I am looking at updating my storage. At present I am using a computer with a pair of drives in RAID1 (mirror) configuration essentially as a file server, not for computer applications. SSDs noted for reliability are expensive, and never 100% reliable anyway. My requirement is simply to store files, preferably accessible over a network. Local USB connection is also possible. I am not doing many massive file transfers or playing intensive games, so fastest performance is not an issue.
My proposed solution is to use a pair of cheap SSDs of the same, largish, capacity, but preferably different manufacture (less likely to fail at about the same time) in an external enclosure configured as RAID1 mirror. There don't seem to be any small enclosures with network RJ45 connection, so either use USB, or use a NAS enclosure designed for bigger drives (with adaptors). I would look for drives with decent Total Bytes Written (TBW) endurance, but not worry too much about reliability (I think most SSDs are decently reliable; RAID is Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks after all, even if some say "Independent" instead, as against SLED (Single, Large, Expensive Disk).
If using USB only, another issue is whether to use the built-in RAID1 support of an enclosure, or configure it as 2 separate drives (JBOD), with the host computer mirroring them with software RAID. JBOD disadvantage: won't work as mirror if connected to a different host. Possible advantage: doesn't depend on the RAID controller not failing. (But mirrored drives probably are accessible separately without the controller; the old nightmare was failure of the controller of a proprietary RAID5 setup with data distributed over several drives.)
I'd be interested in opinions on this approach - thanks.
Also, are there adaptors allowing USB-connected drives to connect to a network via cable with RJ45 connector?
My proposed solution is to use a pair of cheap SSDs of the same, largish, capacity, but preferably different manufacture (less likely to fail at about the same time) in an external enclosure configured as RAID1 mirror. There don't seem to be any small enclosures with network RJ45 connection, so either use USB, or use a NAS enclosure designed for bigger drives (with adaptors). I would look for drives with decent Total Bytes Written (TBW) endurance, but not worry too much about reliability (I think most SSDs are decently reliable; RAID is Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks after all, even if some say "Independent" instead, as against SLED (Single, Large, Expensive Disk).
If using USB only, another issue is whether to use the built-in RAID1 support of an enclosure, or configure it as 2 separate drives (JBOD), with the host computer mirroring them with software RAID. JBOD disadvantage: won't work as mirror if connected to a different host. Possible advantage: doesn't depend on the RAID controller not failing. (But mirrored drives probably are accessible separately without the controller; the old nightmare was failure of the controller of a proprietary RAID5 setup with data distributed over several drives.)
I'd be interested in opinions on this approach - thanks.
Also, are there adaptors allowing USB-connected drives to connect to a network via cable with RJ45 connector?
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