Ideas on backup configuration

[twentyseven]

I am a ReadyNAS refuge and love my new FreeNAS configuration.

• I have 5 x 2TB in a Z2 config as my FreeNAS primary everyday storage.
• I am thinking of repurposing my ReadyNAS as a backup unit in a JBOD or Raid 0 configuration with spare 1TB drives laying around. (4 x 1TB)

My logic is that I do not need RAIDed storage for backup as the idea being that if there is a catastrophic failure in the backup, I will always have the RAIDed primary to rely on; and the chances of having a failure in the RAIDed primary at the same time as on the non-RAIDed backup would be minuscule.

General comments? Thoughts on JBOD vs. Raid 0 for the backup? Any other ideas?

 

[scurrier]

I'm not an expert, but using RAID 0 as a backup sounds like a really bad idea. You are automatically multiplying your chances of failing during an emergency by a factor of 2.

 

[scurrier]

Re-reading this before I closed the tab.... I don't think your logic about "having the primary to rely on" holds up because this assumes that the backup will fail only while things are being backed-up to it. But what about the stress of copying from it to re-seed your primary storage. That is when you will be sweating because you have a RAID 0 with 2x the failure rate of a single drive.