Need advice on Raid 1 (Mirror) Setup

[gadgtfreek]

Ok, here is the situation. I currently have two HWS's, basically for backup recordings. Im looking at a H3 soon and since I could only get one, I figure it's about time to get a RAID 1 setup and relinquish one of the HWS's. I have a Joey Ill just put in it's spot.

Any suggestions on more simple models. When I did this with Dish back in 2008/09 WD made a Raid 1 setup and the drives were just plug and play. It would be nice to just throw dual 2TB drives in and be able to replace one when it fails with a swap and go about life.

Thanks.

 

[gadgtfreek]

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1260#Tab3

"
Multiple data management options

Preconfigured in RAID 0 for maximum performance and capacity out-of-the-box or choose RAID 1 for ultimate data protection or JBOD to use the drives individually. True hardware RAID provides an independent CPU to manage RAID volumes and maximize bandwidth for reduced bottlenecks and improved data throughput."


???

 

[Brussam]

I don't believe the Dish operating system will deal with anything but singular disks.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I don't believe the Dish operating system will deal with anything but singular disks.

Raid 1 mirroring only shows the device a single disc. I have used a Raid setup like this WD (older model) with a 722K 5-6 years ago. I was just curious if anyone had any other ideas. The WD is $250 and comes with dual Red drives, so its a nice setup IMO.


Cool thing about the last WD Raid 1 I had was that I could power everything down, pull a drive, boot up and the recorded list was in tact. Power down again, put the drive back in, pull the other drive, and power back up. Boom, still had the same DVR list

 

[sculchy]

I'm interested in a Raid 1 external drive setup too. Please update if you find a good solution.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Gonna order that WD soon if nobody else has a better idea.

 

[navychop]

The only hesitation I have about this WD is that it is a waste to go over 2 TB today. Half or more of the disk will remain unused.

I have two hardware RAID solutions, but I'm not at home to provide models.

Buying an enclosure that supports RAID separately allows more choice in what disks you install. One of mine is WD Black. Don't remember about the other.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yeah, I was gonna grab the 2TB model because that will be plenty, especially if I stop messing with OTA. I want to use it to backup the current Hopper and transition to a H3, to then be my "backup".

I'm sure I could get an enclosure and a couple of 2TB WD drives for less than $250, but I did have good luck with an earlier version of this model.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I went ahead with the WD My Book Duo.
After I checked the prices on the dual 2TB Red drives, it seemed like a fine move. Should have it on Tuesday and I’ll get it hooked up and the main HWS programs transferred and backed up.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Got it setup. All seems well, going to start transferring over now. Once I get everything moved, I will try pulling a drive and see if the mirroring is working correctly.

 

[gadgtfreek]

 

[gadgtfreek]

to be safe, I just recorded a coupe of quick things and moved them over. Powered down, pulled drive 1 and powered back up. Red drive light came on for a fault, but the hopper saw the programs properly. Put drive 1 back in and repeated the process (powering down each time) and drive 2 showed a fault but the Hopper read properly off drive 1. Mirroring is working.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Drive 1 removed and drive 2 still in use

Drive 2 removed and drive 1 in use

 

[sculchy]

Thanks for the info, of to Amazon to order one for myself.

 

[gadgtfreek]

FYI, when I first hooked it up to the HWS it didn't wanna format. Rebooted the Hopped and then it all went fine. Transferring shows now.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Where I have to place the drive, the white light is a tad obnoxious. Blinks fast when transferring, blinks slow when asleep, stays steady when awake and doing nothing.

Small square Light Dim fixed that problem!

 

[navychop]

I'm surprised you found the 2TB model available. When I looked, out of stock. NIS, in clear speak.

But I do like this, except for the PC setup, which is no biggie.

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone set it up, Hopper'd it, put a throwaway program on it, and used the PC s/w to change settings. Did it work, without a reformat? IOW, did it address the EEPROM only, and not the disks, as I think it should? Then, shift it back and see if the program is still available and viewable.

 

[sculchy]

From the User Manual:

CAUTION! Changing the device configuration reformats both drives, which erases all of the data on them. If you have been using the device in one mode and want to switch to a different mode, back up your files to another storage device before changing the configuration.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yep, when you change the RAID format it wipes the drive. You can pull it off, connect it to a PC, and then use the WD app to check the smart data, etc...

 

[patmurphey]

I'm surprised you found the 2TB model available. When I looked, out of stock. NIS, in clear speak. .

The 4TB is 2 x 2TB, therefore 2TB in RAID 1.

Amazon product ASIN B00KU68A1A