RAID level - 1TB disks

AndrewP · 4 Apr 2009 at 12:22

Got a new backup disk array (Dell MD1000 connected to a PERC 6/e) to set up this week. The array can hold 15 disks, currently 8 x 1TB SATAs in there with the remaining ones to be filled together as required - probably in the next couple of months. I'm going to go for a RAID 6 array with 7 drives and a (global) hot spare to start with and then the other 7 drives into another RAID 6 array - sound sensible?

Speed isn't the primary concern and while I could get more capacity using RAID 5 everything I've read warns about the rebuild times with large arrays so erring on the side of caution is preferred.

iaind · 4 Apr 2009 at 12:29

Depends entirely what its going to be used for - when you say its a backup array, do you mean its going to store your backups, or is it serving as a standby to your main array?

SATA drives in RAID6 wont be very quick..

AndrewP · 4 Apr 2009 at 12:32

Yeah, storing backups. The attached server currently only has a 100Mbit network connection anyway.

Vanilla · 4 Apr 2009 at 17:51

I always recommend R6 with 1TB+ drives due to the very long rebuild times, so it gets my thumbs up.

I take it you will still be spitting out to tape?