Different cache drives in RAID

PistolPete · 3 Jan 2009 at 22:31

A quick question.

Is it OK to have different sized cache drives in a RAID??

I recently bought 2x WD 1Tb WD10EACS and I have them in RAID1 and I was planning to add a 3rd and go RAID5 and add disks t from there.....
but Overclockers now no longer sell them, only the WD10EADS which has a 32Mb cache not a 16Mb.

How would it affect the RAID to have a WD10EADS and 2x WD10EACS' in the RAID until I get around the swapping the WD10EACS' out over the next few months? I can't see any major issues - it's a storage volume not a system volume - so access speeds and such like are not a major issue.

malcolm · 4 Jan 2009 at 17:04

No it won't be a problem. The extra cache of the new drive will not be any major benefit, but you see very little benefit with a 32Mb v a 16Mb cache on a single drive. The Raid 5 config will kill your write speed anyway, so not an issue for you anyways, I would have thought.

PistolPete · 4 Jan 2009 at 17:29

Good news. I've already ordered the drive. I'll make the migration from RAID1 to RAID5 then over the next few months I'll just drop a drive from the RAID5 and replace it with the newer drives. I already have uses for the 2x drive coming out so it's no biggy - but I'd rather have matching drives where I can.

littlepuppy · 5 Jan 2009 at 21:00

To confirm the other post, yes it is fine, it is best practice to match drves though if poss.