longevity of Enterprise HDD NAS drives


jimbo45

jimbo45

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Hi folks
Anybody got an idea how long some of these large NAS classical Spinner HDD's drives last when running 24/7 on a NAS server.
There's some tremendous value out there now with 12 and 16 TB Toshiba Enterprise grade NAS drives 7200 RPM with decent cache sizes, I gather these are actually designed for running 24/7 unlike more standard HDD's which are used on a PC / desktop which get switched on and off regularly.

I'd like to replace some older drives (which have been running 24/7 fine for 3 years or more) - of course with big drives one also needs to understand backup strategy - as hardware can and does fail (although these days hardware seems much more reliable).

was looking at these from the UK via Amazon :

with 20% VAT not applicable for me (educational material import from UK -- 0% !!) price is around 210 GBP -- 240 EUR approx in "Clown Money" !!
Screenshot_20220201_161539.png


Cheers
jimbo
 

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I've used 2 x 2TB WDC My Cloud drives for more than 4 years without issue. Due to security issues with the software for them and no update for it I have taken one out of service and shopping for a 4TB replacement for the other. The only issue in doing it is first saving the data before taking it offline then I took the red-label drive from the case which immediately made the data inaccessible, pre-planning helped. The drive is fine but same data issue as a 2TB USB drive had a couple years ago that failed without any warning, it's the interface in the case that interprets the data and stores available for any computer that can access the drive ending up as showing all corrupted or as RAW, positively having a backup or second copy to assure data is somewhere else is good.
 

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Anything to do with computers....keep a backup and if possible an image
 

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So far the longest I've heard a drive has been spinning for in a server environment is for about 25years+ 24/7. Works like a champ, but if you turn it off, it will take about 2-3h to "warm" it up and getting it spinning properly again and work reliably.
 

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jimbo45 said:
Anybody got an idea how long some of these large NAS classical Spinner HDD's drives last when running 24/7 on a NAS server.
Click to expand...
If anyone does, then it will be Backblaze. Their Drive Stats for 2021 should give you a good idea - and that Toshiba drive you are looking at is one of the drives in their statistics.

Hard Drive Failure Rates: The Official Backblaze Drive Stats for 2021

Understanding our hard drives is key to understanding our company. Read the Backblaze drive stats for 2021 to learn more about our expansions.
www.backblaze.com www.backblaze.com
 

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In real world usage I've been running 4 WD Red Pro (6TB each) since 2019 in RAID 10 24/7/365. In those near 4 years I've only shutdown maybe 4 times, most reboots from firmware updates.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 (Build 26100.4061)Intel Core i9-9900K32gig (4 x 8) Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4...Radeon XFX Merc 7900XT (20gig)
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    Acemagic
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    Intel i7-14650HX
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    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
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    Logitech MX Master 3
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    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
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    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
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    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
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    Intel i7-1255U
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    16 GB
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    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
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    13.3-inch IPS Display
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    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
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My 750GB WD Blue 2.5" spinner is 11 (soon 12) years old and still running like a champ. The system has been on for the past 5-6 years 24/7.
 

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    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3Ryzen 7 2700U Pro32GBiGPU Vega 10
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    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8457 / Linux Mint 22.3
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    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
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    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
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    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
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    32GB
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    iGPU Vega 10
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    Realtek
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    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    125W(Dock)/65W(Travel Adapter)
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    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    1/1Gbit
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    Firefox
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    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled

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    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)i7-7700k @4.8GHz32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8521(RP)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
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    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
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    850W
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    Fractal Design Define 7
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    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
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    Logitech MX Master 2S
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    1/1Gbit
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    AC WiFi Card
Just thought that I would add some other info...

I worked for a major storage company for 12+ years. I can tell you that the NAS rated drives are definitely at their best when left spinning 24/7. Whenever we had customers who lost power with systems that had been running for a few years, you could pretty much guarantee a small pile of drive failures upon restoring power. So, as always, backups are your friend.
 

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    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Thanks everybody for all the replies.

The only time I shut down that NAS system is very rarely to update the OS or if totally going away for several days or more and house is empty -- I still don't like leaving a computer on and running in an empty property. So it looks providing I have backup getting that type of HDD is fine.

Storage will be mainly for multi-media files and Music - these don't change much so initial backup (which I have already) and just run backups when new files added. For file sharing I'm already using a RAID array which has been working reliably for ages too.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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At a glance

Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-releas...2 X Intel i7
OS
Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-release 45
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
2 X Intel i7
Screen Resolution
4KUHD X 2
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