Help with options for data back-up Raid SCSI?? Just some ideas

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fishhead
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Fishhead

In my home network.
2 pc's and 1 tablet PC
All ran through router (wired and wireless)
Tablet does not need a redundant back-up

Main PC stores video and images
other PC stores images.

I lost 2 hardrives in 2 days!!!

Main PC has SCSI 160 card with 4 drives and 1 80gig IDE for backup
Secondary PC has 3 IDE drives, no back-up.

I want something that will keep 2 copies at the same time.
Can I convert my SCSI machine to something like RAID??

Or should I buy dedicated SATA drives with a raid controller and start
from scratch??

This would not be a major problem if I kept up with my DVD back-ups...
so I need something automatic and redundant.

thanks!
 
In my home network.
2 pc's and 1 tablet PC
All ran through router (wired and wireless)
Tablet does not need a redundant back-up

Main PC stores video and images
other PC stores images.

I lost 2 hardrives in 2 days!!!

Main PC has SCSI 160 card with 4 drives and 1 80gig IDE for backup
Secondary PC has 3 IDE drives, no back-up.

I want something that will keep 2 copies at the same time.
Can I convert my SCSI machine to something like RAID??
Click to expand...

What OS are you running?
Most serious OS's nowadays have software RAID 1 facilities, exit MS.
Or you could get yourself a nice SCSI Hostadpter with RAID
functionality, provided you can get the drivers for the OS you use.
That way you can keep the performance bonus SCSI gives you when you use
4 drives.
Or should I buy dedicated SATA drives with a raid controller and start
from scratch??
Click to expand...

A definite step back IMHO.
 
In my home network.
2 pc's and 1 tablet PC
All ran through router (wired and wireless)
Tablet does not need a redundant back-up
Click to expand...
Main PC stores video and images
other PC stores images.
Click to expand...
I lost 2 hardrives in 2 days!!!
Click to expand...

On the same system PC ? If it was, there's likely a reason for that.
Main PC has SCSI 160 card with 4 drives and 1 80gig IDE
for backup Secondary PC has 3 IDE drives, no back-up.
Click to expand...
I want something that will keep 2 copies at the same time.
Can I convert my SCSI machine to something like RAID??
Click to expand...

Yes, but thats got real downsides for backup.

It doesnt help if you need the backup for a virus
infection, user stupidity, fire, theft, flood etc.
Or should I buy dedicated SATA drives with
a raid controller and start from scratch??
Click to expand...

Really depends on what you want to do about backup and raid.
This would not be a major problem if I kept up with my DVD back-ups...
so I need something automatic and redundant.
Click to expand...

It isnt hard to do completely automated backup to a SATA drive.
That will fix the problem with a virus or user stupidity.

If its a removable drive, and you are prepared to take the
drive offsite and have another thats used when one is offsite,
that will fix the problem with fire/theft/flood etc too.

Not ideal if you are prone to dropping things tho.
 
In message said:
In my home network.
2 pc's and 1 tablet PC
All ran through router (wired and wireless)
Tablet does not need a redundant back-up

Main PC stores video and images
other PC stores images.

I lost 2 hardrives in 2 days!!!

Main PC has SCSI 160 card with 4 drives and 1 80gig IDE for backup
Secondary PC has 3 IDE drives, no back-up.

I want something that will keep 2 copies at the same time.
Can I convert my SCSI machine to something like RAID??

Or should I buy dedicated SATA drives with a raid controller and start
from scratch??

This would not be a major problem if I kept up with my DVD back-ups...
so I need something automatic and redundant.
Click to expand...
Try a UPS?
 
Fishhead said:
In my home network.
2 pc's and 1 tablet PC
All ran through router (wired and wireless)
Tablet does not need a redundant back-up

Main PC stores video and images
other PC stores images.

I lost 2 hardrives in 2 days!!!

Main PC has SCSI 160 card with 4 drives and 1 80gig IDE for backup
Secondary PC has 3 IDE drives, no back-up.

I want something that will keep 2 copies at the same time.
Can I convert my SCSI machine to something like RAID??
Click to expand...

RAID is not as substitute for backup.
Or should I buy dedicated SATA drives with a raid controller and start
from scratch??
Click to expand...

SATA and RAID are two different things. Yes you should use removable SATA
drives for backup and no they likely shouldn't be RAID.
This would not be a major problem if I kept up with my DVD back-ups...
Click to expand...

Use removable SATA drives instead of DVD for backups but DVDR backups will
work but are likely too small for convenient operation.
so I need something automatic and redundant.
Click to expand...

Actually you likely need neither. You need redundant backups where one is
always offsite but that's different from redundant storage like RAID 1 or
RAID 5. Having to manually initiate the backup nightly/periodically
shouldn't be too difficult. However automating that process to run
automatically is feasible.

Use something like Acronis TrueImage to create compressend image backups of
the HDs. Direct these image file to removable SATA HDs in trays like
KingWin KF-83(~$30). Get >=2 such SATA HDs and always keep one offsite.
 
Arie Bant said:
What OS are you running?
Most serious OS's nowadays have software RAID 1 facilities, exit MS.
Click to expand...

NO, RAID 1 is inexpensively available using MS OSs.
Or you could get yourself a nice SCSI Hostadpter with RAID
Click to expand...

SCSI is very expensive for this purpose. ATA RAID is much less expensive
and is the way to go IF realtime redundancy is needed. Usually such
realtime redundancy is not needed in a home network. HOWEVER even less
expensive backup IS needed.
functionality, provided you can get the drivers for the OS you use.
That way you can keep the performance bonus SCSI gives you when you use
4 drives.
Click to expand...

What bonus does SCSI provide on a home network....none maybe?
 
It isnt hard to do completely automated backup to a SATA drive.
Click to expand...

Speedo gets it wrong again. Automated image backups to SATA drives are
easy.
That will fix the problem with a virus or user stupidity.

If its a removable drive, and you are prepared to take the
drive offsite and have another thats used when one is offsite,
that will fix the problem with fire/theft/flood etc too.

Not ideal if you are prone to dropping things tho.
Click to expand...

Use a shock mounted tray like a KingWin KF-83 and get a padded carrying
case. That reduces the "drop threat" to very acceptable levels.
Non-spinning current HDs are not all that shock sensitive. They are shipped
all over the world daily in two layers of bubble wrap with few problems.
 
My primary concern for backup (redundancy) is harddrive failure.

I keep my OS (winXP) and progam files and data on 3 separate drives.
I need a redundant real time back-up for my data drives
 
I figure my apps and WinXP are safe on single SCSI drives. and if they
crash I can always reinstall from CD... (which isn't always a bad
thing)

How do I upgrade/replace my IDE data drives.
2 PC's with their own data.
I would like redundant data swapped between each PC.
My photos I work with on PC 1 are backed up on PC2
My video's I work with on PC 2 are backed up on PC1

SCSI SATA IDE RAID?? What do I need?
 
Fishhead said:
I am doing video editiing and photo editing.
The SCSI drives are a big bonus!!!
Click to expand...

NO!! There is NO bonus when using SCSI over ATA when doing video
editiing and photo editing. The only place SCSI has an advantage is when
doing saturated small record random I/O like on a server.
 
Fishhead said:
My primary concern for backup (redundancy) is harddrive failure.
Click to expand...


The question is whether you concern is primarily for the last hour's/day's
work where RAID helps. OR whether your bigger concern is losing the entire
contents of the HD where backup is the solution. Until you are covered by a
good backup scheme any thought of RAID is a waste of time.
I keep my OS (winXP) and progam files and data on 3 separate drives.
I need a redundant real time back-up for my data drives
Click to expand...

NO, you need backup. Then you can think about redundancy.
 
Speedo gets it wrong again.
Click to expand...

We'll see...
Automated image backups to SATA drives are easy.
Click to expand...

Wot I said, ****wit.
Use a shock mounted tray like a KingWin KF-83 and get a padded
carrying case. That reduces the "drop threat" to very acceptable levels.
Click to expand...

Depends on how much you drop it.
Non-spinning current HDs are not all that shock sensitive.
Click to expand...

Bullshit. Try dropping them onto a concrete floor some time.
They are shipped all over the world daily in
two layers of bubble wrap with few problems.
Click to expand...

Pity about dropping the drive before it gets into that packing.
 
I have no back-up...
unless I start buring to DVD...

I could care less about an day/hour of work.
It is the total drive
 
Could I make 1 PC into a sort of Data server... that would store and
back it all up. (my wife could still use it to surf the web)

And then my main PC to do all the work???
 
My primary concern for backup (redundancy) is harddrive failure.
Click to expand...

It does however make sense to have a solution
that handles the other problems as well.
I keep my OS (winXP) and progam files and data on 3 separate drives.
I need a redundant real time back-up for my data drives
Click to expand...

Completely routine to automate backup to an extra drive.

The only real advantage of RAID1 is that in theory you can
come up faster after a drive failure. In practice its got its
own downsides, so theory and practice can have quite
a chasm between them and you are very vulnerable to
failure of whatever you use to do hardware RAID too.

Software RAID is better there, but standard XP doesnt do that.

On the other hand, automated backup isnt perfect either,
you can still lose a day's work if say its done overnight.
 
Fishhead said:
I figure my apps and WinXP are safe on single SCSI drives. and if they
crash I can always reinstall from CD... (which isn't always a bad
thing)
Click to expand...

Usually a very labor intensive and therefore expensive proposition. Keep a
regular image backup of the OS HD as you'll find that much valuable setup,
update, configuration and tuning is kept there.
How do I upgrade/replace my IDE data drives.
2 PC's with their own data.
I would like redundant data swapped between each PC.
My photos I work with on PC 1 are backed up on PC2
My video's I work with on PC 2 are backed up on PC1

SCSI SATA IDE RAID?? What do I need?
Click to expand...


You need nightly/periodic backups to a removable media and keep a copy
offsite. The best option there is a couple of removable ATA HDs in shock
mounted trays like KingWin KF-83. Keeping two copies on different PCs in
the same room covers VERY FEW threats.
 
Fishhead said:
I have no back-up...
unless I start buring to DVD...

I could care less about an day/hour of work.
It is the total drive
Click to expand...

EXACTLY what I've been telling you.
 
Fishhead said:
Could I make 1 PC into a sort of Data server... that would store and
back it all up. (my wife could still use it to surf the web)
Click to expand...

Why do you insist on avoiding the obvious solution.. REDUNDANT OFFSITE
BACKUPS.
 
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