Can you recommend a form of software raid?

nightrider1470 · 6 Feb 2016 at 01:50

I have

3x 6TB
1x 3TB

I have a pretty old asrock H61 pro with 4 x sata 2 ports.

I would like to run some type of raid for protecting my data... I did look for a pci card to do this!, but everything seeems to be limited to a max 3TB in raid mode hence the post.

So what software and which raid type?

I have 100's of bluray backups and home videos. I am also on windows 10

Thanks!!!!

Skeeter · 6 Feb 2016 at 08:21

I used to have a Windows Home Server that used the Drive Externder technology to put all my drives in a single pool and then select individual folders to duplicate across multiple drives. It was great but MS screwed up its implementation in later versions and eventually dropped it all together.

So when I came to need to upgrade my Server I asked this same question on here and got almost unanimous suggestions of Stablebit DrivePool. It does the job perfectly and has the added benefit of using standard file formats so if your PC should die the drives can be plugged into another machine and the data is readable.

So, Stablebit DrivePool

.

Bluecube · 6 Feb 2016 at 08:26

I also recommend DrivePool. I use it myself on 4x2Tb hard drives and it just works. No mucking about with RAID or anything awkward like that.

davido_labido · 6 Feb 2016 at 08:31

i use stablebit drive pool, it has been great for me!

nightrider1470 · 6 Feb 2016 at 14:59

Will buy drivepool then.

Can I just ask, am I able to add or swap out for larger drives?

Bluecube · 6 Feb 2016 at 15:21

Yes is the simple answer. You'll need to remove any drives from the "pool" before physically removing them but that's the only caveat.

Grrrrr · 6 Feb 2016 at 21:42

Another vote for stablebit drivepool. Also get the drive scanner software - it ties in with drivepool and migrates files off of drives that show signs of failing. It's guided me through a couple of broken drives.

One final thing, have a look at their tweet to win competition https://stablebit.com/Scanner/Download

Skeeter · 6 Feb 2016 at 23:49

nightrider1470 said:
Will buy drivepool then.

Can I just ask, am I able to add or swap out for larger drives?

You can try it fully featured for free for 30 days I think. Then just buy a (lifetime) license from within the app.

And yes, swapping drives is easy. Providing you have enough space in the pool you just select a drive to remove, tell it to be removed, all the files are moved off it, and then you can swap it for a larger one.

h4rm0ny · 7 Feb 2016 at 11:21

I can't pass this thread by without cautioning that "RAID is not backup". Fire, theft, power-surges, accidental deletions... RAID does not protect you against such things. If it's data loss that worries you, rather than uptime, the better solution is a NAS kept separately that your system is configured to back up to. (Or even a Cloud-based backup provider, though that's an ongoing cost and eats bandwidth.)

Bluecube · 7 Feb 2016 at 11:35

Good advice above. It's also another reason to go with Drivepool as you can choose which folders to duplicate across drives. Obviously this is no good if your house burns down... I back up photos and documents to OneDrive for additional security.

nightrider1470 · 10 Feb 2016 at 03:20

Ok so I have added 5x different drives..... No actual folders!

So its all being backed up and I can relax?

It has created a new drive called drivepool..... Do I add all new data to this actual virtual drive? Or am I free to add my data to any drive?

wesley · 10 Feb 2016 at 09:47

no you cant relax. raid is NOT backup. i had 3 x hard drives destroyed by blown PSU.

Pho · 10 Feb 2016 at 09:48

Yep, add everything to your DrivePool drive (I called mine P for pool

). Behind the scenes DrivePool will then place the actual files on this virtual disk onto whichever disk in your pool it chooses based on any rules you have set-up.

You need to enable file-duplication or per-folder duplication (see here).

I use per-folder duplication as it lets you set which folders are duplicated and which aren't. For example, I have my photos duplicated three times but TV shows etc aren't duplicated at all.

Backed up is the wrong term; you should still take an external backup. If you corrupt a file (e.g., overwrite an image) all copies on your RAID will be destroyed too.

Bluecube · 10 Feb 2016 at 10:07

I totally agree about what's being said regarding back up. However it needs to be said that DrivePool isn't RAID. Just to avoid any confusion!

nightrider1470 · 10 Feb 2016 at 15:59

Pho said:
Yep, add everything to your DrivePool drive (I called mine P for pool ). Behind the scenes DrivePool will then place the actual files on this virtual disk onto whichever disk in your pool it chooses based on any rules you have set-up.

You need to enable file-duplication or per-folder duplication (see here).

I use per-folder duplication as it lets you set which folders are duplicated and which aren't. For example, I have my photos duplicated three times but TV shows etc aren't duplicated at all.

Backed up is the wrong term; you should still take an external backup. If you corrupt a file (e.g., overwrite an image) all copies on your RAID will be destroyed too.

Ok thanks

What about all the data thats all ready on each of my drives am adding, is that protected? Or is it only the new data I start to add to the drivepool virtual drive

Also are drivepool v1 and v2 different sofrware?

Pho · 10 Feb 2016 at 16:24

Before you set-up DrivePool? No you'll need to copy/move that into your pool for it to be "pooled". Drivepool uses a hidden X:\poolpart* (or something) folder on each of your disks. That's where it stores it's pooled data, anything stored on a disk not in that folder doesn't belong to DrivePool. Don't write stuff to that folder directly use your virtual disk. It is useful to know if you ever need to recover data off a disk though that it's all there in the original folder structures.

I've never used v1 but I imagine it's fundamentally the same as v2.

Once you get your head around how it all works DrivePool is brilliant

.

nightrider1470 · 10 Feb 2016 at 19:49

Thanks!!

nightrider1470 · 11 Feb 2016 at 00:52

I am getting the hang of it now.

One question am not to sure of though is!..... Once I have added my drives, should I transfer important data to the drivepool then delete the data off the main drive to allow for more drivepool future space?

Pho · 11 Feb 2016 at 10:35

Yep

.

Just make sure you have an external backup somewhere just incase but in reality nothing should really go wrong.

Craig321 · 11 Feb 2016 at 10:37

OP - get CrashPlan or Backblaze. Cheap, unlimited online backup.