[eZAK]

I would like to set up a RAID1 array on my desktop PC.

 

Here is what I have so far; (1) 256gb SSD, (2) 1.5tb HDD

 

My motivation for this is that I lost two HDD's in the past six years. With some data loss.

I'm thinking a RAID1 array would make recovery easier. (I don't know, maybe not)

 

Using Norton 360 and/or Windows as a back-up can be a pain.

 

I did go into BIOS > enabled RAID > RAID BIOS setup (didn't know what to do with the SSD though)

As of now the 1.5tb are Not recognized in 'This Computer'

 

That being said, I have a Gigabyte MZ790X-UD4P, AMD Raedeon 256gb SSD, WD 1.5tb caviar Black & WD 1.5tb caviar Green,

running Win 10 Pro x64.

 

 

Thank You

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a RAID1 array can only be as large as the smallest disk in the array so you wouldn't want to include the SSD in the array anyway.

 

also in RAID1 since it's mirroring you'll end up with just 1.5tb of storage in the array.

 

RAID1 really doesn't give you THAT much of a backup either. if one drive fails, there's a good change the other will two and RAID1 can only handle one failure at a time so you'd need to get that failed one replaced PDQ.

[dsenette]

a RAID1 array can only be as large as the smallest disk in the array so you wouldn't want to include the SSD in the array anyway.

 

also in RAID1 since it's mirroring you'll end up with just 1.5tb of storage in the array.

 

RAID1 really doesn't give you THAT much of a backup either. if one drive fails, there's a good change the other will two and RAID1 can only handle one failure at a time so you'd need to get that failed one replaced PDQ.

[eZAK]

I would use the the SSD to hold the OS.

 

The dual 1.5tb would be for storage/backup (mainly music, pictures, and some video)

 

So, If I don't do the RAID1 deal, What are my options for back up and storage using my existing drives?

[dsenette]

well, for "storage" with the two 1.5 drives, if you're running windows 10 (and I believe 8.1) you can check out storage spaces. it's a thing built in to the OS that SORT of works like RAID in that it will combine the two drives into one logical drive, so you end up with one drive letter to put everything in so you don't get confused as to where you put something. the advantage of this over RAID is that with storage spaces if one drive fails, you don't lose both (you do lose whatever is on the failed drive) and if you need to, you can still remove one of the drives and put it in another computer and it will still work like a regular hard drive (you can even include that drive into another storage space on another computer if I remember correctly). with RAID you can't take a drive from one array and put it in another and still get data off of it.

 

as for backup. normal backup strategy. many many cloud options available for important file backups, another external hard drive, burning stuff to DVD, etc...

[terry1966]

raid 1 is not a viable backup solution, but does offer the protection your looking for against a failed hard drive.

 

 

"the advantage of this over RAID is that with storage spaces if one drive fails, you don't lose both"

"with RAID you can't take a drive from one array and put it in another and still get data off of it."

think dsenette got confused there and was thinking about raid 0, raid 1 is an exact duplicate of both drives so all the data is on both drives and can be retrieved just fine if 1 fails at any time in any pc and is exactly what storage spaces is setting up, raid 1.

 

you will want a minimum of 2 identical drives for the raid tho, same make, model, storage capacity for optimal use.

see if this link helps you set up your raid 1 :- http://www.maximumpc...and-linux-2015/

 

 

If you’re thinking that RAID 1 is a lazy man’s backup, think again. RAID 1 is not a backup, and is never, ever a replacement for a good backup. Always remember that RAID 1 is a hedge against hardware failures, not malware or corrupted data. If you get a virus on one drive in a RAID 1 array, every drive in the array will have the virus written to it. A proper backup keeps data safe from the system.

so i'd also have at least another external drive and use something like macrium reflect to backup the data too.

 

link to macrium reflect :- http://www.macrium.c...eflectfree.aspx

 

Edited by terry1966, 22 October 2015 - 10:21 AM.

[eZAK]

My original back up plan was using a hot swap bay. At least the drive is not spinning all the time.

 

So if I do the RAID1 I guard against drive failer, somewhat.

Then the problem becomes, dumping the system and starting over. Config MoBo w/ OS to run RAID. Correct?

 

OR, I keep one 1.5tb internal and the other using the hot swap bay.

Problem is using Windows or Norton 360 as back ups is a pain! I guess I'll have to check out Macrium or some other program.

Something easy to work with, and by that I mean logically easy.

[dsenette]

raid 1 is not a viable backup solution, but does offer the protection your looking for against a failed hard drive.

 

 

"the advantage of this over RAID is that with storage spaces if one drive fails, you don't lose both"

"with RAID you can't take a drive from one array and put it in another and still get data off of it."

think dsenette got confused there and was thinking about raid 0, raid 1 is an exact duplicate of both drives so all the data is on both drives and can be retrieved just fine if 1 fails at any time in any pc and is exactly what storage spaces is setting up, raid 1.

 

you will want a minimum of 2 identical drives for the raid tho, same make, model, storage capacity for optimal use.

see if this link helps you set up your raid 1 :- http://www.maximumpc...and-linux-2015/

 

nope, not confused on my part. the redundancy afforded by RAID1 is not to be trusted.

 

and while storage spaces sets up something that LOOKS a heck of a lot like RAID....it isn't actually RAID.

 

a RAID array relies heavily on all the drives in the system being there all the time. if one fails the array is degraded and bad things start to happen, even if the other doesn't fail. and you can't take a drive out of a raid array and put it somewhere else without causing problems. you can't for example import a foreign disk from one array into another without it destroying the data on the drive.

 

with storage spaces, it's a LOT more like DFS (distributed file system)...because that's basically what it is. so you can set up something that looks and works like basically all versions of RAID, but you can also set something up that looks and works like multiple versions of RAID on the same storage (you can set up mirroring, mirroring with parity, striping, or combinations of those on different drives). you can also use external sources in a storage space (usb drives, esata drives, flash drives, SD cards, etc..).

[terry1966]

sorry to disagree with you dsennette, (well sort of disagree.  ) but raid 1 is raid 1 whether that's a hardware raid set up (dedicated raid controller or a fake raid chip on the motherboard) or a software raid setup (created by the os, which is exactly what windows storage space creates.), after all raid 1 is really just data mirroring on 2 drives.

 

 

Storage Spaces is a storage virtualization technology which succeeds Logical Disk Manager and allows the organization of physical disks into logical volumes similar to Logical Volume Manager (Linux), RAID1 or RAID5, but at a higher abstraction level.[

from here:- https://en.wikipedia...ndows_8#Storage

 

any drive from a raid 1 can be taken out of any pc and used in any other (as long as it's data only and not also the os because of course then you run into driver issues and such.) as a single drive to read the data if required, as to rebuilding the raid then that is a different thing, and depends on if it was a hardware raid and what controllers were used but in general i'd say it can also be used to create or rebuild a raid 1 setup, after all it is just more or less cloning that drive onto another one and from then on the os/controller making any changes to both after that.

 

 

RAID 1 RAID 1 consists of data mirroring, without parity or striping. Data is written identically to two (or more) drives, thereby producing a "mirrored set" of drives. Thus, any read request can be serviced by any drive in the set. If a request is broadcast to every drive in the set, it can be serviced by the drive that accesses the data first (depending on its seek time and rotational latency), improving performance. Sustained read throughput, if the controller or software is optimized for it, approaches the sum of throughputs of every drive in the set, just as for RAID 0. Actual read throughput of most RAID 1 implementations is slower than the fastest drive. Write throughput is always slower because every drive must be updated, and the slowest drive limits the write performance. The array continues to operate as long as at least one drive is functioning.^[11]

from here :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

 

personally i haven't set up a hardware raid in years and only use software raid setup by the os (linux in my case.).

 

 

My original back up plan was using a hot swap bay. At least the drive is not spinning all the time.

 

So if I do the RAID1 I guard against drive failer, somewhat.

Then the problem becomes, dumping the system and starting over. Config MoBo w/ OS to run RAID. Correct?

 

OR, I keep one 1.5tb internal and the other using the hot swap bay.

Problem is using Windows or Norton 360 as back ups is a pain! I guess I'll have to check out Macrium or some other program.

Something easy to work with, and by that I mean logically easy.

your os in on the ssd drive so setting up raid 1 using 2x 1.5tb drives should be easy enough, and not need "dumping the system and starting again" i'd not worry about setting raid in bios and just use dsennettes recommendations of creating a software raid using windows storage spaces if that's the route you finally take.

don't forget to backup your data first just in case you make a mistake and wipe the drives.

 

what you need to understand though to raid 1 both drives need to be in the machine at all times, otherwise it is not a raid 1.

 

your original plan of using the hot swap bay for backing up is probably just as good or if not a better solution in your case as creating a raid 1, after all your only really worried about data protection and not having pc redundancy. ie. up and running without any down time when a drive fails, which is what raid 1 is usually used for in the first place.

 

backup plans should have your data stored in at least 3 different locations in my opinion, as to macrium reflect you can use that to manually backup your data or if you buy it then you will get the option to automate the process, so you can set it and forget it.

then you'd only need to create the 3rd backup (backup of your backup) manually on a regular basis for extra piece of mind.

 

Edited by terry1966, 23 October 2015 - 11:32 AM.

[eZAK]

Thank You guys for your input! I'm up and running with RAID1 and I have a cloned drive as a back up.

Although I may go to Acronis down the road.