This is a slightly odd question and probably didn't word it too well, so to give some context: I understand that not having ECC RAM increases the risk of data corruption. My question is around where this data corruption might come from in daily operations.

 

For example, if I'm writing data to the unRAID server from my Windows PC, or transferring family photos to the server, I can see that I'd like as much protection as possible. But let's say I was running some docker containers like calibre, bubbleupnpserver and Plex and some non-serious VMs on an unRAID server without ECC RAM, but keeping the data on a second unRAID server with ECC RAM, what is the risk? Or put another way, is that a significantly bigger risk than running everything on a server with ECC RAM?

 

I assume it's possible that something I do in calibre might mess up a book if there was a RAM error, and that corrupted data would then be copied to the data server. But then again I don't have ECC RAM on my Windows PC, and that's the source of some important data that goes onto the server.

 

(I do have ECC RAM on my current server - as well as an extra unRAID licence 😀)

 

On 2/11/2023 at 10:45 AM, sonofdbn said:

My question is around where this data corruption might come from in daily operations.

 

On 2/11/2023 at 3:45 PM, sonofdbn said:

But let's say I was running some docker containers like calibre, bubbleupnpserver and Plex and some non-serious VMs on an unRAID server without ECC RAM, but keeping the data on a second unRAID server with ECC RAM, what is the risk? Or put another way, is that a significantly bigger risk than running everything on a server with ECC RAM?

Wrong questions for a home user environment.

 

ECC won't help you in any way against a user error (the biggest risk by far), followed by a general non-RAM related hardware failure, electrical spikes, lightning strikes, floods, fires, earthquakes, hacking etc, etc, etc.

Most of which are more probable to happen, with far more devastating effects on your overall data integrity in comparison.

Instead of spending on ECC, at first make sure to have proper backups of your critical data, then proper networking segregation plus enterprise quality HDDs.

 

btw, I consider the above-posted clip to be misleading and exaggerating the actual danger, designed to over sensationalize the subject for the purpose of attracting the most possible number of views.

 

Edited February 17, 20233 yr by Lolight