Requesting Nerd Help - Raid Controller Selection and Drive Choice

[Zach929rr]

Long story short, I am creating a backup server our system. I seek help since I know there have to be some of you out there that do this day in and out. I know enough to get by, but would like some advice where I can grab it.

System is a generic HP Compaq on a HP-2820h MoBo below a Pentium E2180 running XP Pro on 2g ram.
I would like to go RAID-5 (for "triple redundancy") with 4 500GB WD or Sammy drives (Essentially providing 3TB of usable space and an array which can be rebuilt when 1 drive fails, no?). These backups are to hold information that is imperative should an audit happen by the Overseers.

Had been looking at Adaptec raid controllers, but this is the main area I need advice.

School me.

[willb003]

DID SOMEONE SAY NERD?!?

[Zach929rr]

Jesus, at least give me a few productive replies before you imagejack.

[LambeauXLIV]

How often will these files be read / written to?

[Zach929rr]

Planning on 2 x monthly, possibly 4 x monthly.

[LambeauXLIV]

will you be needing 3TB? or will you be using less?

[Zach929rr]

Whoops. 3TB is a misprint. I meant 500gb drives. Only using 60ish and the DB will continue to grow daily.

[LambeauXLIV]

I won't profess to be an expert with raid, but you might look into raid 10, or even 2 sets of raid 1, that way you could keep the two previous backups and alternate (in case something went terribly wrong during one of the backups).

[Zach929rr]

I didn't really consider 10 or 1, since redundancy is my objective more than speed. :dunno:

[Devaclis]

Stripe that shit.

RAID 0 man, do it.

[rforsythe]

I would like to go RAID-5 (for "triple redundancy") with 4 500GB WD or Sammy drives (Essentially providing 3TB of usable space and an array which can be rebuilt when 1 drive fails, no?).

4x500GB gives you 2TB, minus a drive for parity, so you get 1.5TB out of that array. If you used 4x1TB drives you would get about 3TB usable from a RAID5.


Stripe that shit.

RAID 0 man, do it.

"This array is FAST! Oh wait, where'd my data go?"

[dirkterrell]

Yeah, if you only need 60ish GB and it won't be growing to 500GB anytime soon, I'd go RAID0 with 3 disks, so you'd have two easily read backups. If you want more space, then with 4 disks RAID5 is probably the way to go. For super critical things, I like to do RAID6 so you can take a second drive loss during the rebuild of a first failure.

Dirk

[Panman06]

Yeah, if you only need 60ish GB and it won't be growing to 500GB anytime soon, I'd go RAID0 with 3 disks, so you'd have two easily read backups. If you want more space, then with 4 disks RAID5 is probably the way to go. For super critical things, I like to do RAID6 so you can take a second drive loss during the rebuild of a first failure.

Dirk

+1

Are you looking for advice on which raidset to go with? or which controller to use?

[Zach929rr]

I do need advice on the particular raid controller to choose as well. This isn't out of my pocket, so quality & reliability > price.

[Panman06]

As Dirk stated above, I use RAID6 for servers where I need an extra layer of redundancy. We mostly use Dell PERCs.

For your situation, look at the 3ware red hot.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&resnum=0&q=3Ware%20PCI%20Express%20x8%20SATA-II%20Red%20Hot%20RAID%206%20Controller%20Card&cts=1253983540386&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf

[Zach929rr]

As Dirk stated above, I use RAID6 for servers where I need an extra layer of redundancy. We mostly use Dell PERCs.

For your situation, look at the 3ware red hot.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&resnum=0&q=3Ware%20PCI%20Express%20x8%20SATA-II%20Red%20Hot%20RAID%206%20Controller%20Card&cts=1253983540386&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wf

Good deal. That happens to be the specific brand and model I was looking at in the first place, so I'm not totally off base. I was just concerned with compatibility issues on a "workstation" mobo, although after reading newegg reviews there seemed to be quite a few people running the 9650SE series on machines that weren't "officially supported" by 3ware. I guess I could just give it a shot and worse-to-worse I return to newegg for credit.

[DavidofColorado]

Sorry no nerds here.

[Zach929rr]

Sorry no nerds here.

I beg to differ. :D

[DavidofColorado]

I don't know much about raid drives. But since you stood me up I think you should back up using floppies. You can't go wrong with them.
So your looking to back up the same info on 4 separate drives just for redundancy, redundancy?

I don't know but I think you came to the right place.

[TFOGGuys]

I don't know much about raid drives. But since you stood me up I think you should back up using floppies. You can't go wrong with them.
So your looking to back up the same info on 4 separate drives just for redundancy, redundancy?

I don't know but I think you came to the right place.

Paper tapes FTW!. Utterly reliable in regards to static and EMP.

http://www.marchclub.org/PDP/video/video_ttyread.jpg

[DavidofColorado]

I don't have kitty pics but this one seams equally irrelevant.

[Zach929rr]

ih8bothofumoarthancrabs.

[TFOGGuys]

Raid 1 with a couple of WD 300GB Velocipators...speed and reliability

[willb003]

RAPTORS?!?

[Zach929rr]

Bump.... anybody else have input? Wanted to make my purchase this week, and any further input is much appreciated.

I think one of the 3ware x8 SATAII raid controllers will work well for this application, perhaps paired with a WD Caviar Black? I read the 3ware's pair nicely with those.

[TurboGizzmo]

I use these http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/terastation/terastation-pro-ii/ i have one at home and more at various customers sites. I run RAID 5 for most backup solutions.

[Zach929rr]

I use these http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/terastation/terastation-pro-ii/ i have one at home and more at various customers sites. I run RAID 5 for most backup solutions.

Nice price on those units. I'm assuming the build quality and reliability has treated you well?

[TurboGizzmo]

one older model had a drive fail (the older models were harder to replace the drives) but after replacing it rebuilt the array and is still going....it replicates to a newer model for even more redundancy. Mine at my house works fine, its not the newest so its not the fastest thing but works well for holding customer images for 30 days. I also have this running at my house, but its a bit extreme. ;) http://www.nasi.com/nexsan_ATAboy2.php

[Zach929rr]

Looks great. I had been leaning towards being double redundant with the backups and including a NAS in my scheme with some sort of hot swap SATA availiable. Would like to be able to pull drives out and stash them in a fire safe or something on a different level of my house or placed off-site.

[TurboGizzmo]

Looks great. I had been leaning towards being double redundant with the backups and including a NAS in my scheme with some sort of hot swap SATA availiable. Would like to be able to pull drives out and stash them in a fire safe or something on a different level of my house or placed off-site.

Best bet is replicating off-site on top of a raid setup, if you have a lot of data like me (over 4TB) you make the first replication onsite and then put the 2nd nod off-site to continue to replicate daily snapshots....again i am bit more extreme :) Firesafes are ok too but they make fire proof external drives you could replicate onsite to so your RAID array could back up to them every night and as long as the drive doesnt fail at the same time the fire happens you would be ok :) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TI7GTK

[willb003]

NAS?!?

[Panman06]

Looks great. I had been leaning towards being double redundant with the backups and including a NAS in my scheme with some sort of hot swap SATA availiable. Would like to be able to pull drives out and stash them in a fire safe or something on a different level of my house or placed off-site.

The only thing I don't like about the Buffalo NAS is when they act up recovering from a brown/blackout. Keep them on a UPS. We have three of those and two lost their RAID configuration in the past due to brown/blackouts. We have all three on their own 1500VA now.

[Zach929rr]

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I'll be going with a RAID6 implementation with 4x640gb WD Caviar Blacks and an ioSafe Disaster Proof NAS box @ 1TB. Just need to crack the workstation open today and see if it will fit 4xHDDs. :)

[TurboGizzmo]

pics! :)

[Zach929rr]

Give me a week :D

[DavidofColorado]

Give me a week :D
No now!