[SOLVED] Storage Spaces: Raid 5: Setup for video editing?

[rmnnet]

I want to build a machine for my daughter. She does a lot of video editing. I want to use Windows Storage Spaces in parity (3 disks in a RAID5 equivalent) for her main working storage.

We have a large FreeNAS array for archival storage. The array in her PC would only be for working storage until her projects are done.

From what I have read, Storage Spaces is really horrible at parity storage using just the spinning disks.

As I understand it, I can use an SSD as a cache to speed it up, but understanding all of that is a bit above my level of expertise.

So, assuming I want to build an array using Storage Spaces for video editing, how do I get the best performance out of it?

 

[USAFRet]

If you must do any RAID, don't do it via Storage Spaces.

Either get a dedicated RAID card, or don't bother.
And for just "working storage until her projects are done", a RAID 5 is mostly useless.

 

[rmnnet]

If you must do any RAID, don't do it via Storage Spaces.

Either get a dedicated RAID card, or don't bother.
And for just "working storage until her projects are done", a RAID 5 is mostly useless.

Why would RAID5 be worthless for video editing? I use Storage Spaces for photo editing and it seems rather useful; having a level of redundancy without having to have a complete second copy.

 

[USAFRet]

Why would RAID5 be worthless for video editing? I use Storage Spaces for photo editing and it seems rather useful; having a level of redundancy without having to have a complete second copy.

It only provides 'redundancy' for a physical drive fail. Not data.

 

[rmnnet]

It only provides 'redundancy' for a physical drive fail. Not data.

Right. Which is why I like it. For photo editing, anyway, I don't generally care to have a complete extra set of "working" data. I generally bring the photos into my Storage Spaces array, do whatever with them, and then move them to my ZFS array on my FreeNAS box for archival storage.

To be clear, I am not advocating RAID5 with no other backup as a means of storing data long-term. But, for a temporary "scratch space" while working with photos it seems to offer an adequate level of protection.

 

[USAFRet]

Right. Which is why I like it. For photo editing, anyway, I don't generally care to have a complete extra set of "working" data. I generally bring the photos into my Storage Spaces array, do whatever with them, and then move them to my ZFS array on my FreeNAS box for archival storage.

To be clear, I am not advocating RAID5 with no other backup as a means of storing data long-term. But, for a temporary "scratch space" while working with photos it seems to offer an adequate level of protection.

Given reliable drives, the potential of one dying in the middle of a project is pretty small.

Depending on the other hardware, and the size of the working file space needed, a couple of 1TB SSD's, either NVMe or SATA III would work quite well.
Adding RAID 5 doesn't bring a lot to the table.