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BakaBT community using RAID (software/hardware)

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bork:
What a RAID is not - a backup method.

It is meant to be used to meet a requirement that a system needs to able to do.
This could be so that a server can keep running and recover due to a disk(s) failures.
If you have a system that needs a very fast response and/or a volume of request as in a database server.
A large file system that can not be stored across separate disks.

I am not saying that you should or should not do it, but more of a do not do it because everyone else is doing this.  When a RAID is running well, it is one of the great things to watch; but when it breaks, you are in a world of hurt.  They are easy to setup and difficult to configure properly, they have a wicked split personality.  You can go for years and feel life is good until it happens - I ended up throwing a disk drive so hard against a wall that it exploded.  Two days later, data is restored onto a newly setup RAID.

Some tips on a good RAID:
- get disks of the same series/type but try and avoid the same batch, you do not want them to fail at the same time.
- buy enough disks to handle any future repairs.
- marginal power supplies are not to be used - do not try run a power supply close to its limit.  You can get some weird error when the power is unstable.
- isolate the disks as much as possible from vibrations and load noise, it degrades their performance.
- label everything and document everything.  You do not want to pull the wrong drive from a RAID that is in a degraded mode and you do not want to have to relearn how to set up a RAID a year later when you have a problem.
- it needs a UPS. one power glitch can result in having it to recover.  That can take better than a day if you have a 700+GB disks.

It is sort of like bungee jumping, a lot of fun until the one day you hit the ground - You never look at it the same after that.

fohfoh:
Well, the Dell desktop that the company of mine bought claims hardware raid... though I'm not sure if it's hardware or software.

I did however, have it changed from 1TB Raid 0 to 500GB Raid 1 in a Bios type screen. So... not sure if it's hardware or software.

nstgc:
A quick way to find out is to see if you can read the drives from Linux without dmraid.

get a live CD of Ubuntu type into a terminal "sudo apt-get remove dmraid" log out, log back in, then try to access your drive. I believe that should clear up any questions.

Mcgreag:

--- Quote from: fohfoh on May 22, 2010, 11:59:59 PM ---Well, the Dell desktop that the company of mine bought claims hardware raid... though I'm not sure if it's hardware or software.

I did however, have it changed from 1TB Raid 0 to 500GB Raid 1 in a Bios type screen. So... not sure if it's hardware or software.

--- End quote ---
If it's only raid 0 or raid 1 it doesn't really matter that much if it's software or hardware. It's when you get to raid 5 and have to start calculating parity data. Dell do have an enterprise model with optional hardware raid, the built in on the motherboard (controlled from bios is a software solution (it offloads operations on the cpu). The optional raid card on the DELL costs an extra 375$.

sapsa:
Like allways, Community didn't disappoint me.

I was thinking about RAID 5 - I readed alot about it, I wanted to start using it because my SATA BUS is not capable to use full speed of my HDDs - and I wont change mobo just to make my hdds faster :) And In the end RAID 5 give a bit more "protection" when 1 hdd fail.

But still - Im waiting for more people to replay :) but alot of you that was hoping that will replay, replayed - Thanks for that :)

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