2 USB drives attached to Time Capsule in RAID configuration?

[DTphonehome]

Anyone know if it's possible to attach two USB hard drives to a Time Capsule via a USB hub, and configure them in a RAID1 configuration and use them as my Time Machine backup disk? I would then use the TCs internal drive as network storage.

 

[robbieduncan]

The TC itself would have to support RAID. And it doesn't.

 

[DTphonehome]

The TC itself would have to support RAID. And it doesn't.

Thanks for the reply.

Doesn't OS X allow you to specify any two drives and rope them together into a RAID1 array? What does the TC's support (or lack thereof) have anything to do with it?

 

[robbieduncan]

Thanks for the reply.

Doesn't OS X allow you to specify any two drives and rope them together into a RAID1 array? What does the TC's support (or lack thereof) have anything to do with it?

Yes, if they are connected to a machine running OSX. When you read/write to/from a TC the computer does not write to the disks itself: it uses a network file system protocol to write to the TC. The TC is in charge of the disks and writing to them.

If I understand you correctly what you are asking is can you RAID the two separate network mounts from the OSX machine? Perhaps, but I don't think so as the OSX machine has to be able to format the drives to use them in a RAID configuration and you can't format them across the network (see above about what's in control of the drives).

 

[DTphonehome]

Yes, if they are connected to a machine running OSX. When you read/write to/from a TC the computer does not write to the disks itself: it uses a network file system protocol to write to the TC. The TC is in charge of the disks and writing to them.

If I understand you correctly what you are asking is can you RAID the two separate network mounts from the OSX machine? Perhaps, but I don't think so as the OSX machine has to be able to format the drives to use them in a RAID configuration and you can't format them across the network (see above about what's in control of the drives).

Ah, OK, I get it. How about connecting a 2-disk RAID enclosure to the TCs USB port then?

 

[robbieduncan]

Ah, OK, I get it. How about connecting a 2-disk RAID enclosure to the TCs USB port then?

If the RAID enclosure does it's own RAID thing and just appears as a single drive on the USB port then yes, that should probably work, although you might have to set it up directly connected to a Mac first to format it to HFS+...

 

[nanofrog]

If the RAID enclosure does it's own RAID thing and just appears as a single drive on the USB port then yes, that should probably work, although you might have to set it up directly connected to a Mac first to format it to HFS+...

Such a product does exist.
Here's a listing from newegg.
IIRC, some members have recommended the G-Tech products. It also was made to compliment the Mac Pro appearance wise.

 

[Robocopper]

Anyone know if it's possible to attach two USB hard drives to a Time Capsule via a USB hub, and configure them in a RAID1 configuration and use them as my Time Machine backup disk? I would then use the TCs internal drive as network storage.

Seems that Apple have the answer nicely here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2421

Here is some of it:

Time Capsule
Single self-powered USB hard disk (with support for Time Machine backups)
Single USB printer directly into the USB port, or several printers connected to the base station via a powered USB hub
Using a powered USB hub you may connect several hard disks and/or printers

AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11g, AirPort Extreme Base Station (PoE/UL 2043)
Single USB printer

AirPort Express Base Station 802.11g
Single USB printer directly into the USB port
Additionally, with AirPort Express firmware 6.1 or later, you may use the Keyspan Express Remote. If you want to use the remote and a printer at the same time, it's OK to use a powered USB hub to make that possible.

AirPort Extreme Base Station 802.11n with Fast/Gigagbit Ethernet
Single self-powered USB hard disk
Single powered USB printer directly into the USB port, or several printers connected to the base station via a powered USB hub
Using a powered USB hub you may connect several hard disks and/or printers

AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n
Single powered USB printer directly into the USB port, or several printers to the base station via a powered USB hub
Additionally, you may use the Keyspan Express Remote. If you want to use the remote and a printer at the same time, it's OK to use a powered USB hub to make that possible.

 

[randolphsw]

Anyone know if it's possible to attach two USB hard drives to a Time Capsule via a USB hub, and configure them in a RAID1 configuration and use them as my Time Machine backup disk? I would then use the TCs internal drive as network storage.

Have you come up with a solution? If so I'd love to hear it. I have a 2TB hd connected to an airport extreme and I'd like to "raid" it for protection...
Thanks

 

[skorpien]

Have you come up with a solution? If so I'd love to hear it. I have a 2TB hd connected to an airport extreme and I'd like to "raid" it for protection...
Thanks

First, RAID shouldn't be considered a form of backup. Second, as was stated, it's impossible to RAID USB disks attached to the Time Capsule (or Extreme).

You would need an external multi-bay RAID or NAS enclosure.

 

[randolphsw]

First, RAID shouldn't be considered a form of backup. Second, as was stated, it's impossible to RAID USB disks attached to the Time Capsule (or Extreme).

You would need an external multi-bay RAID or NAS enclosure.

Would this http://ain.mediasonic.ca/store/product_info.php?cPath=71&products_id=234

work then??

 

[edk99]

Would this http://ain.mediasonic.ca/store/product_info.php?cPath=71&products_id=234

work then??

That unit does not support RAID. You would need something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707234