Hard Drive Toast which way should I go (Page 4): In the current configuration, I am backing up the 5TB Photo Drive. Remember that 4TB of that drive is partitioned for photos and the...

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

TriX wrote:

Question: if you have four 4TB drives in the redundancy group on the Drobo (what RAID level?), how does that data all fit onto a single backup drive that you periodically remove and replace?

In the current configuration, I am backing up the 5TB Photo Drive. Remember that 4TB of that drive is partitioned for photos and the other 1TB is used to backup the computer's internal 1TB hard drive.

The Drobo is run in RAID-2 mode. The data is duplicated on each of the four drives (4TB each). The Drobo has its own firmware that senses any data errors up to two bits per word and corrects those errors. The drives are all hot swappable, but I do not hot swap them because I only power up the Drobo when I am actually backing up files or after I swap drives. By keeping it off between backups, I minimize the exposure to possible cyber attack. When I put the drive that I retrieved from the bank vault in the Drobo, it automatically senses that the data does not match the data on the other three drives and rebuilds the data on the swapped drive to match the other three drives. Since I have a 5-bay Drobo, I could add a fifth drive, but it would not add enough additional reliability to warrant the cost of the extra drive.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

mflowe wrote:

You've already had plenty of good suggestions, but if you wanted to go with the mini or any other desktop, I was always under the impression the Imac could not be used as a external monitor.

Apple tech said it had the capability to be used as a Monitor. I was under the impression that not all are, but mine is one that supposedly is, but at this time I am going to get the HD replaced. After he examines it he may determine it isn't the HD, but the Apple tech though everything points to the HD.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

TriX wrote:

Glad to hear it. Unless you need a large internal drive for photo storage, I’d seriously consider installing an SSD rather than a conventional HD - you’ll be amazed at the performance increase, and you can always use an external drive for photos if you find the SSD too small for that.

Thank you. I heard the performance ion the SSD is amazing, but I would need one that was at least 1T. I am not too concerned about slow. Usually it doesn't bother me. If he could put a large SSD in for a similar price I would do it, but I don't want to spend a ton of money on an old computer.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

bpulv wrote:

In the current configuration, I am backing up the ... (show quote)

RAID 2? No commercial storage uses RAID 2 that I have ever seen in 25+ years in data storage - it’s an obsolete concept that involves synchronizing all the spindles of the drives in the redundancy group (which in itself is a concept left over from the first RAIDs in the 80s) and then bit striping the data across some of the drives with parity calculated using the now obsolete Hamming code and stored on a seperate parity drive. So if you’re really running RAID-2 which I very seriously doubt, then your data is NOT duplicated across all your drives. If it were actually duplicated across all your 4 drives (a sort of 4x RAID1), then it would be the most inefficient storage imaginable - using 16TB to store 4TB. Really?

From Wiki: “RAID 2, which is rarely used in practice, stripes data at the bit (rather than block) level, and uses a Hamming code for error correction. The disks are synchronized by the controller to spin at the same angular orientation (they reach index at the same time[clarification needed]), so it generally cannot service multiple requests simultaneously. With all hard disk drives implementing internal error correction, the complexity of an external Hamming code offered little advantage over parity so RAID 2 has been rarely implemented; it is the only original level of RAID that is not currently used.”

Drobo actually uses a redundancy that they call “beyondRAID” which is not defined in their technical information, but appears to be a virtualization layer that allows mirroring (RAID 1), striping with parity (RAID 3 or RAID 4) or double parity. Regardless, it should be clear that unless you are actually mirroring the data across all 4 drives (an unbelievablely inefficient system which I doubt), there is no way that all the data from the first 3 drives can be compressed onto a single drive. What’s actually likely happening is that you’re failing one drive from the redundancy group when you remove and replace the drive. The RAID then goes into degraded mode until it can rebuild the missing data onto the replaced drive, killing the performance in the process and making you vulnerable to losing all your data if a second drive failure occurs (unless you’re implementing double parity, which is silly with 4 drives).

I’m pointing this out because you’ve made the same claim in at least 3 posts so far, and i’m afraid that you’re misunderstanding how the RAID system actually works. If you believe I’m mistaken, then take the drive that you remove, directly attach it to a computer (exactly as you would if the Drobo was destroyed) and see if you can find all your data. Just hate to see you depend on a disaster strategy that won’t work. Now if I’m misunderstanding something, then clarify, and I’ll be glad to revise my comments.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

dpullum wrote:

History books refer to Computer Stores and Camera Stores... but i haven't seen one of those things in a long time ! CompUSA, RadioShack, to name two... Poof, evaporated !

We have one that I would recommend, that I believe is part of a chain, Didgi Dudes. The local one put me in touch with a man that works on Macs in his spare time and was reasonable. If I had a PC I for sure would use Didgi Dudes because of how honest and helpful they were to me.

Wmetcalf Loc: Rogersville, Mo

Country's Mama wrote:

My 27in imac (2011) is very sick and needs it's hard drive replaced. I am thinking about buying a mac mini to replace it and then using the 27 in monitor with it. The other option is to replace the whole machine. Does anyone use a mac mini and what are your thoughts? I could also replace the hard drive, but I would need to find one and get it replaced on my own. Apple does not support this computer anymore.

How do you use the iMac as a monitor for a Mac mini ?

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

therwol wrote:

A 1TB 2.5 inch SSD now runs from just under to just over $200 unless you want one of the "professional" models. Just type in 1TB SSD in Amazon. Spinning drives are cheap at much larger capacities, but they're too slow for me. I've replaced the spinning drives in 4 of my computers with SSDs.

I will do a little more research, but I haven't a clue what I am looking at or what I should buy. I don't know anything about tearing down my computer, though I did change out the ram and max it out on this computer. :) I don't deliver the computer until Monday so I have time to change my mind. :)

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

bpulv wrote:

I previously suggested using an external SSD or ha... (show quote)

I don't plan on spending more than a couple hundred dollars on it. I don't really want to drain my travel fund to buy a new computer right now. :) I do keep my photos for the most part on an external hard drive. From all the comments I am pretty sure that I won't go the Mini route. It sounds like a hassle.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

Wmetcalf wrote:

How do you use the iMac as a monitor for a Mac mini ?

The Apple tech told me it could be done. I would need to do a google search to remember. When she explained it to me it didn't sound hard, but there was a post on here that said it wasn't all that easy.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Country's Mama wrote:

My 27in imac (2011) is very sick and needs it's hard drive replaced. I am thinking about buying a mac mini to replace it and then using the 27 in monitor with it. The other option is to replace the whole machine. Does anyone use a mac mini and what are your thoughts? I could also replace the hard drive, but I would need to find one and get it replaced on my own. Apple does not support this computer anymore.

http://www.macsales.com has drives, RAM, and other goodies. iFixIt.com does, too, and both have tear down guides and repair guides.

My 2010 Mini is still going. But it’s on Apple’s list that won’t run the next MacOS.

Check to be sure your iMac can run MacOS 10.14.x when it arrives this fall... You may not want to throw money into an older machine.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Country's Mama wrote:

The Apple tech told me it could be done. I would need to do a google search to remember. When she explained it to me it didn't sound hard, but there was a post on here that said it wasn't all that easy.

It’s harder to remember how, than it is to do it. Instructions are at Apple.com/support, somewhere. Or see the Genius Bar at any Apple Store.

misterzee Loc: N'Georgia Mountains

I’ve done this on several generations of iMac. OWC has a great kit to install an SSD. This will turbocharge your machine. Add more ram if you can as well. My advice also, don’t upgrade your OS past El Capitan or Sierra if you don’t have software that demands it.

mflowe Loc: Port Deposit, MD

Country's Mama wrote:

The Apple tech told me it could be done. I would need to do a google search to remember. When she explained it to me it didn't sound hard, but there was a post on here that said it wasn't all that easy.

I just searched Apple's website and you are right. 27" imacs from 2009 to mid 2014 can be used as long as you have the right cables and connections on your other mac such as the mini.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Your talking about a 7 year old Mac. Even the architecture is getting outdated. Why put money into old tech.

Country's Mama wrote:

I talked to the tech about my options, she didn't really think one was better than the other. I was looking for opinions from people who have a mac mini, or have replaced the hard drive themselves.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Yes you can but it acts like a remote desktop and anyone who has shared a screen knows what that is like.

mflowe wrote:

I just searched Apple's website and you are right. 27" imacs from 2009 to mid 2014 can be used as long as you have the right cables and connections on your other mac such as the mini.