Disk revisions in RAID. Looking to expand array

[smakme7757]

I'm currently running 4x WD1003FBYX
I'm looking at picking up two more, but they seem to be replaced by WD1003FBYZ

I'm currently running the 4 drives in RAID 0 as a test lab, but am starting to get more and more data on there which is actually worth a bit of time to me (Backups are done with VEEAM). So I've decided to buy two more disks and run them in RAID 10 (or a 3 way Mirror in Windows Storage Spaces).

The only difference between the models seems to be the interface 6Gbps/3Gbps

Any reason not to use the newer drives with the older drives or would everything be A-OK 🙂.

Thanks people.

 

[BrightCandle]

I found even minor revisions in velicoraptors gave me performance problems with my WD raid 0 array. It might work out or it might significantly drop performance, all depends how close the drives really are to each other.

Its not possible to even answer before you buy either. I would go about asking Western digital, they typically have great support when it comes to RAID and they will know if its a good idea or not to raid this combination of disks.

 

[smakme7757]

So it's a bit hit and miss. That's a shame to say the least.

 

[ch33zw1z]

This has more to do with your controller(if you're using a hardware RAID solution) than the drive. For home use, software RAID isn't going to care...in my experience at least.

 

[milee]

If you're using a decent RAID controller or software RAID / drive pooling you won't have any problems mixing the X and the Z. The WD specs are almost identical, the firmware is different and possibly the small block random IOs.

But going from 4x 1TB RAID 0 to 6x 1TB 3-way mirror MS storage space sounds extreme. A 3-way mirrored storage space of 6 drives is not such a good idea. You get increased resiliency but cut the usable capacity to 1/3 of the raw capacity. What kind of availability are you planning for with this setup? A 3-way mirror would become more relevant once you hit 12+ drives in a pool.

For your 6 drives a 2-way mirror or a RAID 10 would be more appropriate.

 

[smakme7757]

If you're using a decent RAID controller or software RAID / drive pooling you won't have any problems mixing the X and the Z. The WD specs are almost identical, the firmware is different and possibly the small block random IOs.

But going from 4x 1TB RAID 0 to 6x 1TB 3-way mirror MS storage space sounds extreme. A 3-way mirrored storage space of 6 drives is not such a good idea. You get increased resiliency but cut the usable capacity to 1/3 of the raw capacity. What kind of availability are you planning for with this setup? A 3-way mirror would become more relevant once you hit 12+ drives in a pool.

For your 6 drives a 2-way mirror or a RAID 10 would be more appropriate.

I actually meant RAID10.

The loss in capacity isn't a problem, I'd just like the two extra spindles for some more breathing space for my VM's.