Poor Mans RAID and Disk Tips

[WarDad]

Chapter 7 - Wrap it up

My New System Disk Configuration

1. One SSD comfortably fits W7-64, my applications, and my games.
2. A RAID 0 array of two 1TB WD Caviar Blacks hard drives serves as a temporary work space.
3. A 2TB green drive is my main storage. A small partition of it is my 1st backup layer.


My Backup Layers

1. A small partition of the main storage hard drive is used for frequent boot disk image files. This helps recovery after a virus attacks the OS boot drives MBR. Which has happened to me.
2. Large backups and disk images use the other 2TB green drive installed in the external drive enclosure. I have partitioned it to support image backups, compressed files, and backup software files. I leave it unplugged and unconnected most of the time, to guard against viruses and lightning.
3. CDs and DVDs are used for important data. I was a volunteer fire fighter and have witnessed homes burning. To protect from fire, I have many copies in different locations, like a safe deposit box or a relatives house.
4. Web based backup storage is an option. I have privacy and ID security issues with it.

A lightning strike to a power pole killed my moms telephones, radios, cable box, modem, and PC. The lesson here is that Always Connected is Always Vulnerable. She had DVD and USB thumb drives backups, continues her family genealogy project and Saint Vincent de Paul's projects.
A good backup plan has offline storage placed in more than one location.


Conclusions

SSDs are faster where it counts for OS boot drives, games, and applications.
Hard Drives are much cheaper, larger, and should hold the bulk of your data.
Benchmark your drives performance and get the most from your system.
RAID using consumer hard drives should be limited to 2 drives.
RAID is easier to work with if it's not your boot drive.
RAID 1 data redundancy won't protect you from viruses, user errors, etc.
RAID 0 of two hard drives can be twice as fast, but is more risky.
Always have a good backup strategy. Add layers to it if you raid 0.

 

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I like keeping backups at work. Desk drawer, locker, etc. I'd add to that conclusion or somewhere else in the article that due to your example of lightening, thats why RAID1 is NOT a form of backup. Lightening hits, computer fries, both hdds are wiped. Where is your backup copy of data now? Important data should be separate and that does mean not connected to the system.