Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/08/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have been using home-built RAID5 servers for about five years. Access over a gigabit (1000baseT) switch is reasonably fast, especially since I am usually the only one using the server. You get the most disk space for your dollar, too, with an N-1 usable amount of disk space (three drives gives you the space of two, 4 gives 3, etc). RocketRaid has been dependable for me with two generations of controller cards, the current one supporting up to eight drives. I have five 500GB drives now - four make up the active RAID5, giving 1.5TB of usable storage. The the fifth drive is a "spare" that automatically replaces a failed drive. Remember it's not IF a drive fails, it's WHEN. Backup happens automatically ever day with added or modified files copied to an external drive on USB 2.0. About once a month I also create a complete offisite backup to multiple 250GB drives that are in swappable hard drive trays.Two sets are rotated so that all my data is never in one place at one time. I consider CDs and DVDs as temporary storage only and would not trust them for long term. They also become a real librarian's nightmare if you have to keep track of files that are not easily searchable and accessible on your server. After three disk failures on the RAID, I have not lost any data. You can even access or write to the functioning redundant drives while the RAID repairs itself with its spare drive. From hard experience, DO NOT put your operating system on the RAID, which should be for data only. Load Windows (or Mac OS) and your application programs on a separate dedicated hard drive. (If you're a real PC geek, you could even use UNIX for the server and run it on just about any old PC processor - cheap!) Also, by having at least two computers, you can just add cheap disks to your server for increased storage and put you money into speedy upgrades or a new machine for your Photoshop workstation computer. A server in a single user environment needs neither very much RAM nor a fast processor. Put those kind of upgrades into your Photoshop hotrod workstation! Which is a whole 'nother story. Gary Todoroff Tree LUGger At 03:26 PM 8/18/2008, you wrote: >I've had a Mac Pro with an Apple RAID card for about a year now. I >use it to drive 3 SATA2 disks in a RAID5 configuration. > >I haven't done scientific before-and-after comparisons, but it is >rare for me to be sitting there thinking "Damn, I wish my computer >was faster". It has met my expectations and has not had any problems. > > >>I was wondering about LUG experience with hardware RAID controllers. >>I'm a Mac guy and suspect that there's enough difference so that PC >>experience doesn't translate. >> >>But I'm thinking it's time to get really serious about a full RAID >>solution. >> >>Adam > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.138 / Virus >Database: 270.6.5/1618 - Release Date: 8/18/2008 6:51 AM >