Laptop HDD Raid Array?

[billystringer]

Hey Fellas!

I am looking to build a mission-critical file server with raid 10 and need highest reliability. Now I know it doesn't get much more reliable than raid-10, considering speed/performance ratio, but I wanted to take it a step further. What do you guys think? Would I gain an additional level of reliability given laptop hard drives' higher tolerance for shocks and bumps? Also the higher density and lower power consumption would be a plus. I really would like your guys expert input on this. Thanks!

-The String

 

[k61824]

if you arer obsessed with laptop drives, get those to be released Laptop drives from Samsung which is entirely Flash (no magnetic heads/rotations) [8GB each isn't eaxctly a lot though]

By the way, does your controller supports RAID 1n(RAID 1, n-way)?
if you do, here is a suggestion:
go for 4x larger SATA2 drives (320GB/7200RPM) and do a RAID 1n. it is cheaper than 4x 160GB laptop drives in RAID 10, and more reliable too

Or if you have RAID 6 support go for RAID 6 instead of RAID 10 so Any 2 drives can fail as opposed to specific 2 drives in RAID 10 (first drive of the both mirror fails and your RAID 10 is toast)

 

[billystringer]

Hmm...good point. I hadn't thought about losing TWO drives, and that would kill any raid 10 setup.

I am actually going to buy an external card once I decide on which solution to go with and throw it in an old p3 system that is currently sitting in the corner collecting dust. But I guess I'm behind the times. I have no idea what raid 1n is, so I'll have to do some research.

And yes, I do like the solid-state discs, but it will be some time before the capacity is there to really make them feasible.

But hey, great suggestions. I just wish I could get more of them. Maybe I posted in the wrong place? LOL! :lol: 8O

 

[k61824]

Oh, by the way, if losing ONE drive is the only concern (if they are supposed to notify you about failing one already, the second one failing immediately before you have a replacement is... not very likely) it may be cheaper to do a RAID 5 given your controller supports it (3 drives instead of 4)

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Do not use laptop hard drives for a mission critical application. MTBF (and reliablity rating/failure percentages) for laptop drives is nowhere near enterprise-class 3.5" drives.

Vibration and shock are a non-issue, since your drives will be inside a server that's sitting in a rack, not moving.

Use Seagate Barracuda ES series, or Western Digital Raptor RE2 series drives for maximum reliability (SATA), or Seagate Cheetahs for SCSI.