Solved Are you using Storage Spaces (Pools)?

Hey gang,
I just purchased a 4TB internal drive to add because my current 2TB was full.
I'm debating whether to just install the 4TB as a regular setup using another drive letter OR to use the Windows 8 feature called Storage Spaces. Are any of you using Storage Spaces, if so, please let me know your configuration...(its like the modern version of RAID).

If I understand correctly, this would allow me to have 3TB of Virtual Disk space set-up as 2-way mirror, HOWEVER, given that one of the drive is only 2TB, if my 4TB drive fails (and assuming it contains more than 2TB of data at that point), only 2TB will be "safely" stored by the mirror, because thats the max available on the smaller drive. Which makes me think now that my idea of using Storage Spaces may not be the best idea... as I'd actually be "losing" the additional 2TB that I paid for when I bought my 4TB drive. Perhaps a better solution is to install them as regular separate drives, and just back them up each externally...

Buying a drive almost requires buying 2 additional drives nowadays. One for onsite-backup, and another for offsite backup.

Thoughts from the Windows users?

Storage spaces isn't really the modern version of RAID, instead it's like an implementation of LVM which lots of storage devices and Linux/Unix has used for a long time.

I'm not using it though, it's quite inefficient.
http://www.eightforums.com/general-support/16615-confused-storage-spaces-parity-free-space.html

Buying a drive almost requires buying 2 additional drives nowadays. One for onsite-backup, and another for offsite backup.

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"Nowadays???" Not hardly! Off-site always has, and always will be the best strategy to ensure backups are available.

Sadly, "physical security" is all too often ignored, neglected or not even considered when it comes to computer security. But it is a critical component of "personal" computer security.

Why?

Because without an effective off-site backup, you have no means of recovery if your house burns down, is flooded, sustains a direct lightning strike, or is broken into by badguys and ALL your hardware is stolen.

So, if you trust "the cloud", you can use that. If you have a trusted neighbor, maybe setup a backup on their network. Or do what I did for years and keep a image backup in my safe deposit box at my bank.

I ended up setting up as regular drives. I fully agree with itaregid - but this is something we dont teach in schools lol
I hope they release 6TB external drives soon... I mean at a sweet spot price.

but this is something we dont teach in schools lol

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Oh? I was taught about off-site storage the same time I was taught about mirrored locations. And when I taught safe computing practices, the need for current backups, to include off-site storage, was indeed a topic of discussion.

Now whether lessons are heeded or not is another story.