Since 2016, I’ve had a fileserver mostly just for backups. System is on 1 drive, RAID6 for files, and semi-annual cold backup.
I was playing with Photoprism, and their docs say “we recommend placing the storage folder on a local SSD drive for best performance.” In this case, the storage folder holds basically everything but the pictures themselves such as the database files.
Up until now, if I lost any database files, it was just a matter of rebuilding them by re-indexing my photos or whatever, but I’m looking for something more robust since I’ll have some friends/family using Pixelfed, Matrix, etc.
So my question is: Is it a valid strategy to keep database files on the SSD with some kind of nightly backup to RAID, or should I just store the whole lot on the RAID from the get go? Or does it even matter if all of these databases can fit in RAM anyway?
edit: I’m just now learning of ZFS caching which might be my answer.
My new motherboard actually has a RAID controller for the M.2 slots. I know people frown on hardware raid, but given it’s the boot drive, it might just be easiest to count on it for daily operation and backup to the software RAID/something else every night.
Make sure, if you use hardware RAID, you know what happens if your controller dies.
Is the data in a format you can access it easily? Do you need a specific raid controller to be able to read it in the future? How are you going to get a new controller if you need it?
That’s a big reason why people nudge you to software raid: if you’re using md and doing a mirror, then that’ll work on any damn drive controller on earth that linux can talk to, and you don’t need to worry about how you’re getting your data back if a controller dies on you.
So I’m kind of on the fence about this. I ran a raid boot disk system like 12 years ago, and it was a total pain in the ass. Just getting it to boot after an update was a bit hit or miss.
Right now I’m leaning towards hardware nvme raid for the boot disk just to obfuscate that for Linux, but still treat it delicately and back up anything of importance nightly to a proper software raid and ultimately to another medium as well.
I meant software RAID of course. Hardware RAIDs just cause headacehes, but fake RAIDs that are built into motherboards are a real nightmare.