Raid 1 in Windows 7

inogen · 31 Jan 2011 at 14:38

I'm planning to create a raid 1 array to use as my data drive.

Probably a couple of WD Green 2TB EARS.

I've never done this before, so I was wondering if anyone has any advice?

Should I go for a hardware array (mobo is an Asus P7P55D-E with an onboard RAID controller) or software?

Cheers

John

JonJ678 · 31 Jan 2011 at 14:46

A weekly backup is almost always better than raid 1 for a home user. If a couple of minutes downtime doesn't matter, go for a backup. It's proof against things like accidental delete, and raid 1 isn't.

inogen · 31 Jan 2011 at 15:47

I already do a periodic backup onto an external drive.

My plan is to have 2TB partitioned into 3x500GB, 1x120GB and 1x380GB drives.

One 500GB drive gets external backup.

2 is backed up to 3. (So covered for accidental delete)

4 is a back up for an SSD OS drive.

5 is a scratch disk.

Periodic backup is fine, but I don't do it everyday - and have little wish to. For the price of an extra drive, I'd probably then only externally backup once a month.

I backup more than weekly though. I'd hate to lose 2/3 days work because of disk failure.

JonJ678 · 31 Jan 2011 at 20:26

That's not a bad plan actually. I'm unclear on what benefit the raid offers but there's a pleasing amount of redundancy involved. The risk is that you'll become sufficiently confident in the raid that external backups will become infrequent, and then one of the many things that can take out both drives at once may occur leaving you with no data.

inogen · 31 Jan 2011 at 20:43

There's no difference there though...

I back up when I can be bothered, which isn't regularly enough... the raid array at least means I'm more protected from mechanical drive failure.

I've got a UPS and the machine runs off a surge protected power outlet. I've stopped short of using a power conditioner.

Any really important data is backed up online anyway... this is really for my music collection, a few films, games and archived documents (loads of photoshop).

So... Hardware or software RAID? anyone got any input?

DIABLO · 31 Jan 2011 at 23:33

They are both technically software RAID as there is no dedicated processor controlling the RAID. I would use the RAID on the motherboard though as the intel software allows you to monitor the status of the RAID somewhat and run checks, the RAID built into windows itself as no frontend at all so you can't monitor the health of it.

JonJ678 · 31 Jan 2011 at 23:50

If using windows, which you say you are, I would choose the motherboard implementation. Were you using linux, I believe mdadm to be superior to the motherboard version.

I don't backup often enough either. It's nearly automated now though, so things should improve. Scripting is the way to go.

Magic_x_uk · 30 Jun 2011 at 15:34

I also have noticed the WD Greens are no use in hardware raid. So I am lead to believe from reading on the net as I just bought one x1TB WD Green and was going to buy another to put in a NAS at some point and run RAID 1 and now from googling, and checking on WD website/forum. WD Green and Blue cannot be used in a raid set up only the black.

I would like some clarification on this.