Hard drives for high-capacity backup?

  • Thread starter Thread starter pdp11
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pdp11

I need to install a high-capacity backup system on a server that has
outgrown its current DVD-RAM setup. I like the idea of using removable
hot-swap ATAPI drives as a cost-effective solution, I've read about
this method being used but have not yet tried it myself. I've gotten
pretty fed up with tape drives over the years, they tend to be slow,
unreliable, and expensive.

Anyone have specific hardware they recommend? I take it that a special
controller is needed to support hot-swap? (This is a Linux server, so
we would need hardware compatible with that OS.)

If you've got a setup that works I'd be interested in the details.
Thanks!
 
I need to install a high-capacity backup system on a server that has
outgrown its current DVD-RAM setup. I like the idea of using removable
hot-swap ATAPI drives as a cost-effective solution, I've read about
this method being used but have not yet tried it myself. I've gotten
pretty fed up with tape drives over the years, they tend to be slow,
unreliable, and expensive.

Anyone have specific hardware they recommend?
Click to expand...

Use any 250GB or larger SATA HD in a KingWin KF-83 removeable rack.
 
Previously said:
I need to install a high-capacity backup system on a server that has
outgrown its current DVD-RAM setup. I like the idea of using removable
hot-swap ATAPI drives as a cost-effective solution, I've read about
this method being used but have not yet tried it myself. I've gotten
pretty fed up with tape drives over the years, they tend to be slow,
unreliable, and expensive.
Click to expand...
Anyone have specific hardware they recommend? I take it that a special
controller is needed to support hot-swap? (This is a Linux server, so
we would need hardware compatible with that OS.)
Click to expand...
If you've got a setup that works I'd be interested in the details.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I do this with Linux and SATA (works, is reliable and fast, but
problems with some ATA->SATA dongles (ASUS), don't know about
native SATA HDDs) and used to do this with Linux and USB2.0/Firewire
(works sometimes, is slow, FireWire is better than USB2.0).

Before you unplug, do a sync and wait some seconds after it
returned (hdd-internal buffer).
After plugging it in, you might need to call "rescan-scsi-bus.sh",
so the new device is found. After that you can call "fdisk -l"
to find as which device the disk has been added. I think with
a 2.6.x kernel it is the same one every time, as long as you
dont't remove/add other scsi storage devices. 2.4.x used to
allocate a new scsi-device for every hot-plug and eventually
ran out of devices. I am also not sure if 2.4.x has SATA support
at all. BTW, I have been using 2.6.7 for some time
now with no problems.

The kernel needs to be SATA aware. The options for this are
a bit hidden, since Linux counts SATA as SCSI. If you compile
you kernel yourself, look in (2.6.x)

Device Drivers -> SCSI device support -> SCSI low-level drivers

activate "Serial ATA (SATA) support" and select the correct driver.

I do this with just one external HDD, so I don't use an enclosure
but have an "open frame" design an a 1m SATA cable. Not professional
but works.

Arno
 
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