[SATLUG] Affordable raid1 enclosure, maybe nas

[Todd W. Bucy]

Bruce Dubbs wrote:
> John Pappas wrote:
>> Define affordable, but it seems that you want the RAID to be done in 
>> the box
>> (rather than the host) which would require the RAID logic to be built 
>> into
>> the enclosure, and then one host port (USB or eSATA).
>>
>> There is the drobo which many like, as well as single USB/eSATA 
>> enclosures.
>> I have used Promise in the past, but the non-windows driver type 
>> enclosures
>> tend to be more $$ (that addition of a USB/eSATA RAID card raises the 
>> cost).
>>
>> The GigE connected NAS option is likely to cost the same, and provide 
>> more
>> features.  I am currently shopping that market as well, and like the 
>> IOmega
>> (EMC) ix series as well as the Synology DS series (Liking the 
>> DS409+).  They
>> both provide NFS and CIFS/SAMBA, as well as the ability to add others
>> (iscsi, rsync, ftp, scp) and both run embedded Linux.  The iomega is
>> purchased with drives, and the synology/drobo are BYO Disks.
>>
>> As the NAS boxes only require ~45W and does not require the "host 
>> system"
>> (@~+125W) to be running for clients to access the data.
>
> For RAID, I have always recommended a HW solution even though it costs 
> more.  The cost of the HW is not really significant compared to the 
> value of the data.  SW RAID does work, but depends too much on the 
> skill of the administrator.
>
> As John says, a NAS is an excellent solution because it removes the 
> dependence on a separate system and makes it easy for multiple systems 
> to access the data.
>
> I can't comment about the devices John mentions because I don't have 
> any personal experience with them, but they sound like a good starting 
> point.
>
>   -- Bruce

not to mention that if you look around on ebay you can find the perc5i 
for around $100 dollars.  I like it on my system as it will let me 
expand to a RAID 50 with 8 drives.

Todd