Storage

[nagual]

Hello everyone,


I have a storage problem to solve in our small company. We have macOS Server, 2 laptops, 2 iPhones, iPad, 2 LaCie USB-C Mobile HD 4TB and 2 TB.


I think we need a redundancy of RAID 1 for a capacity of 6 TB, so it will be 2 X 6TB, we are at 4.5 TB right now.

Can’t decide which of 2 options are better deal and also future proof?

The purpose of RAID 1 storage solution is probably to have a better protection for our media content and photos. We do not intend to use Time Machine, for file versioning we use Arq backup and for bootable clone ChronoSync. We have looked for a cloud storage (like Amazon S3 and such), but none of them were satisfactory.

G-Technology G-RAID 12TB 2-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array (2 x 6TB) $799

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...y_0g05753_g_raid_removable_thunderbolt_3.html

Synology DiskStation 12TB DS716+II 2-Bay NAS Server Kit (2 x 6TB) $869.95

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1277283-REG/synology_diskstation_12tb_ds716_ii_2_bay.html



Both products are approximately same price and have positive reviews. HD drives though of different brands and speed.

Open for any other suggestions with the $900 budget in mind or less.

 

[satcomer]

You could get diskless at $350!

 

[phrehdd]

I am unsure what you are trying to do. Is this for storage, to back up all your equipment or...?

The G-Tech offering connects to a computer via Tbolt. The Synology is a NAS which means it connects to your network and runs independently of all your other devices.. There are pros and cons of each. Without further info, it would be hard to make any real suggestions of value.

 

[pmgrnvl]

RAID 1 is a great idea in theory, but in practice connected to a server may not provide as much of a safety net as you hope. In my real-world experience, you'll have a 75% chance that the data on the non-failed drive will still work. Often when a drive fails, the unit tries to rebuild unsuccessfully and in the process corrupts the good drive. Not always, but sometimes.

Obviously, Thunderbolt 2 is the way in theory to go for speed and a robust connection, but with a $900 budget, you are somewhat constrained.

If I were in your shoes, and I really wanted Thunderbolt, I would be considering, for a RAID 1-capable device, The LaCie 12TB 2big drive. I have had good luck with these:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...00473u_unix_description_2big_12tb.html?sts=pi

However, this is what I would actually choose, despite its USB-3 connection. Yes, USB will be slower than Thunderbolt, but in real-world use, it seems pretty darn close. Also, with the number of users you have and likely with most or all connecting over wifi, you I don't think you will see a difference.

I have several of these in use for clients, and they are rock-solid. Because it can be set up as RAID 5, there's much more redundancy, and that "12 TB" actually gives you about 9TB of working space. So, for the same dollars basically, you get more storage, RAID 5, and, in my opinion, a more robust design with good cooling and so forth:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/RPM3F8Q12.0T/

The upside (and, ironically, the downside) to this thing is that it can be rack mounted or table mounted, so it is a bit large. However, I have a few of these sitting on a cabinet next to Mac minis, and all is well. Some others I use are rack mounted. Either way, there's no better bang for your dollar than this.

One final thought: A RAID is no substitute for backups. Get a decent external drive to do nightly backups from the RAID to the drive. When you can afford it, get two drives, and rotate one each week, so you'd have a Week A and Week B drive. Any large, basic, fast drive will suffice. I recommend Retrospect (www.retrospect.com) to do the backups. Time Machine is not a good business-class solution.

Good luck!

 

[nagual]

RAID 1 is a great idea in theory, but in practice connected to a server may not provide as much of a safety net as you hope. In my real-world experience, you'll have a 75% chance that the data on the non-failed drive will still work. Often when a drive fails, the unit tries to rebuild unsuccessfully and in the process corrupts the good drive. Not always, but sometimes.

Obviously, Thunderbolt 2 is the way in theory to go for speed and a robust connection, but with a $900 budget, you are somewhat constrained.

If I were in your shoes, and I really wanted Thunderbolt, I would be considering, for a RAID 1-capable device, The LaCie 12TB 2big drive. I have had good luck with these:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...00473u_unix_description_2big_12tb.html?sts=pi

However, this is what I would actually choose, despite its USB-3 connection. Yes, USB will be slower than Thunderbolt, but in real-world use, it seems pretty darn close. Also, with the number of users you have and likely with most or all connecting over wifi, you I don't think you will see a difference.

I have several of these in use for clients, and they are rock-solid. Because it can be set up as RAID 5, there's much more redundancy, and that "12 TB" actually gives you about 9TB of working space. So, for the same dollars basically, you get more storage, RAID 5, and, in my opinion, a more robust design with good cooling and so forth:

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/RPM3F8Q12.0T/

The upside (and, ironically, the downside) to this thing is that it can be rack mounted or table mounted, so it is a bit large. However, I have a few of these sitting on a cabinet next to Mac minis, and all is well. Some others I use are rack mounted. Either way, there's no better bang for your dollar than this.

One final thought: A RAID is no substitute for backups. Get a decent external drive to do nightly backups from the RAID to the drive. When you can afford it, get two drives, and rotate one each week, so you'd have a Week A and Week B drive. Any large, basic, fast drive will suffice. I recommend Retrospect (www.retrospect.com) to do the backups. Time Machine is not a good business-class solution.

Good luck!

Thank you pmgrnvl,

Appreciated your based on experience advice. I am surprised to learn that RAID 1 is not failure free, call me naive, to be honest never liked any RAID solutions, but somehow assumed that RAID 1 is a lesser evil of all and 100% safe.

Well, then Amazon Cloud Drive with unlimited offer for $4.99 would be a consideration I guess. Amazon S3 servers with better protection will get MUCH more expensive for 6 TB data, as someone on other thread calculated it is effective up to only 170 GB with comparison to ACD. Additionally, I can always buy 6 TB external drive and backup manually from time to time, but it is hassle. I failed to find an elegant solution.