Changing the Default Storage Configuration
Chapter 4 Storage Configuration and Expansion
51
Changing the Default Storage Configuration
The SnapServer’s flexible storage architecture allows for a wide variety of
implementations to suit many different storage needs. In some cases, administrators
may change the default configuration to increase capacity by modifying the
configuration of the SnapServer, or attaching one or more expansion arrays.
When a backup scheme does not require backing up from a snapshot, or when a
backup window can be used while files are not active, the snapshot space can be
reclaimed for storage on the data volume. In cases when backup is ongoing or very
frequent, a RAID 0 configuration may be most appropriate. In cases where multiple
expansion arrays are attached to the SnapServer, a combination of a RAID 1 and hot
spares may be the optimal configuration for the SnapServer. See the online help for
more information.
RAIDs
RAIDs are created, viewed, edited, and deleted from the
Storage > RAID Sets
screen
of the Administration Tool. SnapServers with four to eight drives ship with all disk
drives configured as a RAID 5. SnapServers with twelve drives ship with all disk
drives configured as a RAID 6. SnapServers with one or two drives ship with the
drive(s) configured as a RAID 0. Before changing the default RAID configuration,
consider the following information on the SnapServer’s RAID implementation.
Note
Much of the configuration discussion presented here is not applicable to
SnapServers with fewer than four (4) drives. For SnapServer 110 and 210, see the
User’s Guide for SnapServer 110 and 210
for storage configuration guidelines.
Factors in Choosing a RAID Type
The type of RAID configuration you choose depends on a number of factors:
• The importance of the data
• Performance requirements
• Drive utilization
• The number of available drives
For example, in configuring the disk drives of a four-drive SnapServer, the decision
whether to include a hot spare in the RAID depends on the value you place on
capacity vs. high availability. If capacity is paramount, you would use all drives for
storage; if high availability were more important, you would configure one of the
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