Beginner External RAID Setup Question

[jollywolf]

I'm learning about RAID and toying with configuring a pair of hard drives for data storage. I want to pair 2 (3tb) hard drives in an external enclosure as a start and set-up the pair for RAID-1 to mirror the data. My question is if I get a dual-bay enclosure and the 2 drives, will that be enough to run it off my computer as an external function, or will I need additional hardware or software to make it run correctly? Basically, will it run correctly out of the box just like a plug-n-play USB external hard drive?

 

[yinan]

Depends on the enclosure, but more often than not yes.

 

[jollywolf]

Thanks, yinan.

I gather that if I need anything additional, it is in downloadable software. Would anyone like to make a recommendation for a mid-price range enclosure that will support my needs for Raid-1? I am open to dual-bay or quad-bay enclosures.

 

[Old Hippie]

You will need an enclosure that contains the RAID OS and software.

The dual bay enclosures that you want are generally pretty crappy and don't use MS/Windows software to create the array.

If you want to play with RAID I'd suggest installing 2 HDs in your computer and start learning from there.

Good Luck!

 

[jollywolf]

Thanks OldHippie, but I'm beyond that point now. In need of more space, I'm deciding between a few different enclosures from Sans Digital, Rosewill and some others. I have read a bit more, and feel a little more comfortable. Now I understand the important of the PCI card, and that the majority of the cards that come with these units are very cheap.

Every where I read there seems to be a trade off. Some have issues with the chassic or the cooling, others with the software.. I'm just trying to find a good inbetween. Something to support RAID1 with a 4-5 bay enclosure.

Thanks!

 

[talion83]

Basically you have two types of external enclosures. One that is just that, an enclosure, which then presents the two drives to your system as two drives...or an enclosure that is meant to work as a RAID.

If it is intended to work as a RAID it should come with everything it needs - which will either be nothing special (it will all be embedded) or an external RAID card which you will need to have an available/compatible slot for.

I was looking into enclosures a bit back that were just powered drive bays - each drive had an individual connection back to the machine (eSata). All the enclosure did was provide a back plane that was hot swappable.

 

[Old Hippie]

In that case, if you haven't already, check out the NAS section at Small Net Builder.

Lotsa great reviews and info for ya.