Storage Help (NAS+Media Streaming+RAID+Automatic Backup)

Aloise wrote:

Hi everyone. 2. One mandatory feature for me is to have the ability to mirror my data on backup dedicated HDs. I know that there's a tradeoff concerning performance vs security (redundancy). I know very little about RAID and thought that maybe RAID6 would be a reasonable option. I also know that if I fill my NAS with 12Tb, 6Tb would be for useful data and 6Tb for backup (in a nutshell). Does it make sense?

Yes I'd absolutely, 100% recommend RAID6 or dual-disk redundancy, meaning you can lose up to TWO hard drives and still not lose any data. If one disk dies, it's pretty unnerving while you're waiting for the replacement to arrive & then the array to rebuild - dual disk redundancy is very inexpensive peace of mind.

4. I know these NASes don't work with SAS HDs. So I'll have to stick to SATA Enterprise Class HDs, such as Seagate Constellation or similar. Higher RPM and internal memory would increase disk I/O. Both Netgear and QNAP sell either diskless or loaded with enterprise class HDs. Any comments/suggestions on this?

Personally I think the extra money spent on enterprise grade drives is wasted. You will almost certainly NOT see a performance difference in these NAS, and you have to stick very carefully to the ReadyNAS Hardware Compatibility List - you can't just buy any drive you want. You must check the list first and only buy those drives listed.

5. Are these NASes able to stream media "from factory", of course through my wifi router or will I need to install tons of apps/software to do it? Any light on this?

Yes, they do it from the factory; just enable DLNA if it isn't turned on by default.

6. I have an Apple TV box. May I also use it as another option to stream media (videos, audio,photos) from the NAS to my TV?

Absolutely, I do it all the time. You just have to have your content loaded into iTunes, leave your PC with iTunes on & running.

I like AcePlayer for streaming movies directly from my ReadyNAS to my iPad & iPhone.