RAID configuration for video editing

[nicco]

I'd like to install a RAID controller to improve video editing on my PC, but I'm not sure about RAID configuration I have to use (0,1,0+1,5,1.5). Obviously for improving performances I should use 0 and for 100% safety 1, if I use 5 I should have both safety and performances but I don't know if it's too much for me (even too much expensive)
What do you think (or use)
Thank you

[TotalChaos]

Isn't it nice to have people who will search for info that helps others???

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77511&highlight=RAID

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65691&highlight=RAID

I preffer using a RAID 0 for media production. A perhaps better possibility is to just add one more HDD and use one drive as source and the other as destination. If your doing DivX/Xvid or any other computation intensive encoding the HDD isn't realy going to be that big a factor as your CPU(s) probably won't be able to encode fast enough to strain your HDD(s).

[leadman584]

I've tried numerous RAID configurations with the same rig, and RAID0 is the encoding champion. It is also the riskiest. RAID5 with 2 different cards, ran much faster than any single drive, but that's a lot of drives for the sake of security. Most powerful RAID solution would be 2 74GB Raptors in RAID0, on fastest onboard RAID controller. Expect data transfer rates over 100MB/s. Keep a very large IDE drive in the system for critical backups, and a place to put completed video work.

Partitioning the array, with fastest portion(beginning of drive) dedicated to OS, will give additional speed. I use a 10GB partition for OS and apps. Load video data into second partition for processing.If you have at least 1GB of memory, disable Virtual Memory. Page to RAM is a really good idea, when dealing with arrays. Remember, in RAID0, no single drive has all the data,One of em screws up, or gets accidently disconnected while powered, and all is lost. (DOH, done this 3 different times). I have 7 raptors in the same box, 5 36GB, and 2 74GB varieties, on 2 different RAID controllers. Heat and Power become major issues when you get this stupid. On the plus side, Frames/Second can soar on a good rig, using RAID. With a single 74GB Raptor, best speed I've gotten was 52 FPS. With 2 of these babies in RAID0, hit 86 FPS a few times. Raid5 rates in the 70's with both RAID5 cards.

As pointed out in previous post, CPU can play a part in limiting data usage. FSB is another. I use a 1000MHz FSB, to a 3.75GHz Intel CPU. Obviously my latest rig was born to overclock. Saving up my pennies for a dual opteron system now. Really should go edit my sig, lot has changed in last 2 months. P4 3.0@3.75.

[nicco]

@leadman584
So what do you suggest to me, RAID5 (for example 3 200Gb maxtor SATA 8Mb) or RAID0 (two hd) with the third one (not raid) only for backup?

[leadman584]

RAID5 will need 4 drives, minimum, unless you have found a card that supports less. I have a promise SX4 card that needs at least 4, Netcell card requires 5 minimum. Parity checking hits Random access time to some degree. Any Raid level below 5, is risky, as previously stated, because no single drive carries all data, lose one, lose it all.

Mandatory doom and gloom out of the way. You first, will need SATA connectors for 3 drives. My board came with 6 onboard, on 2 controllers.
The controllers are important, as they will be the go betweens for Windows and you're HD's. You will have to have controller drivers to install windows onto an array, use F6 prompt to install these. 2 drives in RAID0, and 3d with backup images, and non-speed critical data would be you're best utilization of drives.

Restoring an array can be a real pain, and you really are setting yourself up for some frustration. My project is an educational one, and constantly finding a new mistake to make. For trouble free operations, partitioning fastest of the 2 drives, with windows at the beginning, and rest for video is more sane. If you really do plan on going the RAID0 route, be sure you can reimport backup images across the controller. I use Drive Image 7 and it , as with windows, has an F6 prompt when bringing images back into an array.

If you are willing to go to all the trouble, and willing to make some mistakes, RAID0 and RAID5 are fun to play with. If set it, and forget it is the goal, stick to very fast single drives. The speed increases to video encoding, in RAID0, are just icing on the cake.

[theReal]

Instead of RAID1 or RAID5 you can use a nice little tool called "Mirrorfolder" for data security. It mirrors specified folders to another drive - you don't waste a lot of space like with RAID1 because only the important folders are being mirrored.

I use it even I don't have any RAID configuration - and you should definitely backup your data somehow when you're using RAID0 (chance of HD failure is doubled...)