Backup Storage Hard Drive Recommendations Needed

[Ray&Paula]

Looking for some recommendations for a backup storage drive/s for my original 1080 and 4k media for the new iMac 5k. I don't use Raw and/or Red media. This would be separate from my media RAID hard drives used in FCPX, Motion, etc. Would you suggest another RAID setup, Thunderbolt 2 or just simple usb 3.0? Thanks in advance for your help. Ray

 

[Shazaam!]

If it's a backup drive, the speed to which you read and write is unimportant. Use an inexpensive USB 3 connected large capacity hard drive.

 

[joema2]

If it's a backup drive, the speed to which you read and write is unimportant. Use an inexpensive USB 3 connected large capacity hard drive.

This depends on the criticality of work, size of data and how much downtime you can tolerate after a failure requires loading backups. I think the OP has a 24TB Pegasus2 R8, so backing this up would require a box full of USB 3 portable drives: http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Pegasus2-24TB-System-Thunderbolt/dp/B00GXO0T2G

If recovering from backup was ever needed, this would require about 1 week for typical USB 3 bus-powered drives.

A USB portable drive is OK for backing up a small machine with non-critical work. But larger systems like the OP has require higher performance backup. Once you get up into the 20 TB range, using LTO tape has advantages over disk backup: http://www.mlogic.com/products/mtape

Another option is just using a less-expensive RAID0 array. E.g, the CalDigit T3 can be equipped up to 15TB, which might be enough since the formatted capacity of the Pegasus R8 is significantly less than 24TB: http://www.sharbor.com/caldigit-t3-...05&link_type=similar&link_pos=4&total_opts=11

 

[Ray&Paula]

Thanks for the suggestions and links...... I will take a close look at those drives that you mentioned. I've also been looking into the possibility of a couple of these drives from G-Tech. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081263-REG/g_technology_0g03594_g_drive_usb_g1_4tb.html. I like saving a backup of a backup therefore, I would rather have a few drives other than one big one. Not having all your eggs in one basket....LOL On the other hand, another RAID setup such as the Pegasus would be another option, but with a higher price. Thanks again for your help and please keep chiming in. Everybody's thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated. Ray

 

[rkaufmann87]

Thanks for the suggestions and links...... I will take a close look at those drives that you mentioned. I've also been looking into the possibility of a couple of these drives from G-Tech. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081263-REG/g_technology_0g03594_g_drive_usb_g1_4tb.html. I like saving a backup of a backup therefore, I would rather have a few drives other than one big one. Not having all your eggs in one basket....LOL On the other hand, another RAID setup such as the Pegasus would be another option, but with a higher price. Thanks again for your help and please keep chiming in. Everybody's thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated. Ray

Without doubt the best enclosures/drives are OWC's Mercury Elite Pro series. Here is the link:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

When it comes to backup, it simply does not make sense to buy a cheap drive.

 

[joema2]

...I would rather have a few drives other than one big one. Not having all your eggs in one basket...another RAID setup such as the Pegasus would be another option, but with a higher price....

There is a big price difference between a high-end RAID like the R8 vs a lower-end (but still good) RAID0 solution like the CalDigit T3, or the OWC Thunderbay 4.

Why use RAID0 for backup? Isn't that less safe? Yes but it's a backup. The only critical scenario would be a simultaneous failure of main and backup drives, and for that you use a separate 3rd backup solution. In return you can get a high capacity, *affordable*, very fast RAID backup solution. This is just one viewpoint, I don't claim it's the only way.

On my video editing iMac I have a Pegasus R4 and it's backed up three ways: (1) Via Time Machine to a constantly-connected RAID0 G-Raid, (2) Via Carbon Copy to a periodically-connected RAID0 WD MyBook Duo Thunderbolt, and (3) Selective folder backup via Finder copy or Carbon Copy to an assortment of other drives. These are a worst-case backup in case the both main drive and first two backups fail.

With lots of data on a RAID array you generally need pretty fast backup, else the recovery time can be very protracted.

 

[minimalism]

If speed isn't a problem, I'd go for the WD My Book Duo and set it to RAID1. I've made a simple review here.

You can also avail the Synology backup solutions and configure it to your liking. It costs a lot more though.

 

[matreya]

Looking for some recommendations for a backup storage drive/s for my original 1080 and 4k media for the new iMac 5k. I don't use Raw and/or Red media. This would be separate from my media RAID hard drives used in FCPX, Motion, etc. Would you suggest another RAID setup, Thunderbolt 2 or just simple usb 3.0? Thanks in advance for your help. Ray

I would recommend a RAID array that offers some redundancy in case one of the drives dies.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/M3QX2KIT0GB/

I would put Toshiba or HGST hard drives in it, the size of the single RAID volume being 3 x the capacity of the drives you choose (all four drives need to be the same size)

 

[Ray&Paula]

Wow! Awesome suggestions...... Been looking at all the links you folks have posted. Lots of great choices! Can't thank you enough...... THANKS, Ray