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SoftRAID Volumes
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Topic starter
I will preface this post by saying that I am a noob at this sort of thing. I have been trying to learn about constructing a RAID 5 array by reading online, but I want to make sure that I am doing everything I need to before I jump off any data storage cliffs.
My purpose in putting this array together is to provide archival storage for (what is now) over 5TB of photographic images, >120K individual files.
My equipment is:
Mid 2010 6-core Mac Pro
Caldigit FATSA 6GU3 Pro eSata/USB 3.0 card
Addonics 5 eSATA Port Multiplier
Mediasonic H82-SU3S2 ProBox 8
The bulk of the storage will be in 3 WD Green HDs (6,4,3 TB) and a Seagate 5 TB drive.
As I understand how Softraid works, I should fill all 8 bays with drives at the time I build the RAID, as upgrading the drive size is easy, but adding drives is not. I have a number of 1 TB WD Green HDs I can use as "placeholders" for this aspect of the build.
Have I missed anything?
Many thanks!
Posted : 11/06/2016 12:12 pm
Mixing all these drive sizes is not optimal for RAID 5. Mirrors are going to be better for protecting your data than a RAID 5 in this set of hardware. As in the other post you posted, USB is not ideal for RAID.
Posted : 11/06/2016 1:17 pm
Topic starter
Mixing all these drive sizes is not optimal for RAID 5. Mirrors are going to be better for protecting your data than a RAID 5 in this set of hardware. As in the other post you posted, USB is not ideal for RAID.
Thanks for the fast response. I'm planning to use the eSATA connection of the drive enclosure for the drive array.
I understand that the different sizes will affect performance. Would the amount of available storage differ between RAID 1 and 5?
The intermediate to long term plan is to gradually upgrade all of the drives eventually to 6 TB each, but I can'r afford to do that all at once.
What would I be giving up with RAID 1 as opposed to RAID 5, if anything, sticking with RAID 1 throughout the gradual upgrade process? How much (if any) data security am I giving up with RAID 1 as opposed to RAID 5, once I eventually get to 8 x 6 TB?
The drives I currently have available to put in the bay are as follows:
1. 6 TB WD Green, 2. 5 TB Seagate, 3. 3 TB WD Green, 4. Hitachi 2 TB, 5. 1.5 TB WD Green, 6&7, 1 TB WD Green 8. Seagate Barracuda 1 TB.
How much usable storage would this translate to in either setup?
Is there any difference in how drive upgrades would be managed by Softraid with RAID 1 as opposed to RAID 5?
Sorry for so many questions. As I said, I'm new to this.
Posted : 11/06/2016 6:03 pm
The problem is your RAID 5 volume is limited to the smallest member of the volume. So you are wasting a lot of capacity until you upgrade.
Mirrors are safest for images, in our opinion.
Each pair of disks can create a volume of the size of the smaller of the two disks. You have a lot of disks and I don't know how you intend to connect them up, but your plan ought to be to eventually make Thunderbay your enclosure for the disks.
the 1 and 1.5 TB drives should just be archives for older data or off line data. They are too small to be of value here.
The 5 2TB drives can make a 8TB RAID 5 volume.
Each pair of the larger disks can be a mirror volumes. That is probably safest. You an also have 3 disk mirror volumes, where you keep one copy off site and connect it up on a weekly/monthly/project basis, but otherwise keep it protected off site.
Make sure you maintain a backup strategy for all your images, also!
Posted : 11/06/2016 6:46 pm
