I'm currently running a Veeam backup repository on Ubuntu with an XFS file system and immutability enabled. My setup is around 100TB on HDDs, with the operating system on two SSDs configured in RAID 1. It has been performing very well, but the hardware is starting to age. I've looked into upgrading to a new system with 10Gb networking, more RAM, and better processors. My main dilemma is whether to stick with HDDs or switch to SSDs, considering the significant cost difference. Our backup jobs usually finish overnight, and full backups run on Fridays, completing by Saturday afternoon. Given that, I'm leaning towards using HDDs again, but I'm open to suggestions. What do you all think?
4 Answers
I definitely think sticking with HDDs is the way to go. Also, I’d recommend avoiding RAID setups. Instead, consider using a good file system like ZFS with RAID-Z2 or RAID-Z3 for redundancy.
We've been using a Debian system with ZFS for our 70TB of raw storage, and it has performed excellently for the last 5 years. If stability is what you need, ZFS is a solid choice!
If HDDs have been working for you, I’d say stick with them. I had an issue with drive failures last year because of vibrations from top rack fans affecting the drives. I switched to SSDs for the top set, and that drastically reduced the failures. But if your environment is stable, HDDs make sense.
I usually buy refurbished Dell R740xd servers for around $5,000, which give me about 106TB usable space. Additionally, I allocate around $4,000 each year for 50TB to backup to Wasabi through Veeam. It’s a good mix of cost and performance!
Where do you usually buy those servers? And do you stick with HDDs? I'm curious!