Re: [BackupPC-users] Looking for Hardware Recommendations

On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 4:20 PM, Mark Phillips <mark AT phillipsmarketing DOT biz> wrote:

I am setting up an external backup drive for some Linux/Mac/Windows computers on a small network plus two remote computers over the 'net. I have a P4 running Debian, and I need to install a PCI2.2 compliant card with one or two external Sata ports for one/two external Sata 2 drives in the 1TB+ range. I am looking for recommendations for:

1. a Linux compatible Sata 2 drive controller with external ports for 1 or 2 drives
2. external Sata 2 drives
3. sources for purchasing these drives and card

I have bought from Newegg.com in the past and have found they have pretty good prices. I am always on the lookout for new places to shop!

Thanks

I think you will have trouble finding a SATA2 PCI card that is not linux compatible. I have this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815280005
2 SATA + 1 eSATA.

for esata, I dont like anything out there for pre-built esata drives of good quality. I suggest the following combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817173042
and this drive:
RAID Edition 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136313
or this drive
Black Edition 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

You can ebay a SATA to eSATA adapter or get one off meritline for like $5-$8 and that would give you 3 eSata ports.

The raid edition drive is certified for non-stop use. both have a 5 year warranty. People have reported some modern drives to fall out of raid arrays and require re-syncs often. Western digital will replace a raid edition if this is an issue but not anything else. These are about the fastest drives you can get which is ideal for backuppc. The Samsung F1 drives are also very fast (maybe faster) but have a shorter warranty of 3 years.

I run the raid edition WD in a server and have the black edition WD in my home workstation and am satisfied with both.

I can tell you that you will have a bandwidth issue and here is the math.

PCI = 32bitx33mhz = 132MByte/s maximum thoroughput. Because backuppc will be handling the data, you will use the bus twice during backups (PCI>CPU>PCI) but PCI is duplex so thats 132MB in and 132MB out. That must be shared amount all devices so anything that is recieving data like the hard disks will share that 132MB and so on.. Basically SATA 300 wont be of any use to you because you dont have the bandwidth. That should be ok but you wont get the full burst speed of the drive from cache.

I am assuming that you are limited to PCI because of the P4 and you typically didnt find anything but a PEG slot which cant be used for anything except graphics card unless this is a very recent P4 system.

I also recommend newegg.

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