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Raid 0+1 Question

Last response: in Storage
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First of all, let me post my system:

Processor: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950
Mother Board: MSI Big Bang-XPower LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Memory: Crucial CT3KIT51264BA1339 12GB kit (4GBx3), 240-pin DIMM
Graphics Card: MSI N470GTX Twin Frozr II GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5
OS Hard Drive: Western Digital VelociRaptor WD6000HLHX 600GB 10000 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5
Scratch (Working) Drives: 4 Samsung Spinpoint F3R Raid Class 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HE103SJ
Blu Ray Burner: Pioneer Internal Blu-ray Burner BDR-206BKS - OEM
Second (General) Burner: LITE-ON Model # IHAS424-98 Black 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer
Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD
Case: LIAN LI PC-A77F Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

I originally went with WD black for my 4 working / storage drives, but read many issues with TLER. As such, I will be using the Spinpoint F3R (not F3) - I will pay a few dollars more for the higher grade (vs. F3). These 4 hard drives will be configured in raid 1+0. I did not go with the WD RE4 due to the cost increase vs. Spinpoint. Also, the WD most likely would not have had issues as I am doing raid 1+0 and not raid 3, 5, 6 etc (which does parity checks) which I believe would be an issue. Also, I do want speed, however, data integrity is the most important issue for me. I do not want to have to manually back up data as I do today with two eSATA external HDs.

The 1+0 will done using the MOBO (MSI XPower Big Bang) as I understand there is not much advantage in a separate hardware controller for my situation (different story however if I was doing 3,5,6...). Here is what I do not quite understand yet after reading many posts. As I will be running raid 1+0 on the 4 "working / storage" drives, not the OS drive, is all the "configuration" data stored in the BIOS, or is some stored in the OS? As I am not planning on using any redundancy Raid on the OS drive, will this cause issues if my OS drive crashes and needs to be rebuilt? Will it lose pertinent data needed to keep the raid integrity intact? I will be doing an Acronis backup monthly on the OS drive however. Will this be adequate? As I stated above, the Intel raid controller supplied on the MOBO will be used for my raid 1+0. It does SATA RAID (0/1/5/10). What risk does using the onboard MOBO raid controller pose with a failure of my OS drive and what precautions do I need to take to ensure my data will be intact for most types of failures?

Thanks in advance.

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Storage Expert

All I can tell you is that myself and some respected "name brand" techs say the same thing: "don't do raid on a workstation PC". Leave RAID to servers.

Fred Langa (of WindowsSecrets.com) just wrote this last week "But before you go that route, I suggest that you rethink your use of RAID. Most of the original impetus for RAID is now passé on desktop systems."

My own blog I addressed the issue in detail also:
http://networkstoragetips.com/the-problem-with-workstat...

If you want speed, get an SSD for your Windows drive. Put important data on a NAS with RAID 1,5 or 6 (Netgear calls theirs X-RAID2, just RAID plus some features).

You still have to backup when you have RAID, online or some alternative to protect against catastrophe, theft, etc.

If your intel motherboard goes south, you would have to buy a compatible motherboard to recover your data (whilst praying intently) instead of having other options available to you.

RAID 1+0 is expensive to do, for what benefit?

You end up with an expensive complex system. Please listen to Fred Langa - reconsider.

best,
Roger.
 
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