DAS for RAID 1 storage

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Hi guys, i'm looking for serious help

My friends and i have a great passion for photography, reason why we take pictures at many events.
The only problem is that we have more than 10 TB of data to storage, and our external drives are totally full. In addiction to this, we are very afraid that one of these may get broken, making us lose a lot of important data.

So i was thinking about making a NAS/DAS.

I have one PC only in my house, and only a router from my ISP. I wanted to build a DAS to attach to my PC and to use as data storage in Raid 1 so i cannot lose any of that data.

If you guys could explain me how to attach this DAS to my PC and what build to make it with, i would be greatly thankful to you! 😀

P.S. Looking in this forum i noticed that the best way to be sure to store data without loosing it is to copy the data to HD then to disconnect them and keep them in a shelf until they are needed. Do you agree?

 

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Please guys help me =)

 

[GhislainG]

RAID 1 is nice, but it doesn't prevent file deletions, etc. Why not simply backup to large external drives (I presume that's what you do) and then also backup those drives? Keep them in separate locations; that way if one set gets stolen or destroyed, you still have backups.

 

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RAID 1 is nice, but it doesn't prevent file deletions, etc. Why not simply backup to large external drives (I presume that's what you do) and then also backup those drives? Keep them in separate locations; that way if one set gets stolen or destroyed, you still have backups.

Would it be good if i backup on two internal hd the same data and then disconnect them and put them on a shelf inside a little plastic container (just to have very few chance of loosing data)?

As i am getting to understand, this should be the best way. It is even cheaper, and so when i need data i only need to take an HD and connect it with the pc. Therefore i would only need very reliable internal HDs.

What do you think about it?

 

[GhislainG]

I would certainly consider a more convenient eSATA docking station.

 

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I would certainly consider a more convenient eSATA docking station.

Would a docking station be so useful?

Beside the prices, that make me point to use internal HD to full and then disconnect....I don't get this advice. Note that i'm thankful for your partecipation in this thread...

But a docking station wouldn't have the advantages neither of a NAS/DAS nor of the solution with internal HDs...

am i wrong?

 

[GhislainG]

A docking station connected to an eSATA or a USB 3.0 port provides performance that can match an internal hard disk. If your only goal is to fill internal disks, then you definitely don't need a docking station. However you stilll need to back up on a regular basis unless you can afford to lose your pictures. You can never be sure that the drive won't fail, files can be deleted by mistake, a system can be damaged by fire or water, etc.

Ultimately you know your environment and understand your requirements better than anyone else.

 

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A docking station connected to an eSATA or a USB 3.0 port provides performance that can match an internal hard disk. If your only goal is to fill internal disks, then you definitely don't need a docking station. However you stilll need to back up on a regular basis unless you can afford to lose your pictures. You can never be sure that the drive won't fail, files can be deleted by mistake, a system can be damaged by fire or water, etc.

Ultimately you know your environment and understand your requirements better than anyone else.

Ok so my question now is: what would give me the best reliability in long term period?

 

[GhislainG]

Please define long term period in years.

 

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Please define long term period in years.

5-6 years. If needed, i am willing to change each HD after 2-3 years just to lower any chance of failure.

What would u recommend?

 

[GhislainG]

Hard disks used to backup data usually last a lot longer than 5-6 years, but they could also fail within weeks or months. If they're important, I still recommend 2 copies of all files; one could be on an internal drive and the other one should be external to the systems and stored elsewhere. I just don't believe in internal backups for reasons that I previously explained.

 

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Hard disks used to backup data usually last a lot longer than 5-6 years, but they could also fail within weeks or months. If they're important, I still recommend 2 copies of all files; one could be on an internal drive and the other one should be external to the systems and stored elsewhere. I just don't believe in internal backups for reasons that I previously explained.

Clear and precise, thanks for the answer!