unRaid Array Built from External USB Drives?

[only1miller]

Hi All,

 

I did some searching on the forums but I can't find anything that specifically relates to this question, so apologies in advance if this has been covered before.

 

What I'm looking to do is use a low-end mini PC with USB 3.0 or USB-C hub to attach multiple external HDDs into an unRaid array.

 

WAIT! Before the deluge of "don't do that you moron" responses, let me explain:

 

I already have an unRaid server running with a normal internal HDDs and it's running fine - no worries there. What I'm looking to do, however, is create another backup array out of USB drives. Here's why:

 

I want a system that is so dead-simple to get into in the event I fall off the face of the earth. This would be in the dire event that something terrible happens to me and my family, etc. wants to get to pictures and videos and such. Sure, if the unRaid server is running - no problem. But what if it dies? (bad timing, I admit). If I had an unRaid array (strictly for backup, mind you) - I could leave instructions that the stack of USB drive in my office has all of our files.

 

I already have cloud backup running via Arq5, but again - this is not dead simple. My family is not stupid, but I am certainly the techie in this bunch. And anyone can disconnect a USB drive and plug it into a laptop to get at files.

 

So - does unRaid support this kind of setup? Any caveats I need to be mindful of as I set it up? Again, I am very mindful that this is a terrible setup but it is very purpose-driven.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

P.S. forgot to mention: part of the reason for this need is that my media folders are larger than even the largest external drive made - so I need a system that can span multiple drives without proprietary file formats. unRaid's ability to pull a drive and get right at the files is what I'm after. Maybe there's something else I should be using?

Edited August 19, 2018 by only1miller
more info

[trurl]

1 minute ago, only1miller said:

And anyone can disconnect a USB drive and plug it into a laptop to get at files.

 

While USB arrays are not recommended for unRAID, the above is really the flaw in this plan. Unless that laptop is running Linux it is not going to be able to read any unRAID filesystem.

 

What I do is format external USB drives in Windows as NTFS and then use the Unassigned Devices plugin to mount them in unRAID to do backup for offsite storage. And since these disks are NTFS, they can be read easily by any Windows computer.

[only1miller]

Hi trurl. Thanks for replying so quickly!

 

Interesting! I totally forgot about the file system. Hmm. Would a Mac be able to read a native unRaid drive? I have a few Mac users in the family.

 

As for the unassigned devices plugin - I'm unfamiliar with it but will do some studying up. I'm assuming that it's just for one-off connections and wouldn't allow NTFS devices to be used as part of an unRaid array?

[trurl]

I've never had Apple in the house but I don't think so. Maybe someone else will take that question, or you can research it yourself. unRAID disks are reiserFS, XFS, or btrfs.

 

Unassigned Devices plugin is for connecting drives that are not assigned to the array, hence the name.

[itimpi]

12 minutes ago, only1miller said:

Hi trurl. Thanks for replying so quickly!

 

Interesting! I totally forgot about the file system. Hmm. Would a Mac be able to read a native unRaid drive? I have a few Mac users in the family.

 

As for the unassigned devices plugin - I'm unfamiliar with it but will do some studying up. I'm assuming that it's just for one-off connections and wouldn't allow NTFS devices to be used as part of an unRaid array?

A Mac would be unable to read an unRAID array drive unless you install 3rd party software to add support for the unRAID formats.

 

the Unassigned Devices plugin can handle more formats than are allowed for the array.   It can handle standard Windows and Mac formatted disks.

Edited August 19, 2018 by itimpi