Opinions on MD1000 for backup location
-
A consultant is insisting on the possibility of using an MD1000 as a backup location.
My initial knee-jerk reaction is to decline, as the MD1000 was from 2007, shipped new in 2009, and is not an any compatibility lists for what we'd be using it with. (but it will work, it's just storage) But on the other hand, it'd have new drives, spare parts are available and relatively cheap, and if not used for the first backup location, it could be used for the 2nd tier cold storage backup.
First tier backup syncs could go to something newer and better, the hardware we'd most likely be restoring data from that isn't shadow copied. Second tier would be the more archival storage that goes to tape. It's this second tier storage I'd feel more comfortable with.
But, if others feel the MD1000 is still a viable piece of equipment worthy of first tier backup storage... then I could go that way too.
Opinions (good or bad)?
That said, I did some planning and came up with the following details of my own based on that:
Dell MD1000 | Dell Tag# F8T4JJ1
http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/F8T4JJ1/configurationTo start a proof-of-concept / stress test:
• 2x 2TB Drive Kits
• 2x SAS Cable
• 1x Rails
• 1x PERC 6/E HBA (for the initial attached server)$637.90
== PARTS LIST ==
(prices from DiscTech.com)2TB Drive Kit: ($195.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-341-9722-Universal-SATA-uSATA-Cabled-Hard-DriveSAS Cable: ($44.95)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-External-SAS-Cable-1m-3ft-310-7085Rails: ($69.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-310-7090-CC729-U9426-Rapid-Rails-for-MD1000-MD3000Controller Module: ($199.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-HN240-JT517-MD1000-EMM-controller-modulePower Supply: ($139.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-MX838-C8193-488W-MD1000-MD3000-Power-SupplyInterposer: ($39.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-PN939-SATA-Interposer-boardPERC 6/E HBA: ($89.00)
http://www.disctech.com/Dell-341-5898-PERC-6e-6-E-SAS-Serial-Attached-SCSI-RAID-Controllers -
For backup, I think that it is just fine.
-
If you already own it, sure, use it - doesn't fill me with warmth happiness and confidence but c'est la vie.
If you would have to spend money to acquire it, F that most emphatically.
-
@MattSpeller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
If you already own it, sure, use it - doesn't fill me with warmth happiness and confidence but c'est la vie.
If you would have to spend money to acquire it, F that most emphatically.
Obviously, paying for it would be utterly ridiculous.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@MattSpeller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
If you already own it, sure, use it - doesn't fill me with warmth happiness and confidence but c'est la vie.
If you would have to spend money to acquire it, F that most emphatically.
Obviously, paying for it would be utterly ridiculous.
Never underestimate the chances of insane purchasing decisions lol
Who knows, his colleague could have a monster hard on for MD1000's - I've heard of stranger.
-
It's free, we'd just pay for drive kits, cables, rails, and the HBA for the server it's going to.... it's all relatively cheap in comparison to purchasing a newer 30TB raw storage DAS device.
-
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
It's free, we'd just pay for drive kits, cables, rails, and the HBA for the server it's going to.... it's all relatively cheap in comparison to purchasing a newer 30TB raw storage DAS device.
Also not nearly as good. Would it be cheaper than buying a Synology or building a SAM-SD?
-
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
It's free, we'd just pay for drive kits, cables, rails, and the HBA for the server it's going to.... it's all relatively cheap in comparison to purchasing a newer 30TB raw storage DAS device.
Also not nearly as good. Would it be cheaper than buying a Synology or building a SAM-SD?
I doubt we could get a Synology or a SAM-SD set up for only the cost of the hard drives. This is pretty much what we're getting now... a DAS for the cost of the hard drives. The cables and HBA is almost nothing.
-
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
-
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
Synology definitely does block. So does SAM-SD. And SAM-SD can obviously do FC. Any reason you are ruling out iSCSI but not ruling out "running on laughable hardware"?
-
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
It's free, we'd just pay for drive kits, cables, rails, and the HBA for the server it's going to.... it's all relatively cheap in comparison to purchasing a newer 30TB raw storage DAS device.
Also not nearly as good. Would it be cheaper than buying a Synology or building a SAM-SD?
I doubt we could get a Synology or a SAM-SD set up for only the cost of the hard drives. This is pretty much what we're getting now... a DAS for the cost of the hard drives. The cables and HBA is almost nothing.
You'd be surprised. If they cost is anywhere close, you don't want old junk hardware. You'd want "new and supported." If the cost is a big difference, sure the MD would make sense. But I'd price it out. That stuff adds up quickly.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
Synology definitely does block. So does SAM-SD. And SAM-SD can obviously do FC. Any reason you are ruling out iSCSI but not ruling out "running on laughable hardware"?
I'm wanting to test something like this (except not clustered):
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn891438(v=sc.12).aspx#Overview
-
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
Synology definitely does block. So does SAM-SD. And SAM-SD can obviously do FC. Any reason you are ruling out iSCSI but not ruling out "running on laughable hardware"?
I'm wanting to test something like this (except not clustered):
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn891438(v=sc.12).aspx#Overview
Do you not have a VM host you could just add local storage to test?
-
@travisdh1 said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
Synology definitely does block. So does SAM-SD. And SAM-SD can obviously do FC. Any reason you are ruling out iSCSI but not ruling out "running on laughable hardware"?
I'm wanting to test something like this (except not clustered):
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn891438(v=sc.12).aspx#Overview
Do you not have a VM host you could just add local storage to test?
You need the full version of Windows Server to install the Data Deduplicaiton feature. I was wanting to test everything on a test server running Hyper-V Server 2016.
I do have a Datacenter host that I am working on a schedule to upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. It's a big move, so it won't happen reasonably soon.
-
Even though the MD1000 wouldn't be a bad choice for backups I would recommend Synology as well, you probably will get more support, more space and expansion will give you flexibility. That being said I have PowerEdge 2900 runnig Freenas and they run very well.
-
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@travisdh1 said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@scottalanmiller said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
@Tim_G said in Opinions on MD1000 for backup location:
Oh, we need block level access. So it has to be DAS. Well, iSCSI could work, but I don't want to go that route for this specific setup.
Synology definitely does block. So does SAM-SD. And SAM-SD can obviously do FC. Any reason you are ruling out iSCSI but not ruling out "running on laughable hardware"?
I'm wanting to test something like this (except not clustered):
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn891438(v=sc.12).aspx#Overview
Do you not have a VM host you could just add local storage to test?
You need the full version of Windows Server to install the Data Deduplicaiton feature. I was wanting to test everything on a test server running Hyper-V Server 2016.
I do have a Datacenter host that I am working on a schedule to upgrade from Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. It's a big move, so it won't happen reasonably soon.
You know you can install anything you want for 6 months as a trial.
Microsoft has offered this for pretty much ever.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2016
