#272220 - 15/12/2005 21:24
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: Robotic]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Hardware RAID:
Upside: speed & transparency to the OS
Downside: typically controller-specific. You can't unplug your raid drives from one controller and plug into another brand and expect it to work. Costs $.
Software Raid:
Upside: Free (no extra $) if your OS supports it
Downside: Possible performance issue since the CPU has to think about it.
In all cases RAID won't protect you from virii, or human error.
If you must choose bewteen RAID and an easy, complete data backup plan, my money is to set up a backup first. Unless you have 100% uptime needs and can't cope with rework since last backup, set up the backup first.
I prefer NAS devices (roll your own included) over a fast network for backup.
Backup and RAID are complimentary. RAID helps keep your machine up when a HD fails. Backup can save your bacon in the event of a drive failure as well, it just takes longer.
The best solution is to use both. Use backup to save you from yourself, and RAID to keep you up in case of HD failure.
Apologies if I've overstated the obvious.
-Zeke
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WWFSMD?
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#272221 - 15/12/2005 21:26
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: JBjorgen]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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Quote:
You forgot at least one other...speed.
Yup- speed, flexibility, ease of use... all important factors, no doubt. In my mind and for my uses, though, none are as important as the two primaries: space and reliability.
I'm not too worried if my backup solution runs slowly, just so long as it does what it's supposed to.
That said- if my 'backup solution' is actually part of the standard function of the machine, then, yes- speed rapidly becomes an issue. (heh)
I'll have to read some more about hardware RAID5- Is it completely invisible to the motherboard? I mean, does the OS and everything go onto the array (unlike my software RAID5) ?
_________________________
10101311 (20GB- backup empeg)
10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)
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#272222 - 15/12/2005 23:58
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: CrackersMcCheese]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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Now that we've kinda ventured into data security here I have a question; can anyone suggest a good program for backing up across DVD RW media in a WinXP environment? I'm talking file recovery as opposed to restoring a bootable WinXP OS from a trashed HDD. I feel very self-conscious saying this, but cheap or free is good for me! 
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#272223 - 16/12/2005 00:46
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: Robotic]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Many software RAID solutions cannot be used on boot partitions for the simple fact that the BIOS (or whatever boots your computer) has to be able to read it in order to get to the OS where the RAID software can run, and, obviously, the BIOS doesn't have the ability to work against a RAID. This is irrelevant when talking about hardware RAID, since it will be presented to the computer as a standard storage device.
There are some software RAID solutions where you can mirror your boot drive. The BIOS boots off of one of the mirrors, and once the OS loads the RAID software it attaches the other mirror(s) to the "main" mirror. Not all of them can do this, though, as it requires that the mirrors be indistinguishable from unRAIDed partitions, and many keep metadata on the same partition as the actual data.
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Bitt Faulk
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#272224 - 16/12/2005 02:59
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: tman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31578
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
if the fan does die for some reason then you have the chance that 12V will now be connected to the 5V line.
Is this really what would happen? And if so, would the power supply be damaged?
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#272225 - 16/12/2005 04:06
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: tfabris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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For backup, I use AMANDA. As far as the fan shorting out, sure, it could happen. Most likely it'd harm the power supply and possibly kill the drive. You would, however, notice problems before that, I would wager.
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#272226 - 16/12/2005 08:02
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: wfaulk]
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veteran
Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Quote:
Many software RAID solutions cannot be used on boot partitions
True. The solution is to have a really minimal partition (a few Mb) containing just bootloader/kernel. Everything else (including root partition) can usually be on RAID. With multiple boot blocks spread over several disks, you still have the redundancy.
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#272227 - 16/12/2005 09:36
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5682
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Is this really what would happen? And if so, would the power supply be damaged?
It could happen. And it's not the power supply that you're worried about. It's all of the 5v components in the PC suddenly being made to run with 12v.
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-- roger
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#272228 - 21/12/2005 13:08
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: jmwking]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5682
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Drives will fail. Period.
A good point I just saw on Slashdot (Seagate buying Maxtor): Check the warranty period on any new disk. Most manufacturers will only offer 1 year warranty. Others will offer 3 years, others 5 years.
Generally speaking, pick the one with the longest warranty -- it means that they're willing to stand behind their product. And, even if it does fail, you can get a new one.
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-- roger
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#272229 - 21/12/2005 14:40
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: Roger]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Quote:
it means that they're willing to stand behind their product. And, even if it does fail, you can get a new one.
Not necessarily. I think seagate finally looked at the statistics and realized what they could do to stand out. The majority of drives die immediatly or not for many many years. Some die at all ages, but they're the exception. The kicker is that replacing the top of the line drive 3 years ago costs next to nothing today. The waranty won't get your data back, and it's not going to prevent your drive from dieing.
So, buy the longer waranty if it's the same price, but it's really not that great of a deal to have a 1/100 chance of getting a three year old hard drive sometime in the future.
Matthew
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#272230 - 21/12/2005 14:48
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5682
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
The majority of drives die immediatly or not for many many years. Some die at all ages, but they're the exception.
The manufacturers at the time were saying: "there's no point in having an extended warranty because it's not going to fail after a year".
Which is arse. If it's not going to fail, you can have a warranty as long as you want, because it'll never get claimed against.
There's no harm in having a 3 year warranty, because your product's not going to go wrong.
_________________________
-- roger
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#272232 - 21/12/2005 16:49
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: CrackersMcCheese]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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There's a raucous exchange going on at Slashdot in the discussion forum regarding the announcement of Seagate buying Maxtor.
Everyone is weighing in on what drive they like best or worst or how they dodge the drive failure bullet.
Fun times! 
_________________________
10101311 (20GB- backup empeg)
10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)
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#272233 - 22/12/2005 02:39
Re: Desktop HDD recommendations
[Re: Robotic]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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The same discussion that went on when Maxtor scooped up Quantum? This is a case of, arguably, the two best desktop drive manufacturers merging a product line (eventually). Wonder if quality will go up or down... Seagate was the biggest before, now they should be "by far" the biggest drive manufacturer/supplier. Interesting times. I used to buy Seagate SCSI products, then went Maxtor exclusively for IDE. More recently went back to Seagate when putting together my meda system and have purchased 4 drives since. Knock on wood, they've all been fine (and quiet). Bruno
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