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Pegasus2 R4 for Lightroom.

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cupcakes2000

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
3,872
5,281
I'm looking into a new storage system for my rMBP based photography studio.

I use Weston Digital 3tb USB 2 disks for time machine and for Lightroom library manual back ups. This is a cheap and easy system and Speed is not important for these things, as I work them overnight.

However:

I'm looking at a Pegasus2 R4 disk array.

My thinking is that I could set it up in RAID 10, and then use it as my main 'completed project' libraries.

This would free the mega fast PCIe on my MB to be used as just the system disk, and as my current project disk (scratch disk).

RAID 10 would be both fast and redundant.

Another extra back up strategy, and super fast access to back catalogues.

All in a fairly portable, easy to use, future proof (potentially a nMP on the distant horizon) package.

It's not that cheap. Is it overkill?

Another question I would like to know is, is there a limit to the size (in Tb) of the disks I put inside?

Anyone got any thoughts?
 
MCAsan

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
My LR and Aperture libraries are on my rMBP's SSD. The master/oriignal raw files are in my LaCie 2Big 6TB running in RAID 10 for high availability (but not backup). The LR catalog and Aperture Vault backups are also on the LaCie drives. Both the internal SSD and LaCie drives are backed up by a 3TB Time Capsule.

If I wanted the next step, I would also have offsite storage via cloud and/or drives swapped to an offsite location. As a hobbyist, I doubt I will take that step. If I were a pro, I would be all over both swapped drives and cloud storage for backups.
 
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ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,589
1,709
Redondo Beach, California
cupcakes2000 said:
...
I'm looking at a Pegasus2 R4 disk array.

My thinking is that I could set it up in RAID 10, and then use it as my main 'completed project' libraries. ..
Click to expand...

Yes that could work but do not think for a minute that RAID is a kind of backup. It is just a bigger disk drive, maybe faster. But you still need to back it up just like any other disk drive.

The most common reasons for loosing data are theft of the equipment, electrical power surges (the utility pole a half mile down the street is hit by lightening) disaters like fires and floods. And the biggie: user error, software glitch that corrupts the file or even the file system. RAID does nothing for these common errors

Be sure and keep at least (1) an off-line backup, that is disconnected from power and (2) an off site backup that is in some other building not close to home. And also keep time machine running it is a very good first level backup.

What you find is that if you library fills up a large RAID, then time machine also needs a large RAID and you need another for off line backup. It gets expensive if you library is so large it does not fit on the largest size disk drive. I'm lucky because mine alway seems to stay under the size of what's available. I just keep buying larger disks and have not been forced into RAID yet.
 
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cupcakes2000

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
3,872
5,281
Thanks for your thoughts. So potentially it's better to spend the money on a load of good quality enterprise class hdd and just back up the way I'm doing it already? RAID might be fairly pointless... You're right about needing a raid to back up the raid. Could end up costing a lot.
What are your thoughts on a two disk raid 1 array for time machine? Extra security? I have just had my time machine disk fail for the third time in two years...
 
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