Need some input on a file server

[Kaido]

Next year I want to setup a larger file server for home use, mainly for multimedia storage and file backups. I'd like to use some 750gb drives or perhaps the 1tb drives if they are released and not too pricey (750gb drives are already to $399).

I am concerned about the security of the data (as far as losing backups and multimedia files), so I think I want to implement a RAID mirroring scheme of some sort. If I used four 750gb drives in RAID 0+1, that would give me 1.5tb of useable hard drive space (minus overhead) plus a mirrored backup. Now, would it be wiser to do 2 hard drives in mirror mode and have a 3rd to backup those drives? btw I will most likely be using FreeBSD as the OS.

Discussion, input, and advice most welcome 🙂

 

[zephyrprime]

It's all about the money. Of course you can attain better performance with a 4 drive raid 0+1 configuration than a 3 drive raid 5 but the raid 4 cost one more drive. On the other hand, the raid 5 would probably cost an extra controller since mose MBs don't support raid 5.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
It's all about the money. Of course you can attain better performance with a 4 drive raid 0+1 configuration than a 3 drive raid 5 but the raid 4 cost one more drive. On the other hand, the raid 5 would probably cost an extra controller since mose MBs don't support raid 5.

I'm not really interested in high performance, just large size + security. Is there a better way to go about it than the 0+1 idea?

 

[DaveSimmons]

RAID 0 is overkill for a file server unless you need to have several family members storing mass amounts of data simultaneously over gigabit net _and_ you need maximum write speed.

RAID 1 or 5 is essential since you will have dead hard drives eventually.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
RAID 0 is overkill for a file server unless you need to have several family members storing mass amounts of data simultaneously over gigabit net _and_ you need maximum write speed.

RAID 1 or 5 is essential since you will have dead hard drives eventually.

RAID 0 is overkill performance-wise, but what about capacity-wise? Two 750gb drives = a single 1.5tb drive with RAID 0. Two sets of two 750gb drives = 1.5tb + mirroring. Maybe I'm missing the point, care to explain further? 🙂

Edit: Read up on RAID 5. So I could use 3 750gb drives to achieve 1.5tb and still afford to lose 1 drive?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, 0+1 might be OK for RAID though you could have 2 x RAID 1 arrays instead.

With 2 arrays your storage is split into 2 drive letters but each drive is readable on its own in an emergency such as motherboard death.

With mirrored RAID 0 if you have the drive controller control the striping then if the motherboard dies you need to find another with the same controller. If you go this route pure software RAID 0 is safer.

With RAID 5 you probably need a controller card (or even 2 in case the first fails) but with 4 drives you get 2.2 TB of storage instead of just 1.5 TB. Or use 5 drives for 3 TB of storage.