I've had my unraid system for a long time, since version 4.7.  I'm currently using the same motherboard (MB) and memory and power supply (650 watts) that I've been using since then.  I just had my Windows 7 home theater computer die.  In that sense, I believe I'm on my third home theater computer in the time I've had my unraid server running.  So, I'm getting concerned about motherboard failure, memory failure, and/or power supply failure (particularly since I'm currently upgrading the server from 6 drives to . 

 

Do you keep any of this hardware available in case of failure?  Or do you just wait until disaster and correct from there?

 

I'm thinking, for instance, of getting a motherboard/processor and memory as a spare.  The problem is testing these would be difficult without actually putting them into the system.  I've ordered motherboards in the past that did not POST.  I've also ordered memory that had problems.  If I could test these, I wouldn't mind having something ready to go, as I'm getting concerned about how long these can continue to work (though I have no indication of impending failure).

I usually have sufficient hardware lying around to be able to put something together quickly.  But, I wouldn't specifically purchase and stock spare equipment because I'm willing to tolerate several days down time in the event of failure.  It also gets complicated - are you going to stock a motherboard, CPU, RAM, and power supply?  SATA controllers?  I've even had a case with an electrical short in it...  Eventually you'd wind up with all the parts needed to build a server but they'd be sitting on the shelf, aging and loosing value.

 

At some point soon I'm going to bring up a second server, though.  If you have a functioning backup server you can always scavenge parts to get a primary server back online.  A backup server also has value - you can be backing up your primary server to it in the meantime as part of your overall backup strategy.