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Server storage expansion options

D

Darkstar850

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 18, 2004
Messages
1,307
I have a server running SBS2k3 that is running low on disk space. It has not reached the critical point yet, but I want to start planning to increase capacity. Currently it has 2 36GB 10k SCSI drives in Raid1, split into a 10 gig OS and 24 gig data data partitions. I keep having to move stuff off the OS partition, and I am down to 8 gigs on the data partition.

The server is a Dell 1600SC, and has a Perc/4 SC scsi raid controller. The new storage area would be mainly for user documents, etc. There are currently only 5 users, and no plans to expand that significantly. I would keep highly used apps and the exchange stores on the primary disks. From what I can tell I have 2 options:

1. From what I have read, I can add more disks to the Perc/4 and create another array.

2. Purchase a SATA raid card and 2 disks.

Please give me your opinion on which option you think would be better, and why. Also, if you choose #2, what would be good hardware choices. I have been doing some reading, but I am not so up on storage systems. Thanks.
 
For user documents, etc, I'd tend toward sata over scsi because of price difference, but first there's a question: what's your backup strategy for this data? Please, please don't say "raid 1".

That said, I'd go with a 4-port sata card like the Syba sil3114-based one and a pair of (for example) Seagate NL35 drives. And if you don't have a backup strategy, *now* is the time to buy one. For an operation this size, a 100/200GB tape drive is about right.

If you do decide to go with scsi, don't buy seagate. The performance is lower, the price is higher, and the environmentals are worse. That simple.

 
Right now data is backed up on daily tapes, monthly, quarterly and annually. The quarterly and annually tapes are stored in a safe deposit box. Currently it is using a 20/40GB backup tape, but I may need to upgrade that eventually. However, money is tight, so I may also just have to be more selective about which directories get backed up. I wanted to go bigger on both the hard drives and the tape unit originally, but the budget dictated otherwise.
 
Glad to hear it. That would have taken priority over capacity expansion, but as long as it'll handle the additional load, you're fine.

Obviously capacity is a lot, lot cheaper on sata, but scsi may be more reliable in the long run. Any nearline sata drives (the Seagate NL35s, the Maxtor Maxlines, the Hitachi 7K series (I think) and hypothetically the WD REs) will carry a 5-year warranty, though, so it's probably good enough to have a replacement policy for five years on them. I suggest you do raid in software unless you're using a higher-end card, though - I'd rather trust Windows to do raid 1 right than the card makers. You may be able to do a 3-disk mirror, which would be neat.

 
I figured id get a decent controller card if I went SATA. I would like to offload the array management to the controller card like I have with the current SCSI card, but I can't tell well which cards actually do that.
 
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