nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Begging your pardon, but your "opinion" is confused or lacking in awareness. Do some damned research in the Internet, will you?

1. A RAID array is setup by a controller, either in hardware (on the motherboard) or a software controller. A RAID drive could be read by an IDENTICAL controller on another computer. The controller is what formats the drives in a RAID array, ANY RAID array. Whether it is RAID 0, 1, 2, 3, whatever. Most often the drives are a PROPRIETARY format of that RAID controller, and ARE JUST NOT READABLE BY A DIFFERENT CONTROLLER.

2. What do you mean "If the RAID is set up as redundant or backup"? ALL RAID IS REDUNDANT. That's what the "R" stands for. Do you know what that means?
It means that multiple drives are being used to hold the data, in different ways on different RAID methods, with all of them appearing as one drive to the computer operating system.
If one drive fails in a RAID array, it can be replaced, and the controller reconstructs the drive to take its place in the array.

The drives in all RAIDS except 1 are not identical. No single drive contains all the data. Mirroring (RAID 1) makes all the drives identical, with all the data on each one.
But these identical mirrors should not be thought of as "backups" in the sense that they cannot be individually read out of the array they were created in.

On that note, I am done banging my head against the wall with folks who don't understand and don't want to. "Opinions" are irrelevant. We are talking about how it all FUNCTIONS, not what you WANT it to be.

Over and out!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Are you thinking server raid, where the controller is in the computer. If that's the case, then the raid is harder to move, the next computer needs the same controller or move the controller also.......

A raid 0 has the data split on the drives. Not a copy like raid 1. Raid 0 is for speeder operation usually, And when one fails, you have lost the unit, and is not redundant.

Now, what I said, different from you, was some times you can move a raid. They are more controllers than one in the computer/server. There's a raid enclosure with the controller built in. It also has software to load on the PC/server. So it is easier to move, just need the software.

With a RAID enclosure you put your hard drives in it, but it has a RAID controller built in (usually a hardware controller). So when you connect to a RAID controller you will just see that single RAID 5 or RAID 6. There's always some software involved as well. Common types of these enclosures include Thunderbolt RAID systems like a G-RAID or a Promise 8-Bay Thunderbolt RAID.

That's that I've read, otherwise, we said pretty much the same thing.

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

I saw some sales this week on really small Sandisk large capacity SSD's. Seems like the 500 Gb version was $129? Then the bigger ones were more but in any case not $7 or anywhere close.

no12mo

"Booting up?" Really? Do you mean "found"or "mounted" by computer?

no12mo

https://www.kingston.com/us/usb-flash-drives/datatraveler-ultimate-gt-usb-flash-drive

A bit pricey but 1 to 2 TB sticks are available.

no12mo

The problem with these high capacity sticks is HEAT generated during large file transfer. When you try to transfer a huge number of files - make that huge number of large file size files, the stick can get very HOT. This affects the performance of the transfer and sometimes may cause failure of the memory stick that has gotten too hot.

Enough of high temperature operation of these memory sticks may cause failure. I do not use these sticks for reliable archival of files. I'm surprised these companies haven't figured out a way to put heat sinks in the sticks to keep the operational temperature down to safe levels.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Do not be fooled by the physical size.
A normal "flash drive" is quite small, so they could fit 2TB into it.

hoosier500

I've had one of these since Nov. 2019. So far, I've got 30gb stored on it, and all files are retrievable. Far from 2tb, but for $10, I'm not complaining. Yes, it is slow transferring information to it. But again, $10. . .

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Backup used to recover quickly. Archive is, technically, kept forever.
Used if any and all backups fail, or if one needs something from ten years ago.
I have no "archive" as none of the backups are older than three months.
An archive (usually never used) is essentially a backup for the backup.

Short-term, long-term, are relative and semantical.
If you never use a backup, it's long-term by default.

Primary backup - first used, usually local
Secondary backup - used when first fails, may be on-site, different physical location.
Tertiary backup - used if the secondary fails, usually off-site.( ie. cloud storage)
(Any additional backups are being paranoid.)
Archive - kept forever (or a VERY long time), virtually never used.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Operating system boot, drives mount.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

"When it comes to backup you can't be too paranoid".

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I won't. I have three locations, that's it.

Pikster17 Loc: Arlington, VA

I saw the earlier post as well and did the same research you have. My interpretation may be simplistic, but 'thumb' refers to the form factor and 'flash' the technology.

mangurian

You've been scammed.

caro

I purchase 3 of them for x-mas gifts, I just watched a brief video on how easy it is to use. It is supposed to catagorize the photo erasing duplicates. It also stores and recognizes if you input the same photo again. It is called the photo stick 2.0. I will let you all know what I think when I get the guts to try it!