How safe is IDE based raid?

[FreshPrince]

If I get a HW based IDE RAID card and setup raid 1 with 2 IDE drives, how safe is my data? Meaning, if one HDD died, will the machine still run while I make plans to repair it? thx!

- FP

 

[MonkeyK]

I have a 3Ware 7500-4, which is an IDE RAID card, and run two Cuda IV's in RAID 1. While I have not experienced a failure, if one drive does go, the system will continue to run.


-Mike

 

[LethalWolfe]

RAID 1 is "safe" because the drivers mirror each other so you'll always have a current "backup" if one drive dies. RAID 0 is faster because the computer splits the data between the two drives, but if one drive fails you've lost everything.


Lethal

 

[chizow]

Yep, Raid 1 has duplicate images on both drives, so your data would be safe.

Raid 0 is striped, so if one drive goes, data is lost.

Chiz

 

[FreshPrince]

sweet, that's what I wanted to know.

 

[rudder]

its a heck of a lot safer than having 1 drive and relying on that not to fail when working with very imprtant data and not using server storage.

 

[FreshPrince]

the thing is...the card I want is actually pretty expensive 🙁

does anyone have experience with Adaptec 1200A?

 

[OulOat]

RAID 5 you get speed and data reliabilty, but the cards are more expensive.

 

[Apathetic]

Originally posted by: OulOat
RAID 5 you get speed and data reliabilty, but the cards are more expensive.

Yes, and you also need a minimum of three drives for RAID 5 (unless things are different with the IDE RAID cards).

Dave

 

[Fox2k]

does anyone know if it's possible to have both raid 0 and raid 1 on one machine? For example, raid zero on the OS drive to allow fast drive access for program access, and raid 1 for safe file storage and backup? I dont know what the limit is on an ide raid channel, or if types can be combined in one machine.

 

[mcveigh]

I have had 3ware ide raid rcards in a raid1 config save my butt twice 🙂

and yes the OS won't even know a drive failed

 

[LethalWolfe]

Originally posted by: Fox2k
does anyone know if it's possible to have both raid 0 and raid 1 on one machine? For example, raid zero on the OS drive to allow fast drive access for program access, and raid 1 for safe file storage and backup? I dont know what the limit is on an ide raid channel, or if types can be combined in one machine.

You can have 0+1 but the system will just see 2 HDDs (one set mirroring the other set). I guess you could buy 2 RAID controllers and set one to RAID 1 and the other to RAID 0.


Lethal