PCI IDE or RAID?

[cdburgess75]

Hi,
I use OpenBSD 3.0 for a simple file server. I am looking for some
basic advice reguarding an upgrade in progress. Currently, I have
been using 2 hard drives in a box that has all my important
information. One drive is for storage and the other is for backup.
Basically I mirror the drives about once a week by hand. No, I am not
nuts...lol, this solution is only temporary until I finish building my
box. I plan on buying 2 more drives....which will make 4 IDE hard
drives (WD 40g 7200) same size and model. Also 4 IDE 5 1/4 removable
bays just to have a place to mount them in the box (these are
relatively inexpensive). So the next step is to choose between a RAID
controller dev or PCI IDE controller dev.

1.In your opinion, witch (of the two) would be the most practicle for
some sort of automatic backup solution?
2.Is RAID going overboard or is the difference in the prices worth
going ahead and buying a RAID controller card?
3.Is there any information of some importance that I may have left
out?

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: cdburgess75 ]

[epseps]

It depends....

How important is your data?

Lets say that with the setup you have now, that for some reason both disks fail...would that mean loss of income/school project or some other equally traumatic experience? Or would it just be a matter of lost time?

If you could deal with that unlikely but possible event, then I would recomend that you keep it the way that it is, but if you can afford it and want to have that extra guarentee for your data, then go with the RAID.

The one thing that you may not have looked at is a tape drive. Fairly cheap SCSI ones can be had on e-bay (but they may be questionable). and the data transfer is nice and fairly uncorruptable (unlike CD-R's). Don't get Travan or QIC devices, the devices are cheap, but the media costs a fortune. I'd go with either DAT DDS or 8mm. The media is fairly cheap and it appears that they will be around for a while. If your data is essential to your income, then buy a new one with a warrenty (go external).

All *nixs work great with SCSI tape drives.

[cdburgess75]

My data is important and I cannot afford to lose it.

1.What would be the advantage of a tape drive over and external hard drive for backup?
2.I am trying to decide the best way to hook these 4 ide hard drives together. RAID or PCI IDE devide?
3.If I used all the drives together and backed up to a tape or external drive would that be a logical solution?

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: cdburgess75 ]

[epseps]

Originally posted by cdburgess75:
<STRONG>My data is important and I cannot afford to lose it.

1.What would be the advantage of a tape drive over and external hard drive for backup? </STRONG>

The advantage of tape would be that you could duplicate them and keep them "off-site" (work or a friends house)

<STRONG>2.I am trying to decide the best way to hook these 4 ide hard drives together. RAID or PCI IDE devide?</STRONG>

If the data is really important, go with the RAID (IMO)

<STRONG>3.If I used all the drives together and backed up to a tape or external drive would that be a logical solution?</STRONG>

I think it would be. Also if you don't get a tape drive and have an external hard drive, you may be able to bring the external hard drive to someplace that has a tape drive and for the price of the tape media, back it up every so often on tape so that in the worst case scenario you will have a 'backup of your backup'

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: epseps ]