raid Best Raid Config For Multi Purpose Build

[Sailboy42]

So I want to build my first computer and I already have an idea for parts. However, I still don't know how to configure my storage. I have a lot of GoPro footage that takes at least 500gbs so far. 50gbs of pictures and docs and about 800gbs of games. At the moment I have an overflow for my laptop on a 3tb external drive. For the config, I want the safety for my drives, but the performance to read quickly. I don't like Raid 0 due to no backup and raid 1 seems like it runs to slow. I have looked at Raid 5,6,10. And so far 6 looks to be the middle ground with the bonus of having upgradability. I plan on getting WD blacks, but then price becomes an issue. If anyone could give me suggestions or correct me on anything I said, it would be appreciated.

[unijab]

Raid =/= a backup

[Sailboy42]

 

On 1/17/2018 at 12:11 AM, CUDA_Cores said:

how much data do you need to store?

 

If it's over 6TB I would just buy a dedicated NAS. 

I need at least 2tbs and at most 4 at first. I do think though it will grow larger over the years.

 

[Sailboy42]

On 1/17/2018 at 5:07 AM, unijab said:

Raid =/= a backup

I don't quite understand what you mean.

[unijab]

raid is for redundancy ... it is not a backup.

[Sailboy42]

22 hours ago, unijab said:

raid is for redundancy ... it is not a backup.

Oh, ok. So if I want a backup I might as well get an external drive. So for safety would you recommend I an external back up or raid redundancy?

 

[seagate_surfer]

54 minutes ago, Sailboy42 said:

Oh, ok. So if I want a backup I might as well get an external drive. So for safety would you recommend I an external back up or raid redundancy?

 

The most widely recommended backup strategy is known as the 3-2-1 method. Keep 3 copies of your data, 2 on different mediums, and one stored offsite in case of disaster. There's nothing inherently wrong with using RAID, it's just that people often mistake it for a backup when the main function of RAID is either to squeeze performance out of your disks (RAID-0) or prevent having to take your entire server/system offline to rebuild arrays, the concept being that if a drive goes down, you just swap it out for a new one and the array rebuilds from the information stored securely on the other disks. RAID 5 will still be a bit on the slow side, RAID-6 and RAID 10 can both be beneficial, both have upsides. RAID 10 is usually seen as a little faster, and sometimes gets preference over RAID-6 because they technically can both withstand 2 drive losses. There's a catch to this, however: RAID 10 can only withstand 2 drive losses if the right two drives fail, because RAID 10 is essentially both RAID 1 and RAID 0 together, meaning you have 2 mirror disks and 2 striping disks. RAID 6 can, however, withstand any two drives in the array going down. So you just have to weigh where your priorities lie on a scale with one end being redundancy and the other end being performance. Only you will know that. 

An external drive as a backup can be a strong solution, one of the benefits being that you can back it up periodically and then disconnect, meaning if your system gets plagued by malware or ransomware, it obviously can't get to a copy of your data that the system can't see because it's simply not connected.External drives also are one of the more portable solutions, so they can sometimes make sense for that 3rd copy of the data you can store somewhere offsite. NAS enclosures are viable solutions as well as long as you don't plan on them being the sole location of your data. You could also sign up for a subscription cloud data storage service if you'd like. It just comes down to determining which mix of solutions makes the most sense for you and gives you the most peace of mind.

As far as which drives are best for RAID, that would be drives branded for NAS use, such as our IronWolf drives. These drives have firmware built for RAID optimization, and, depending on which model you go for, some also have physical RV (Rotational Vibration) sensors which help detect vibration caused by multiple drives working together in small, enclosed spaces and cut down on potential issues with both performance and longevity on the drives from those vibrations.

[Sailboy42]

@seagate_surfer

Thanks your response is really helping my decision:)