Replacement drives for RAID

[Rozzy85]

Years ago I bought 2 x Seagate 2TB SSHD (ST2000DX001) to use in my PC. I've since moved over to SSDs and decided to create a NAS with them for network storage in a RAID 1 config. The drives will inevitably fail at some point so I want to get a spare for when that happens.

This particular model is obsolete now and can no longer be bought easily (not for an inflated price anyway). I'm assuming most 2TB drives aren't exact and if I get one that has a capacity slightly less then I won't be able to use it to rebuild the array during a drive failure? Is there any easy way to find a suitable replacement model than simply resorting to much bigger drives? I'm not bothered about any performance loss from a slower or mismatched drive.

 

[bremen1874]

Drive capacities do vary a bit between drive models and manufacturers.

When you create the array make it a bit smaller than the total space available on the current drives. You should then be okay if your replacement drive turns out to be a bit smaller. The more of the drive you leave unused the better chance you'll have.

I wouldn't spend money on a spare drive that's just going to sit there working through its warranty.

You can get a replace drive delivered the next day, and anything really important on the NAS should be backed up elsewhere anyway.

 

[bledd]

It's only really important to keep the same drive type in larger raid setups. Just pick one with a matching spin speed (5400 Vs 7200)