Author Topic: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please  (Read 5104 times)

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« on: 17 February, 2012, 12:50:08 pm »
I'm about to build a NAS and sort out a backup strategy for my i5 Laptop and refurbished 6yr old Dell Deskie. For the NAS, I could go for 2 x 1TB drives, or 4 x 500GB drives, or other permutations, but am unfamiliar with disk lifespans, etc, other than having read elsewhere on this forum about RE disk versions and 3year warranties, etc. Suggestions here please would be much appreciated before I splash the cash on the black box and internals. What I think I need to do is this - but you might think of a better way forward? Again, advice most welcome.

My fast & snappy Lappie gets used for business stuff, photos/Photoshop processing and club website stuff. It's on Win 7. Not licensed for Office2007. It won't allow me to backup system files or doc files to itself, using its standard backup utility software. That wants me to send anything to an external HDD (don't have/don't want).

My Dell deskie has its original 180 GB HDD and a brand new 500GB HDD to fill and new 2GB RAM (max acceptable) expected tonight ! That runs on XP-SP3 with Office 2007, Win Media Player/iTunes, and will run EAC/cdparanoia for high res music ripping off my CD collection (a big project about to take off, for networked HiFi audio purposes - I do like custom playlists...) I'll future-proof this PC by adding in something from The Dark Side - Fed15, perhaps (or a Gnome3 variant - a separate project for me to worry about later).
I use XP's backup weekly for its system files to a separate partition on the HDD. Since the lappie wants to send its backups elsewhere, then the deskie second HDD would appear to be a logical destination?

So, these machines are basically partitioned thus:
Lappie (320GB HDD)
  C: Win 7 system
  D: Photos library - new and editted/work in progress Hi/Lo res
  E: Business stuff

Deskie - Original 180GB HDD (master)
  C: XP-SP3 updated
  D: spare, for a Linux OS? (but currently XP-Backup)
  E: mp3/iTunes library
  F: Photos - Hi res finals (and as slideshower)
  G: My Docs

Deskies new (secondary) 500GB HDD is planned to be thus:
  H: XPs pagefile.sys
  I: XP backup (weekly bkf file)
  J: Lappie Win7 backup (weekly bkf)
  K: Linux backup, for as and when... (weekly?)
  L: Master Music Library for hi-res FLAC rips (needs to be about 250 GB)
  M: mp3/iTunes library backup (either bkf or mirror)
  N, O, P & Q could be partitions for weekly backups of Photos & Docs from both the Lappie & Deskie
  R = reserved spare (linux doc files?)

What I'm not sure about here is whether different partitions on any HDD can be formatted individually to suit Win/NTFS and Linux formats?

For the NAS, I reckon I'd set it up thus:
 Part 1:  Duplicate/expanding copy of FLAC library, to stream out to a Squeezebox / HiFi network streamer.
        2: Squeezebox Server system files
        3: (Monthly?) Backups of the various XP / win 7 / Linux OS backups
        4: (Weekly?) Backups of the backups of Docs/mp3s/Photos

My logic is that if either the Lappie or 180GB HDD drives fail, then the 500GB secondary captures them. If the 500GB goes, then that's either on the NAS or the master HDDs. For the NAS, I'd like to keep Partitions 1&2 on one drive, mirrorred by RAID . So that leaves Partitions 3&4 mirrorred, either with 1&2 or as a separate pair?

I'm also wondering about shifting Office2007 onto the lappie - I haven't yet tried but believe you can run XP stuff virtually within Win 7? Don't like OpenOffice as much and it's not fully compatible with some business stuff. Either that, or run old Office files within Linux. Must keep my Excel spreadsheets alive!
So, what do think? Is there a better way?

And finally, should my backup utility reside and be driven by the NAS, or does that work from source-side sending to the NAS? I'm thinking Wake-On-LAN prompts would be economic?
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frankly frankie

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #1 on: 17 February, 2012, 02:13:13 pm »
No answers but a few comments -
disk lifespan - any disk, however new, could fail tomorrow.  Therefore if your NAS is to be used for storage and not just backup, there has to be provision for backing up the NAS, eg mirrored disks or Raid-1 or scheduled backup to remote disk.

4x drives - would have to be in a soundproof cupboard, for me!

Mixed formats on one disk - yes, but IMO it's always worth having at least one partition formatted as Fat32 is this seems to be the most universally acceptable format across the OSes.

I run Office 2000 on Win 7 64-bit - without any noticeable special measures needed.  And much older software than that.

Finally - by current standards your partition sizes look rather small, there doesn't seem to be much merit in going beyond 5 partitions on a desktop machine.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

rwa.martin

Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #2 on: 17 February, 2012, 02:33:34 pm »
My view is that unless you need multiple disks in a single unit to get the capacity you require, or are planning to go for RAID 1 for high availability then you'd be better off with a single disk system. Then, either add another NAS on the network somewhere remote from the first NAS or buy two or more external HDDs and use them for rotational backup for storage off site.
The NAS is good if you're using it only for backup but if it becomes a primary data store or is located with your other PCs you are vulnerable if serious disaster occurs.


GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #3 on: 17 February, 2012, 06:08:08 pm »
Thanks guys.

So, it looks like I should go for 2 x separate NAS units for different purposes. I'm trying to avoid running a fleet of Ext HDDs although I may need to resort to 2 for off-site storage transfers.

What I didn't declare at the start is that I keep copies of my photos - originals & photoshopped edits - on annually renewed DVD archives. Likewise with all the pdf's of my business/accounts files. (I also have paper print copies and the pdf's are also retrievable from my accountant's online archive.) And if worse comes to the worst, then the various PC system files are on CD/DVD masters, so can be re-installed from scratch.

So, I'm looking for the convenience and automated backup factors. Rather be out on the bike than spending hours minding the PCs.

For music archiving and streaming purposes, then a NAS (as storage) with 2 x 1TB RAID config should get me started?
This streamed HiFi is a new project which will develop. I want to start off with CD-quality streamed samples (16or24/44 to 24/96 bitrates) using my own CD collection, with juke-box style playback via Squeezebox, to get me going. (I then need to buy upgraded DACs, new amp, new speakers, etc. all in due course) But I could chance the fire risk/theft issue and leave this NAS otherwise un-duplicated - can always re-rip the master CDs.

However, HiFi quality seems to be going down the high bitrate sampling route (or reverting to vinyl !), with 48/196 res music files, which are alleged to be far better than CD quality, but at a price - file size and only from download sources! And to play those, I'll need a somewhat pricey upgraded netstreamer/DAC - but not yet! But, when I do dip my ears into those soundwaves, that NAS archive will eventually need an upgrade, and who-knows-what size of file storage. Might grow to 2 or 3 TB per RAID disk. And a backup copy for those downloads! (So that's another 3TB+ on ext HDDs?)

The NAS music library might be running daily (evenings/weekends) so might have to be left runnning 24/7? In a cupboard close to my living room. Could be wireless or ethernet from the Deskie (for transferring rips, etc). Ideally wants an ethernet wire to the Squeezebox/streamer.

Then, for general auto-backup purposes, a second NAS (say, 2 x 500GB RAID) could be used as my primary in-house backup store, to backup direct from each PC to the NAS? This NAS would only need to run occasionally (once or twice a week?) to wake up the respective PCs and do the respective backups, and do so either when I'm at work/on the bike/asleep. So, I fancy a WOL arrangement for this. Noise isn't particulary an issue for this NAS then and I could hide it in the under-stairs cupboard and WiFi via my LAN.

Is this me living in a dream world, or is this a realistic proposition? Any suggestions for reliable backup software?
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Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #4 on: 17 February, 2012, 06:32:03 pm »
There can be speed, reliability and organisational advantages of having more than one internal hard drive (even when not RAIDed), but don't forget about the running costs and noise.  These can be minimised to some extent by allowing them to go to sleep after a set number of minutes of non-use - but this won't happen enough if they're used for paging as well.

I recommend having an SSD or two for your operating system and paging, with HDD(s) for extra things.
...But maybe don't go quite as bonkers as me: 2 60GB SSDs (OCZ Vertex 2), 2 320GB HDDs in RAID 0, 1 1TB HDD, 1 1.5 TB external HDD.

I can't advise on NAS details - but yeah, have a NAS as well if one will work fast enough for your liking.

Recommended backup and partitioning software: Acronis True Image and Disk Director.
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GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #5 on: 17 February, 2012, 06:41:29 pm »
Agreed. The deskie needs all the help it can to speed it up, hence bunging paging on a second HDD.

But I've seen the advice on other threads about data not being such until you have at least 3 independent copies of it. Hence the thoughts on backup up locally to separate HDDs, then to a NAS and off site DVDs/HDD. That's when paranoia set in...

NAS speed shouldn't be an issue for the music streamer - they buffer and re-clock the data before sending thru the DACs - amp - speakers. The Squeezebox Server should manage that, along with queueing up next track, etc.
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frankly frankie

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #6 on: 18 February, 2012, 12:31:22 pm »
Really I agree with Richard - even for data storage that doesn't exist anywhere else /stroke/ media server, a nice quiet single-disk NAS (running 24/7, but spinning down when not required) plus scheduled backup to a remote (ie tucked away) similar NAS, would IMO be sufficient.  The 2nd NAS power supply could be on a timer to only power up for an hour or 2 when required.  Possibly an infrequent (6-monthly) dump to external hdd stored with your granny or in a locker somewhere.

That's more or less what I'm doing.
For a more industrial approach, Charlotte had a NAS thread on here not long ago - worth searching out.

Having gone down the Squeezebox/streamed music route fairly recently (and I'm loving it, by the way) - I decided the problems of getting a Squeezebox Server up and running on the NAS were not worth the hassle (given that my NAS isn't a ReadyNAS that has that capability as standard).  Given that our main desktop machine is on 16/7 anyway, I just run the server on that (with the music stored on the NAS) and have a few favourites on a SD card stored in the SBT itself, just for occasional very late night listening.

Speaking as a (recently retired) sound engineer, I think all that high bitrate stuff is baloney BTW - it has its place in the recording process of course, but not a lot of point at the playback end of the chain IMO.

when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #7 on: 18 February, 2012, 02:16:30 pm »
Being with a Squeezebox but without a NAS or a properly setup network yet, I have my digital music collection for streaming on two different computers because I don't always want the same one left switched on.  I transfer a copy of new stuff manually to each system each time.  There's my BlackBerry as well to copy to.  It's only now that I want to have yet another computer available for streaming too that it's dawned on me that it's all got a Bit Silly™.
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Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #8 on: 18 February, 2012, 02:19:46 pm »
Anyways, are HDD prices coming down yet after the monsoons sent them high?  If not, now is not a great time to get a New Big Disk™.
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frankly frankie

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #9 on: 19 February, 2012, 09:09:48 am »
It seems so, to me.  Maybe not right down to where they were, but on any single disk there's only a few quid in it - it's only when you contemplate assembling a 4x Raid array and then backing that up with another 4x array, that you have to start worrying about disk prices ...
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #10 on: 20 February, 2012, 12:59:24 pm »
Prices seem to be about 20% higher than before the price hike. At least it is for the drive I got last year, it was £70 now it's £85.

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #11 on: 20 February, 2012, 01:14:12 pm »
Thanks again guys. Taking this in and assessing.

Although I'd previously dismissed them (as perhaps needing a bit more know-how to set up than my current level of IT skills) sounds like a few PogoPlugs (or similar) could be in the frame then. That, or I'll look into simpler NAS setups. I'd got RAID storage into my head from various reviews, etc. But single copying backups and a couple of ext HDDs might be enough to get me started. I'm going to need the ExtHDDs for off-site transfers anyway so might as well get them as soon as prices stabilise.

On the music serving front, I'll start with the Squeezebox Touch. I've not yet been ripping CDs to FLAC as my current audio system is sans-DAC (other than whats mounted in the CD player). The SBT will start me off and I'll see how good that sounds on my mp3s and thru' the old classic NAD3020 amp and make a start on EAC FLAC-ing the CDs. Can only sound a lot better than PC speakers and as good as my current CD/amp/speakers combination. My CD transport is a very ancient Mission PCM4000 so it'll be interesting to compare the output from that with that from the streamer. If the SBT is as good as is alleged, then I'll build up the FLAC library using the secondary HDD on the deskie for now until that begins to fill (with a just 1 offline data backup NAS unit for both my PCs). I've got around 250GB reserved for that purpose for now. Then I can add in the dedicated juke-box NAS later. That's all at relatively low sampling rate quality.

If, as the HiFi press is predicting, higher sample rate (i.e. 48/192) material becomes more widely available in UK (seems to be only generally currently sold by US sites to US C/cards) and with stuff to my musical taste, then I'll consider either:
  • a better DAC to fed the SBT through, then new amp/speakers
  • a better Net-streamer with 48/96 and 48/192 DAC capability, if quality proves to be as claimed. The Cyrus Stream XP looks the beast for this job.
That's when a second high-capacity RAID NAS might be in order. If my ears can prove this will be worth the effort and expenditure! ::-)
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Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #12 on: 20 February, 2012, 01:56:30 pm »
NAS speed shouldn't be an issue for the music streamer - they buffer and re-clock the data before sending thru the DACs - amp - speakers. The Squeezebox Server should manage that, along with queueing up next track, etc.

But the buffer isn't inifinitely large or fast.  I sometimes have stuttering when streaming FLAC from a PC via a wireless router to my Squeezebox (basic model) when the signal is weak.  No problems when using OGG 7 or OGG 10 instead (because of the lesser amount of data).  You might be using all-wire, but the point is that buffering has its limits.
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rwa.martin

Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #13 on: 20 February, 2012, 03:37:44 pm »
I recently went through the NAS purchase process and I'd initially considered a dual drive NAS using RAID 1 as a way of backing up the data. However, it dawned on me after a while that whilst RAID 1 does provide some degree of backup it is primarily a process for providing high availability and isn't backup per se. (If the NAS starts writing rubbish for some reason it will write it to both disks). In the end I went for a QNAP TS112 with a 1TB disk. This device has the ability to plug in external HDDs and to schedule backups from the NAS to HDD. Not got my head round all the features yet but it seems a good bit of kit though not the cheapest (£127 plus the HDD). Very pleased with it so far except that the LEDs light the bedroom up like a disco. It's going in the loft at the first opportunity.

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #14 on: 20 February, 2012, 08:06:12 pm »
Nice one Richard - you've pre-empted what was going to be a next question because todate, I'd originally only really been looking at the larger 4bay QNAPS / QPKG or the Synology equivalent boxes due to my mis-guided/mis-interpreted research into this project. So single bay setups will be my next bit of new research.
Good point about the disco effect on the TS112 - but presumably that only happens when the NAS is active? Guess my under-stairs-cupboard might be the place, or a cabinet in the dining room end of the living room - a bit further away from the "listening zone."

So, that's me now thinking about getting 2 x 500GB ish Ext HDDs for off-site store/transferring business data archives and photos/videos and a small single drive (0.5 - 1TB) NAS box that I can wirelessly LAN my backups then a separate music labrary NAS as and when I fill the 250GB reserve for FLACs on the deskie's second HDD.

I'll worry about hi-res music files after I get bored with ripping the CDs to FLAC...

I like FFs idea of listening to the SBT using its SD card option. I've also seen other threads about alternative mp3 players (to iPods) which also take micro/SD card units. So, that might be great for my 7 hour drives upto N Scotland now that my current car has USB input capacity - can have a "rock" SD card, or a classical card, etc. :thumbsup:
PBP 2011: 1234 km by Nr. 5678 in < 90 hrs. Most auspicious...

Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #15 on: 21 February, 2012, 10:23:47 am »
I'm also wondering about shifting Office2007 onto the lappie - I haven't yet tried but believe you can run XP stuff virtually within Win 7? Don't like OpenOffice as much and it's not fully compatible with some business stuff. Either that, or run old Office files within Linux. Must keep my Excel spreadsheets alive!
So, what do think? Is there a better way?
1. Office 2007 is no problem at all on Win7 64 bit. Mrs B's laptop came with it pre-installed, & ready to go if she paid for the activation key. Instead, I installed Office 2003 on it, which runs with no problems at all.

2. Yes, you can run XP stuff virtually within Win7. If you have one of the more expensive versions, there's a free Microsoft way to do it. If you're on the cheaper versions, you can use VMWare or VirtualBox. The PC I'm typing on is a new Win7 64-bit machine with old applications running in VirtualBox. Most of my old applications work under Win7, but some were pre-XP, & some of them wouldn't install, let alone run. My 1999 vintage scanner won't work on a 64 bit OS, but I can scan via VirtualBox/XP, & save the documents where Win7 sees them. Note that external USB drives are visible to both OS's.

Installing VirtualBox is easy, & installing XP within it isn't much bother if you have a disk. I'd advise saving as all your service packs to external media first, & loading from there, rather than downloading after installing your original XP.

I've had one HDD fail at home, & two on work laptops. The home one was four years old, treated well, used moderately. It did give some warning of incipient total failure, though, with rapidly proliferating disc errors. The work laptops were transported regularly in panniers or a Brompton front bag, & one was dropped, so they're probably examples of how not to treat an HDD.

I currently own a 7 year old internal HDD (on my old XP PC) & an 8 year old Maxtor external HDD, both of which are still working with no apparent faults.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #16 on: 21 February, 2012, 11:44:28 am »
Good point about the disco effect on the TS112 - but presumably that only happens when the NAS is active?

It's nothing you can't cure with an inch or 2 of sticky tape ...

Quote
I like FFs idea of listening to the SBT using its SD card option.

I only do this if the main desktop PC isn't running (which is unusual).  They do say the sound isn't quite as good using the built-in server and I'm ready to believe that could be so, 'cos there really isn't much processing power in SBT.

But a 32Gb SD card will hold around 100 CDs in Flac format, so it's handy little store of late-night favourites.

I'm quite sure the SBT sounds better than any other source I've had in my home audio - both my CDs and my vinyl sound better when ripped to Flac and then played out this way.  BUT not via its own DA, which adds distortion in my system.  Could just be a compatibility thing of course and I haven't investigated it because simply switching to the Toslink out instead sounds bloody marvelous. 

If you haven't started ripping yet heed the good advice - "rip once, rip right".  In other words spend some time (a week would not be too long IMO) trying a few settings, familiarising yourself with how the meta-tagging and file-naming works, establish a consistent workflow.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #17 on: 21 February, 2012, 12:56:05 pm »
I'm intrigued about the comments re the use of the SD card: perhaps this thread isn't really the place (since we set off on NAS/backup, not stream quality) but until I get the Squeezeboz/Streamer up and running, I can only speculate - the "audiophile press" are suggesting that solid state storage on USB sticks seems to be one of the purest forms of data transfer into a DAC - there's less signal noise interference than from a PC / Server. Whether my 50yr old eardrums are capable of telling the difference remains to be heard.
And FFs other comment about the cleanliness of the sound from streamed devices rather than from CD tranport is in agreement with the audiophiles. Which is why I am keen to rip my 100+ CDs to FLAC and stream them into the amp, rather than simply upgrade the CD player directly.

I'm lead to believe that ExactAudioCopy (EAC) is the tool of choice for FLAC conversion, with its multiple pass sampling method. Load a CD before bedtime, let it do its stuff overnight and, in the morning, you can have 1 x FLAC and 1 x mp3 versions of the music loading into whichever folder. Which would suit me for in-house Hi-Fi and on-the bike/in car mp3 player. Though I've also read that some "mp3" devices also play FLAC - so this could be where using SD cards comes into its own and only 1 copy would be ripped.
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Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #18 on: 21 February, 2012, 01:19:37 pm »
I'm lead to believe that ExactAudioCopy (EAC) is the tool of choice for FLAC conversion, with its multiple pass sampling method. Load a CD before bedtime, let it do its stuff overnight and, in the morning, you can have 1 x FLAC and 1 x mp3 versions of the music loading into whichever folder.

Yeah, except it only takes a few minutes when your CD is not very scratched.

Definitely make and keep FLAC, and convert to other formats when and as required.  Some devices don't play FLAC but do play OGG Vorbis - potentially better than MP3.
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marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #19 on: 21 February, 2012, 01:31:29 pm »
EAC is indeed very good, as is DBpoweramp.

Both securely rip the disc and chek the results against the accurate rip database to ensure that the resultant FLAC file has all the data. It does make a difference - mainly you are guarenteed not to get any glitchy bits where the cd is scratched or dirty, but there is a sonic improvement at all points.

You've mention upstream that you may invest in a serious player in the future, the Cyrus, so it is worth taking your time and getting the rip perfect. It would also be remiss of me to not suggest you listen to the Linn Majik DS at around £1900 if and when you are looking at a player.
Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #20 on: 21 February, 2012, 01:59:19 pm »
If you are using several discs in a RAID array it can be better to use a larger number of smaller discs.

I've got a RAID here (work, not home, but it's only a small system) which has 10.9 TBytes of disc in it.  One of the arrays uses 1TB discs, and those have failed far more frequently than the 500GB discs used in the other large array.

For this sort of reason, I use RAID6, which will tolerate two disc failures before the RAID fails entirely.  When a disc fails, the system has to rebuild the RAID using a hot spare disc, and this takes over a day for an array of this size.  Inevitably the discs get warm running continuously for more than a day, and this increases the risk of a second disc failing, hence the use of RAID6.

I also have a mirror of two smaller discs for the system RAID, so it's fully fault tolerant, and not sharing the larger discs using in the RAID6 arrays.

The 1TB discs definitely run hotter than smaller discs.  Originally this system had a mixture of 400GB and 500GB discs, but we replaced the 400GB ones with 1TB discs, and the room gets noticeably warmer now (and it has an air-con unit dedicated to cooling that room alone).

If I was currently planning on building a NAS at home, I'd have to consider carefully whether to use such large discs, although it's possible that the current generation of 1TB discs run cooler now, since they'll now be more mature, and are being superseded by even larger (and hotter!) discs.  I had considered building a machine to rip my DVDs, but that collection has probably become so big that with the current cost of discs it's probably not practical to build an array at a sane price (I probably need well over 10TBytes of storage).
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

frankly frankie

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #21 on: 21 February, 2012, 03:10:50 pm »
Yes, straying OT, partly my fault sorry.

I'm lead to believe that ExactAudioCopy (EAC) is the tool of choice for FLAC conversion, with its multiple pass sampling method. Load a CD before bedtime, let it do its stuff overnight and, in the morning, you can have 1 x FLAC and 1 x mp3 versions of the music loading into whichever folder.

 :o
I think you'd more likely wake up to a wrecked optical drive!

As long as your ripper does the checksum-in-the-cloud thing then the ripping can be as quick as you like, with full confidence.
I figure about 5 mins per CD if all goes well, more like 15 mins for 'difficult' ones and very exceptionally up to half an hour - but by this stage I'd probably abandon the rip and process the problem track(s) some other way.  Its a good job for doing in the background while writing a novel or summat.

Interesting that, about big disks proving less reliable ...
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #22 on: 22 February, 2012, 01:19:56 pm »
EAC - FLAC rips:
This sounds all very encouraging now. Hi-Fi mags were suggesting that EAC was a slow process, hence my "overnight" expectations, which would be taking the best part of a year to do the full library. If 30mins per disk is more expectable (bearing in mind I've an elderly DELL 3100 with a Pentium processor and the max 2GB RAM running XP as my "house" system) then, as FF alludes, overnight ripping may be avoided. Thanks! :)

NAS disks & backup:
I'm probably going to go for a pair of 1TB Ext HDDs / PHDs (since cost difference between 500GB and 1TB is currently about £10 per unit) for my off-site data safe and swap units. Around £90 each from "High St retailers" at present - yet to look on Amazon, etc. That should provide medium-term future-proof capacity for photo and video work that I'm starting (now that the kindly lads & lasses in the cycling club gave me a SportCam for my 50th...). 1TB drives may get hot but these will only be used every 4 or 5 months or so, to backup the data NAS, and only for the duration of the plug-in. I just need to check USB 2.0/3.0 compatibility, etc, to match a NAS box, then buy. :thumbsup:

Then, for the data NAS for in-house backup duties, I can start off with non-RAID single 500GB unit. That'll take my system and general data files, as per start of thread.

And, for the juke-box NAS, I might consider an expandable box with a single 500GB to start, then add in another disk, or a larger disk, if/when the need arises. That should serve Squeezebox functions for now and a good year or two. Then, if 48bit/192 res music does take off and I enter the Linn/Naim/Cyrus Netplayer zone, I'll re-assess the juke-box NAS. SSD may be the future... Or a RAID setup. And I'll assess the need for further/larger PHDs to back this up as and when.

So, plans evolving now. Many thanks. :)
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Biggsy

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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #23 on: 22 February, 2012, 01:48:09 pm »
You can expect a good EAC CD rip to take 5 to 10 minutes your system - and probably that's still an overestimate.  It'll only take longer with a badly scratched disc.

Re HDD capacity: does anyone ever regret buying too big a backup disk?  500 GB is modest.
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Re: NAS disk sizing and backup advice please
« Reply #24 on: 22 February, 2012, 05:09:26 pm »
Re HDD capacity: does anyone ever regret buying too big a backup disk?  500 GB is modest.

Yep, I'd prefer not to be using 1TB discs, but I'd need a larger box (this one only takes 16 drives).

We did have a problem with the air-con unit in that room as well, which meant it got progressively hotter in there over a period of time, which may well be partially responsible for the more frequent disc failures, although I think I've only had one non-1TB disc fail, and probably four or five of the 1TB ones (over several years admittedly).

It's never been fatal, because I've got a hot spare, and replace a failed disc as the new hot spare when the RAID rebuild completes, but it's annoying.
Actually, it is rocket science.