Hey everyone, I have a few questions regarding my Dell R650 storage server. I need to know if buying Dell branded SAS drives is essential for my RAID6 array using a Perc 755 controller. I've found these HC560 SAS drives available for 25% of the Dell price, and since I work for a non-profit, saving $4,000 for two drives would be a big deal.
Also, if I decide to add drives and perform an online expansion, will there be a point where I lose redundancy? I'm concerned about whether the current parity data gets destroyed during this process or if it maintains the existing parity while balancing the new drives. I've read that the online expansion is non-destructive, but does this imply a risk of losing everything if something goes wrong during the rebuild?
Lastly, is RAID6 still considered a best practice? I currently have 10x 20TB SAS drives and plan to expand to 12 drives. Any insights would be appreciated!
4 Answers
Is your server still under warranty? Sometimes manufacturers provide support options for using their hardware, which might help you avoid issues with third-party drives. Keeping it under warranty as long as possible is typically worth it!
You don't *need* to buy Dell branded SAS drives. Just know that using non-Dell drives might introduce some firmware compatibility issues with your current drives. Dell's drives could have some specific firmware tweaks that might not be present in other brands. So, if you’re saving a ton of cash, just make sure to check compatibility before purchasing!
As for your online expansion, it's crucial to back everything up before proceeding. There is a risk of data integrity issues if the power were to go out during the expansion, so try to schedule it over a weekend or during off-peak hours if you can. But rest assured, one unrecoverable bit isn’t going to take your array down unless you have a failing drive!
Totally agree! Always back up first. Better safe than sorry, especially with all those parity calculations going on.
No need for Dell-specific drives; regular branded drives will work just fine. Just keep in mind that using non-Dell drives means you won’t have any guarantee on compatibility, and you might not get support if something goes wrong.
Also, regarding your last question about RAID6, if your backup strategy is solid – like following a 3-2-1 rule – then RAID6 is still a decent choice. Just make sure to keep your backups up to date; that’s the real safety net!
Exactly, as long as you've got good backups and a solid plan in place, RAID6 can still work well for large backup tasks.
Check out serversupply.com if you're looking for drives; they have decent prices on hardware. But, you might want to check if they ship to Canada.
Also, remember that using non-Dell drives means no support, and there’s no guarantee they’ll work flawlessly in your setup.
I’m in Canada—does anyone here use them?
Yeah, it’s fairly new and covered under warranty for less than a year. After that, we’ll move to a third-party support plan.