RAID vs stuff on a HD

[PatrickNaslund]

In the end a RAID 5 is about the same money/GB as a RAID 1(software raid) setup.

I bought my 1TB(about700GB configured) LaCie RAID 5 for $ $1050,00+VAT (in Sweden)
2*500GB and 2*250GB(for a software RAID 1) would be $ $1150,00+VAT (in Sweden)

What you chose is up to you,but I went for the better choise.

[John_Luke]

Patrick-

A 250GB FW cased HD runs about $240USD. So if I configure as RAID 1, I need two, so the cost is running close to $2.00USD per GB. (Assuming OSX Disk Utility is the only software needed)

You 1TB RAID 5 stores up to 700GB for $1050 +VAT, correct? Without the VAT, that is $1.50 per GB. Seems like a better buy.

[PatrickNaslund]

Yes my 1TB RAID 5 "stores" 690 something GB when configured and formatted.
So a price/GB would be about $1.50+VAT/GB .

The cost for setting up a software RAID 1 with the same storage capacity(I chosed to look at the same brand of HD's as my RAID 5) You would need about 1.5TB(about 700GB RAID 1 when configured and formatted) of HD's

That would cost about $1150.00+VAT and makes $1.64+VAT/GB
So the price difference was not that much.

It was a better buy for me since I like the saftey,% usage of total storage amount combo. (someone elses choise would be a mirrored setup)
And it's a harware setup with only 1 firewire cable connected (not several as in a sofware RAID that could acidentally get unplugged and mess things upp)

Patrick.

[John_Luke]

Patrick- by "Software RAID" you are referring to someone merely daisy chaining externals together and using OSX Disk Utility to configure the desired RAID level, vs a turn key RAID unit like yours where it's plug and play and the unit itself already has the RAID configured with its own controller board or firmware?

[PatrickNaslund]

John-Yes by software RAID I mean setting upp a RAID with eighter OSX disk utility or a program like
http://www.softraid.com/.

When setting upp a software raid you only have 2 choicse RAID 0 or RAID 1

Hardware raid you normally configure what kind of RAID you want by setting "switches" at the back
in different settings for different kinds of RAID.

You normally have the choise between RAID 0,RAID1,RAID5 and RAID 5+hot spare.

[John_Luke]

Thanks Lloyd, Phil and Patrick.

For my purposes, it seems keeping it simple with OSX Disk Utility RAID 1 and a couple of external HDS is the way to go for now.

[John_Luke]

[ QUOTE ]
John-Yes by software RAID I mean setting upp a RAID with eighter OSX disk utility or a program like
http://www.softraid.com/.


[/ QUOTE ]

OK- SoftRAID tech support just got back to me and their program does not address and defragging or optimization on the data drives with regard to the way they store the data. So no real drive maintanance is needed on a RAID once it is set up? (I am aware that OSX does not need any optimization/defragging the way OS9 did.)