RAID1 vs rsync – security

raidrsyncSecurity

I'm setting up a NAS-Server using an Odroid XU4 and two 2TB HDDs.
Which setup would be more secure (lower risk of losing data / easier recovery):

  1. setup a RAID1 with mdadm

  2. have two separate devices, sync devices using rsync periodically

I know if one drive crashed in 2. I'd lose the data created/modified since last sync, but when using a RAID it would be a bit more "difficult" to get the data from the "still working" drive.

Best Answer

My personal favourite is:

  • create a Raid1 Software Raid (mdadm)
  • do regular incremental backups
  • do weekly full-backups.

The software raid1 protects you from online-faults, such that the volume is active ALWAYS, as long as one drive is okay. The software raid automatically syncs the contents between the drives, so you always have the up-to-date data present. It is not difficult to retrieve the data from the drive, since raid1 is a mirror. You need to make sure to replace a failed drive as soon as possible, though.

Backups protect you from ups-i-deleted-an-important-file errors.

Remember: If data is not backed-up, it is not important ...

Related Question