this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2023
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Data Hoarder

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We are digital librarians. Among us are represented the various reasons to keep data -- legal requirements, competitive requirements, uncertainty of permanence of cloud services, distaste for transmitting your data externally (e.g. government or corporate espionage), cultural and familial archivists, internet collapse preppers, and people who do it themselves so they're sure it's done right. Everyone has their reasons for curating the data they have decided to keep (either forever or For A Damn Long Time (tm) ). Along the way we have sought out like-minded individuals to exchange strategies, war stories, and cautionary tales of failures.

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Are there any good DAS out there? (alien.top)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I have been searching and learning a bunch but there doesn't really seem to be any good methods that I can find.

You would think more companies would be putting out DAS considering the capabilities of USB3.2 and Thunderbolt. I have been looking for a quality DAS but almost all of them don't have built in hardware RAID. I don't really trust software RAID. Mostly rebuilding if the software crashes or my hardware crashes. Even if I was ok going with soft RAID, almost every model has a huge flaw.

It feels like getting a NAS is the only real way to go and basically just using it as an ethernet DAS for my server. It just seems like a waste of a processor. Should I just build a DAS with 4 Bay Rack? Then I have to find a place to mount a PSU and tidy up one of those PCIe to 4 Sata boards and PCIe to USB board as well as a couple fans.

Is there a good cheap enclosure to just install 4 HDD, a couple boards and a PSU? Am I missing some other easy option? It just feels like the market now is to buy a NAS and use it as a DAS.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

almost all of them don't have built in hardware RAID. I don't really trust software RAID. Mostly rebuilding if the software crashes or my hardware crashes. Even if I was ok going with soft RAID

Most people here are the exact opposite of you and don't trust hardware RAID especially cheap implementations in a USB based DAS box. Software RAID is far more flexible and makes your setup independent of the hardware RAID cad dying.

A NAS is great when you have multiple simulataneous users. What kind of computer do you have? Do you have a desktop computer in an ordinary case? How many drives can it hold internally? If you've run out of space just buy a bigger case and move the motherboard etc to the new case and put the drives in the same case as the rest of your computer.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Most people here are the exact opposite of you and don't trust hardware RAID especially cheap implementations in a USB based DAS box. Software RAID is far more flexible and makes your setup independent of the hardware RAID cad dying.

Yeah I definitely get that. All the DAS I see with hardware raid look like shit. I mostly don't trust software raid being run on a separate machine. I have read stories of losing all the data even after shutdown properly and attaching the DAS after moving or something.

I am using a mac mini, it would be much easier if I was just using a full desktop computer, very easy build.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

There's not a lot of demand for hardware RAID for only four drives. Hardware RAID in general is becoming less popular, and since many people can just stuff four more drives into an existing case... stuff like USB enclosures are often seen as "good enough' (though options do exist)

With options like ZFS being super popular in the enterprise (and homelab), what are your concerns with software RAID? I find it offers more flexible recovery options, more config options in general, works with SSDs better, and is faster.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I have a few systems like this. They were made by a company called DATOptic and they use Areca TB cards. I have two of their TB3 towers. They work well but the support is kinda lacking from Areca -- very slow and not very helpful. I had a lot of trouble with an older TB2 one and I eventually just had to get rid of it because it kept freezing up my system. The TB3 ones have been much better.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I use a 5 bay JBOD DAS ICY BOX IB-3805-C31. Not cheap but good. Used for shared media and backups.

Exos drives pooled using mergerfs. Backups on another DAS.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Thanks! I'll check it out.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I've been using ICY BOX on an old 2012 Mac mini for years and would happily use Yottamaster kit for the same task. My third option would be G-Technologies.

Not keen on hardware RAID built into enclosures but I've had raid controllers AND software RAID fail on me before today.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I think you’ve covered almost everything!