Setting up a RAID array For Dummies (Me)

[Duke Sweden]

Are you just editing your previous reply because this board doesn’t let you edit your original post? You’re just saying that adding a HDD and rendering to it won’t make it render faster than rendering to the HDD with Premiere Pro on it, right? Otherwise I’m getting confused (again).

[Alex Udell]

Hi Duke…

RAID 0 (multiple drives together) would in give you the benefit of increased read performance…

meaning higher data rate material (less compressed, and larger) would play back better in real time or you can layer more in PPro before you start stuttering/struggling to play back.

if you are working compressed (as most do) and with fewer layers then you expect to see comp’d together in real time…then it’s less necessary.

it used to be that RAIDing was also necessary for capacity….meaning vide files were BIG (relative to capacity of a hard drive) so you make the bucket larger by seeing multiple smaller drives as 1. I doubt that’s your use case. 🙂

RAID levels (not 0) offer various levels of security with some speed trade off…so if a drive in the set fails, you don’t lose work…for you….probably a simple manual mirror using a incremental syncing backup utility to keep the 2 media drives in sync is probably sufficient…but that’s only based on anecdotally looking at things you’ve posted here…..

that help?

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
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[Duke Sweden]

YES!
I don’t know why I can’t get through to most of the people here that I’m a simple man, making simple videos for myself. Yes, I do like to try adding effects (which is where things bog down) but nothing like you guys deal with. As you said I work with compressed files (h.264) and at most 3 or 4 tracks, one of which is an adjustment layer. So I really appreciate your response. A simple response for a simple mind, as it were 😉

So when I add the 2nd HDD I can just choose, I think it’s called “Simple” something or other, rather than the next choice “Striping”. Ok. I’ve got it now. Once I do purchase more HDD’s I’ll look into RAID, but if the box is fast out of the box (especially compared to the previous defective one they sent me) then I can do without for a while.

Thanks again, bro. You get me! 😉

[Alex Udell]

I wouldn’t even go that far.

Just add it as another single drive to your system….

then use some tool to “smart update” from one drive to another….

smart meaning copy just what changed every time…so it goes faster….

no need to really combine the drives at all…

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
Let’s Connect on Linkedin
Examples: Retail Automotive Motion Graphics Spots
Example: Customer Facing Explainer Video
Example: Infotainment & Package editorial

[Duke Sweden]

ok. I’ll look for “some smart update tool” right now 😉 Are you set up to get notified when this thread is updated? I won’t take too much of your time but I’d appreciate it if you could help if I get stuck. Just until I get the box tweaked, or even your opinion on stuff. Thanks again.

[Alex Udell]

I am now. 🙂

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
Let’s Connect on Linkedin
Examples: Retail Automotive Motion Graphics Spots
Example: Customer Facing Explainer Video
Example: Infotainment & Package editorial

[Alex Udell]

Hey Duke…

On Windows…

A buddy suggested:

Cobian backup

or

Retrospect

as a couple of good options for smart backup (syncing changes from one drive to another)

hth,

Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX
Let’s Connect on Linkedin
Examples: Retail Automotive Motion Graphics Spots
Example: Customer Facing Explainer Video
Example: Infotainment & Package editorial

[Duke Sweden]

Thanks! Do I really need to sync and back up my files? It’s not a great loss if I lose my stuff. Is there another purpose to syncing? Seems like it will take up space on my hard drives to have 2 copies of everything.

[Tero Ahlfors]

[Duke Sweden] “Do I really need to sync and back up my files?”

Well, do you care about your work? If you do then you probably should back it up.

[Duke Sweden] “Seems like it will take up space on my hard drives to have 2 copies of everything.”

Yeah. That’s how backups work.

There’s a bunch of free tools for syncing like FreeFileSync. It also has a real time sync option that will update your sync folders/drives automatically. There’s also Synctoy from Microsoft.

[Duke Sweden]

I care about my work as I’m doing it. Once I’m done doing “post” on my video, I’m done. I’ve never gone back to my old stuff. It’s good to have but not the end of the world if I lose it. Of course if by some miracle I’m suddenly asked to do paid work for someone, then I’ll be more careful with the files.

Perhaps a refresher course in exactly what my “art” consists of is in order here 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLgp4ckSxiA