Hard Disk Sentinel
Q&A Knowledge Base
Why do I need disk monitoring if I have RAID backup?
Disk monitoring (which is possible with most RAID controllers/solutions by Hard Disk Sentinel) is even more important in this situation for different reasons:
1) for mission critical environment (where we speak about RAID too) we need to know possible new issues, degradations of disk status and possible different issues related to storage subsystem (eg. issues with cables, connections) long before they may caused failed/degraded array.
These issues are reported and logged by Hard Disk Sentinel, as these may cause confusion even for the RAID controller which may flag a disk as failing - even if there is problem with the cables only.
2) without monitoring, we have no info about possible
- overheat
- SSD wearout
- end of life situation
and similar events. By monitoring, these are revealed, so we can see (for example) failing fan which requires attention and plan possible replacement to prevent downtime.
3) usually RAID arrays created by same model/type of drives - which may reach the end of designed lifetime nearly at the same time. So when one drive fails - the other drive(s) in the array may not able to tolerate well the increased workload and fail quickly after the first. By revealing the signs and the possible degradation (and the end-of-life situation) we can be better prepared for planned replacement when required.
4) by Hard Disk Sentinel, it is usually (depending on the disks, RAID controller) possible to test drives one-by-one and also together (as RAID array). This adds the opportunity and full control to verify the drives, reveal any possible issue and be alerted.
So disk monitoring on such systems is even more important to prevent not (only) data corruption/data loss, but also prevent/minimise downtime too by performing planned maintenance/replacement when required - and at the best possible time.
Ps. RAID mirror is not a backup: a backup can be moved to different location (to maximise protection) and can be restored upon other issues (for example file deletion/virus attack) which may also important to consider too.
Why do I need disk monitoring if I have RAID backup?
Disk monitoring (which is possible with most RAID controllers/solutions by Hard Disk Sentinel) is even more important in this situation for different reasons:
1) for mission critical environment (where we speak about RAID too) we need to know possible new issues, degradations of disk status and possible different issues related to storage subsystem (eg. issues with cables, connections) long before they may caused failed/degraded array.
These issues are reported and logged by Hard Disk Sentinel, as these may cause confusion even for the RAID controller which may flag a disk as failing - even if there is problem with the cables only.
2) without monitoring, we have no info about possible
- overheat
- SSD wearout
- end of life situation
and similar events. By monitoring, these are revealed, so we can see (for example) failing fan which requires attention and plan possible replacement to prevent downtime.
3) usually RAID arrays created by same model/type of drives - which may reach the end of designed lifetime nearly at the same time. So when one drive fails - the other drive(s) in the array may not able to tolerate well the increased workload and fail quickly after the first. By revealing the signs and the possible degradation (and the end-of-life situation) we can be better prepared for planned replacement when required.
4) by Hard Disk Sentinel, it is usually (depending on the disks, RAID controller) possible to test drives one-by-one and also together (as RAID array). This adds the opportunity and full control to verify the drives, reveal any possible issue and be alerted.
So disk monitoring on such systems is even more important to prevent not (only) data corruption/data loss, but also prevent/minimise downtime too by performing planned maintenance/replacement when required - and at the best possible time.
Ps. RAID mirror is not a backup: a backup can be moved to different location (to maximise protection) and can be restored upon other issues (for example file deletion/virus attack) which may also important to consider too.