more? I'm not a pr0n collector.

 

[tart666]

Raid-1 them and get 2x5400rpm harddisks

I second that. Good plan. You will still get the 2x read speed (if you ever need it ...) and an automatic backup.

Another strategy is to setup nightly imaging of the data drive to the second one (instead of RAID). That way you can recover a file even if you erased it due to your own mistake, and in case of failure you lose only 1 day of mp3's.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: tart666

Raid-1 them and get 2x5400rpm harddisks

I second that. Good plan. You will still get the 2x read speed (if you ever need it ...) and an automatic backup.

Another strategy is to setup nightly imaging of the data drive to the second one (instead of RAID). That way you can recover a file even if you erased it due to your own mistake, and in case of failure you lose only 1 day of mp3's.

hm, good idea actually. But I trust myself, that I don't delete stuff per accident But you're right, 2 seperate drives are better actually.... decisions, decisions.

 

[thorin]

thorin:
I only use it for personal storage, why would I need more? I'm not a pr0n collector.

For personal use you shouldn't have more. IMHO even 100GB is alot, but by today's drive standards 100GB isn't much. From the subject of your thread I was expecting you to want a multi-TB array that would actually be a challenge.

Thorin

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: thorin

thorin:
I only use it for personal storage, why would I need more? I'm not a pr0n collector.

For personal use you shouldn't have more. IMHO even 100GB is alot, but by today's drive standards 100GB isn't much. From the subject of your thread I was expecting you to want a multi-TB array that would actually be a challenge.

Thorin

nah, I just used "array" cuz an Raid contains array in it

 

[AtomicDude512]

Originally posted by: tart666

Raid-1 them and get 2x5400rpm harddisks

I second that. Good plan. You will still get the 2x read speed (if you ever need it ...) and an automatic backup.

Another strategy is to setup nightly imaging of the data drive to the second one (instead of RAID). That way you can recover a file even if you erased it due to your own mistake, and in case of failure you lose only 1 day of mp3's.

You are seriously confused. He would get double read speed with RAID0, not on RAID1.

 

[Woodie]

What do you mean by "safe"? Do you mean..."If one hd fails, I won't lose my data, and I won't have any downtime" or do you mean..."If a trojan infects my machine (or I accidentally format my HD), I can restore my data from yesterday, and suffer a little downtime, but have all my files"

Different problems require different solutions.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Woodie
What do you mean by "safe"? Do you mean..."If one hd fails, I won't lose my data, and I won't have any downtime" or do you mean..."If a trojan infects my machine (or I accidentally format my HD), I can restore my data from yesterday, and suffer a little downtime, but have all my files"

Different problems require different solutions.

true, I'm not sure yet. That's why I'm thinking about maybe a non-Raid setup now. Is it somehow possible in Windows XP to really protect harddisk that no one can access it, only with a hardcore password?

 

[ndee]

what about an internal 100GB HDand an external firewire 100GB HD which I just disconnect when I don't need it? That would be kinda safe and secure, right?

 

[tart666]

Originally posted by: AtomicDude512

Originally posted by: tart666

Raid-1 them and get 2x5400rpm harddisks

I second that. Good plan. You will still get the 2x read speed (if you ever need it ...) and an automatic backup.

You are seriously confused. He would get double read speed with RAID0, not on RAID1.

Apparently you are confused. Raid 1 reads from both disks at once, giving you 2x. (still 1x on write, and 1x capacity tho) (edit: read over here)

 

[DaveSimmons]

Lowest cost: 2 x 120 GB, 1 internal, 1 in removable caddy in 5.25" bay. No RAID, no controller card, no encryption that's tied to a specific install of Windows. Firewire or USB 2.0 would also work well for a little extra cost.

This is a bit safer than RAID as long as you copy new files regularly, since you're better protected against a power-supply failure, a folder delte by accident, and a virus wiping your disks. Also against theft if you keep the drive away from the PC.

 

[Woodie]

ndee:

The second HD on firewire is basically a tape drive kind of scenario: It's offline storage, just cheaper and faster than a tape or CD drive.

Pluses:
Protects you from deleted or corrupted files (including viruses)
Cost effective
Data recovery very easy (plug in drive, copy file(s) back)

Minuses:
Requires manual process to back up/copy data. (Note, you could leave it connected overnight, and schedule a nightly batch file to copy files over)
If HD0 crashes, you will have downtime while you rebuild your system.
Data only recoverable if it was captured on the last "backup"

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Woodie
ndee:

The second HD on firewire is basically a tape drive kind of scenario: It's offline storage, just cheaper and faster than a tape or CD drive.

Pluses:
Protects you from deleted or corrupted files (including viruses)
Cost effective
Data recovery very easy (plug in drive, copy file(s) back)

Minuses:
Requires manual process to back up/copy data. (Note, you could leave it connected overnight, and schedule a nightly batch file to copy files over)
If HD0 crashes, you will have downtime while you rebuild your system.
Data only recoverable if it was captured on the last "backup"

OK, I think that's the route I'm gonna go Thanks.

 

[mcveigh]

don't forget backup software.

I love stomp inc.'s backup my PC software for desktop use. just set it up to backup evry night to the removable drive

 

[vetteguy]

Originally posted by: mcveigh
don't forget backup software.

I love stomp inc.'s backup my PC software for desktop use. just set it up to backup evry night to the removable drive

How does it work? Is it an imaging backup or does it actually copy files?

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: mcveigh
don't forget backup software.

I love stomp inc.'s backup my PC software for desktop use. just set it up to backup evry night to the removable drive

well the normal xcopy can do that from windows I think