Recommendations on setting up mirrored raid

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Recommendations on setting up mirrored raid

I use the server as a file server and run FM Server with a fairly large FM database.

I am setting up a late 2006 (intel) xServe running Lion Server. I have three 750 GB dirves in the drive bays. I use Retrospect to do daily off-site backups. My current settup on my g5 xServe (which will be replaced by the intel server) Drive 1 and 2 are mirrored. They contain both the OS, FM server and FM database, as well as all of the data files. For Drive 3 I run CCC once a week to create an archive clone of the raid.

Should I set the new server up the same way, or should I move the data files and database file to Drive 2 and mirror raid with drive 3 so that the data is on a separate drive from the OS? I am also installing a 2TB NAT drive that I plan on using for a TimeMachine destination drive to backup all of the workstations. There should be room to also create a partition to hold an archive backup of the server drive raid.

Any suggestions on what to do with the old xServe once the new one is up and running?

Thanks for your help.

Xserve, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Lion 10.7 Server

Posted on Oct 19, 2011 10:28 AM

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Answer 1

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John Lockwood

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13,685 points

Oct 20, 2011 3:52 AM in response to kcncda

It is generally considered good practice to keep data on a different volume to the OS and Apps, it is not compulsory but the more data you have the better it is to keep it separate.

I would consider data to be more important than the OS and Apps so you should use the RAID for the data volume. You can always use CCC to keep a periodic backup of the OS volume especially whenever you install updates.

Note: The Hardware RAID controller from Apple is far faster than using Software RAID. It is possible to add the hardware RAID card if you don't yet have it but you would need to reformat the drives. See http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MA689Z/B this card might now be hard to find but it is still on the UK store and I can see some resellers still list it. It is compatible with your 2006 model XServe.

With regards to the old G5, you could off-load tasks like DNS and DHCP to it, and you could use it as a web-server. The G5 would be limited to running Leopard so will be becoming less suitable for tasks like AFP, and Time Machine use, it also will not be able to be used as an OD replica.

You have not stated what your email server setup (if any) is, another possible use for the G5 would be as a Kerio Connect mail server.

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Answer 2

kcncda Author

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Oct 20, 2011 2:06 PM in response to John Lockwood

John

Thank you for your reply. I was leaning towards separating the data from the OS, but it seems like a bit of a waste to use a 750GB drive for an operating system. I may partition that drive and use it for secondary backup of less critical data.

Right now I have my email hosted by a third party. I will have to look into setting the G5 up as a mail server.

Thanks again for your help.

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Answer 3

Oct 20, 2011 2:18 PM in response to kcncda

I concur with Lockwood. I would leave the Intel XServe boot drive as the boot drive only. Usually this is a 120GB SSD drive. Then use the (3) 750GB drives as the RAID array to hold your FM data. Yes, it seems like a waste but it's the RAID technology that's important here, not the storage space itself. Then, use CCC to clone the boot drive once a month to an external portable drive. And nightly clone the RAID array to another external drive.

We run our FM Server on a Mac Mini. I use TimeMachine to backup the boot drive to an network drive. Then I tell FM Server application to perform an hourly backup of the databases to an external drive.

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