Question with an SSD and RAID

[Nighthawk501]

So I have a quick question. I'm building a new system and am going to be setting up an SSD as my boot drive with my Gaming applications also installed on the SSD. I was wondering if I would be able to also set up a RAID 10 using 4 1-TB drives to store the other user data and anything else I might need ample amounts of storage for. Theoretically it should work so long as the SSD is not included in the raid configuration, correct?

 

[foscooter]

Yes, you can.

You set the SATA ports in the BIOS to RAID, but you don't pick the SSD when setting up the RAID array.

Since the SSD is not in an array, it defaults to ACHI usage. TRIM will be supported, etc.

But, instead of using 4 drives in RAID 10, I'd use 2 arrays, using 2 drives in RAID 0 each. Use one set for your data, and the other for backups (either Windows, Norton, or whatever backup utility you'd like to use).

RAID 1 (or 10) is not a viable backup! It only saves you in the event of a drive failure, using the "other" drive.

Then however, if you set up 2-2 drive RAID 0 arrays, if one of the drive fails, the whole array that drive is on will fail. So damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

 

[Nighthawk501]

Thanks for your reply. However, should a drive failure occur it would be better to have the RAID 10 correct? Say you have drives 1,2,a and b. 1 and 2 are configured in the RAID 0 while a and b are the raid 1 drives with the data being copied from the write from drive 1 to a and 2 to b. Say drive 2 failed, it could be replaced with b and then another drive could replace 2 and flash an img file to exactly what is contained on "b" re-complete the array. It's possible I could be wrong. Please correct me if I am.

 

[foscooter]

Yep, your thinking is correct.

Most people (like me) don't like RAID1 as a back up plan.

However, you are gonna use RAID10, I assume for size (to get to 2TB).

If you go with my idea, 2 RAID0, and something fails, you're screwed. You lose the whole array, and all it's data. That's why I go with a drive up set, but not in RAID 0. A single, large drive for backups.

 

[Nighthawk501]

Okay. I see what you're saying. But what I may be misunderstanding is are the 2 RAID 0's connected? Or are they two separate RAIDs? Like say you have drives 1,2,3,4. [1,2] are RAID 0-A and [3,4] are RAID 0-B. So when you write to the A RAID it splits the files between 1 and 2. And same respectively with the B RAID. So if you lose drive 1, you lose the A RAID, but any data on the B RAID is untouched.

 

[foscooter]

You got it. You can set up multiple RAID arrays. 4 drives: 2 RAID 0 (or 1, or 10) arrays. Drive 1 & 2 can be RAID 0, drives 3 & 4 can be RAID 1, etc.

Because when you set up your array in the "BIOS/Boot up," you choose the type (0,1,5,10), and then which drives.

 

[Nighthawk501]

Okay. Thanks for your help! It is much appreciated and very fast.

 

[Nighthawk501]

Best answer selected by Nighthawk501.