Referencing: https://lemmy.world/post/17588348

I want to make a NAS with a 500GB boot drive and 2x16TB HDDs. Based on my previous post, btrfs is a good option. It also looks easy to get started. My plan for the NAS would be to purchase several 16TB drives, and only use 2 of them.

My first question is about different drives. Could I purchase two different brand drives and use them with btrfs? (I assume yes)

2nd question: how does the replacement process go? Like if drive A died, so I remove it, and put a brand new replacement in. What do I have to do with btrfs to get the raid 1 back going? Any links or guides would be amazing.

  • @eco_game@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    5•4 months ago

    Could I purchase two different brand drives and use them with btrfs?

    I don’t quite remember the source for this, but I believe I read some time ago that it’s actually a good thing to have separate drives. The reasoning is, if you buy two identical drives (at the same time), the likelyhood of both drives failing around the same time is severely higher.

    This is then amplified by the fact that rebuilding a RAID puts a lot of strain on the non-dead drive, so if ie. drive 1 dies and drive 2 is about to die, the strain you put on drive 2 in order to rebuild your RAID onto drive 3 might kill drive 2 before you even finish rebuilding your RAID.

    Again, this is just from my memory, it might be worth doing some more research on.

    • @mal3oon@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1•4 months ago

      if you buy two identical drives (at the same time), the likelyhood of both drives failing around the same time is severely higher.

      I need sources, this sounds extremely unlikely. That’s basically 2 "independent” probabilities.

      • @tobogganablaze@lemmus.orgEnglish
        2•4 months ago

        The reasoning is that drives are produced and shipped in batches and if you order multiple at onces there is a higher chance you’ll get drives from the same batch. If that batch had some fault during production or it was damaged during shipping, all your drives might be affected.

        I don’t have a source, but it’s something multiple expirenced people have mentioned to me.

    • @WbrJr@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1•4 months ago

      I have read the same, but also read it is not very true anymore, specially with dedicated server drives. I would not worried too much about it honestly