Solved What BYO multi-terabyte storage solution do you recommend

Baeolophus · Nov 12, 2023

I am looking to put together a storage solution with something like 12–16 TB of storage, so that I have plenty available for our family’s common files and local backups. Should I look to

build a NAS with a hard disk RAID,
build a NAS with an SSD RAID,
build a RAID enclosure with hard disks, attached to one of my computers, or
build a RAID enclosure with SDDs, attached via USB-3 or -4?

If using SSDs, are their RAID solutions for NVMe drives? Can you recommend specific ones? If not SSDs, should I use NAS hard drive? I am leery of using hard drives, because of the diminishing reliability as their storage capacity increases.

dacrone · Nov 12, 2023

Build a nas with hdd. Synology with WD red pro 14tb in mirror raid. Easy for everyone to operate too.

barreleye · Nov 12, 2023

I'd skip RAID in all its forms and apply the savings to two sets of backup drives, one stored off-site.

dacrone · Nov 12, 2023

I would strongly suggest raid for real time backup… but a secondary backup is always good.

Berton · Nov 12, 2023

I use a Buffalo LinkStation 2TB NAS, has 2 x 2TB Seagate HDDs running RAID 1 [mirror] for 2TB total storage. It is connected to my Wireless Router via Ethernet cable and any computer connected to the Router Wired or Wireless/Wi-Fi can have the main folder on it Mapped so as to store and have access to files in the subfolders.

johnlgalt · Nov 12, 2023

I've always wanted to build my own via TrueNAS, as I Have a decent case with an Intel 865 EE on an X58 based motherboard with 12 GB RAM and dual Gigabit Ethernet NICs on it, and 5 hot-swap 3.5" bays connected to SATA II. Never gotten around to it lol.

Ghot · Nov 12, 2023

Skip RAID... it's a pain in the butt.

Get two of these and use Karen's Replicator (free), to make one a copy of the other... (5yr warranty)
They seem to be available for a great price, too.

Seagate EXOS Enterprise 16 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST16000NM001G) - PCPartPicker

Seagate EXOS Enterprise 16 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST16000NM001G)

pcpartpicker.com

Karen's Replicator the Backup Utility for Windows v3.7.6 Released May 25, 2020 | Karen's Power Tools | Karen's Software

Automatically backup files, directories, even entire drives! Karen's Replicator copies selected files from one drive/folder to another. Source and Destination folders can reside anywhere on your network.

www.karenware.com

antspants · Nov 12, 2023

Ghot said:
Skip RAID... it's a pain in the butt.

Get two of these and use Karen's Replicator (free), to make one a copy of the other...

Seagate EXOS Enterprise 16 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST16000NM001G) - PCPartPicker

Seagate EXOS Enterprise 16 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive (ST16000NM001G)

pcpartpicker.com

Things would of changed I am sure, but after loosing a heap of data to a RAID config in the early 90’s, I’ve never tried it since.

Berton · Nov 12, 2023

antspants said:
Things would of changed I am sure, but after loosing a heap of data to a RAID config in the early 90’s, I’ve never tried it since.

That's why I've stayed away from RAID 0, good for maximum storage but with striping loss of one drive loses everything.

antspants · Nov 12, 2023

Berton said:
That's why I've stayed away from RAID 0, good for maximum storage but with striping loss of one drive loses everything.

I believe that is exactly what happened. The only thing I remember clearly, is the grief. For some reason, SCSI springs to mind, also.

dacrone · Nov 12, 2023

Pain? Guess it just depends on preference. With synology it builds it for you. Just plug and play. And I’ve upgraded size twice in my nas. Just swap disk 2, let it clone, swap disk one, let it clone and then expand to the new size to utilize. All auto via DSM (the Linux based os).

Ghot · Nov 12, 2023

Yeah a pain... with Karen's Replicator to run scheduled copies... just connect two drives... done.

And setting up Karen's Replicator is simple... just tell it source and destination partitions or drives...
I leave most everything else at defaults.

SoFine409 · Nov 12, 2023

I’ve installed an extra 2TB SSD in my PC where I keep copies of important files such as documents, downloads, emails, pictures, and videos using the synchronized feature of FreeFileSync. In addition, I have a Buffalo TerraStation 5410DN Desktop NAS with 4x8TB drives configured to RAID 10 for fault tolerance and redundancy. I use Macrium Reflect to make periodic image backups. Incidentally the NAS is kept off line until it‘s needed for either imaging or restoring. The NAS is used to store images from 4 PCs.

barreleye · Nov 12, 2023

dacrone said:
I would strongly suggest raid for real time backup… but a secondary backup is always good.

RAID is not backup.

Berton · Nov 12, 2023

barreleye said:
RAID is not backup.

But then "backup" is open to many interpretations as to what it is or what the purpose is and how to accomplish it. Maybe redundant copy is a better term for RAID than backup copy since Redundant is part of the name.

dacrone · Nov 12, 2023

What do you call mirror that allows one drive to fail and be replaced without any data loss?

Berton · Nov 12, 2023

dacrone said:
What do you call mirror that allows one drive to fail and be replaced without any data loss?

RAID 1.

dacrone · Nov 12, 2023

redundant/backup/copy/clone. Yada yada yada. All gives the OP what they asked for

NavyLCDR · Nov 12, 2023

Old computer turned into a TrueNAS server. Pool1 is the main storage pool made up of 4 disks. 2 pairs mirrored, then striped, so I have built-in redundancy. It automatically RSYNCs the important folders to a 4TB external drive connected by USB weekly and over the network to a 4TB external drive in my travel trailer in my driveway monthly.

The disks are connected to a LSI SAS controller card flashed to UNRAID mode (IT mode) with SAS to SATA adapter cables. I built it in a Fractal Design Node 804 case: Fractal Design Node 804 Black Window Aluminum/Steel Micro ATX Cube Computer Case - Newegg.com

Berton · Nov 12, 2023

dacrone said:
redundant/backup/copy/clone. Yada yada yada. All gives the OP what they asked for

I don't do cloning from within Windows, have a 2-bay SATA drive dock that cannot be connected to a computer that allows a Byte for Byte copy of a Source drive onto a Destination drive, accepts 2 3.5" or 2 2.5" drives or one of each. I use it to make bootable clones of a System/Boot drive, usually smaller onto larger.