Opinions needed on data management/security

[acompdude]

I just need to see what you guys think on this. I am moving soon and I am only taking the bare essentials with me. My macbook, clothes and grooming items(lol), etc... I need a simple, efficient, and small way to keep my important data. I am really strapped on space so no room for my file server. Mostly programs, pictures, documents, and things of that nature that I don't want to lose. I have lost data before and it sucks. My brother thinks I should just buy a 1 terabyte external drive and just burn my important things to a DVD but I want something a little easier than burning and re-burning DVD's all the time. I also don't like the thought of having DVD's everywhere. 500gigs is like 100 dvds(+ or -) and thats a lot to burn and keep disks of. I thought about getting a Western Digital 1 terabyte My Book Pro II that can be configured to do RAID 1. I think 500gigs would be enough for my stuff and this way I wouldnt have to be burning disks all the time. Then again that drive is a monster in size and I dont really want anything that big. So I am stuck between a rock and a hard place here. If it helps, I probably have less than 100gigs of really important stuff, but I am kinda paranoid about my data after losing a pile one time. Thats why I run a raid 5 array now. Just let me know what you think and what you might do if you didnt have room for that RAID 5 file server in the corner.

I can spend probably up to $350 or so on this project.

[Zerix01]

Well I say two external drives in RAID 1 or three in RAID 5. If you don't have any external SATA ports than go USB or Firewire. I can't imagine even three drives with the external cases could take up very much room. Bulky yes, but for what it is it would be a minimal desk footprint (assuming you will be able to fit a desk of some sort where ever you are going lol).

If you wanted to still have some sort of file server you could make one out of a mini-itx (http://www.mini-itx.com) board which would take up about as much room as one of the hard drives. This with three drives would be about the size of a small sub woofer. But I'm sure this would break the $350 budget.

Quick look on newegg looks like a RAID 1 solution would be 2x 500GB drives @ $100 each + 2x external USB 2.0 enclosures @$15 each = $230. If you stack the enclosures than you are looking at 9" deep 4.5" wide and about 3.5" tall. Run it in software RAID 1 via USB, won't win any speed tests but it will get the job done in a fairly compact size and under budget.

[acompdude]

Well I say two external drives in RAID 1 or three in RAID 5. If you don't have any external SATA ports than go USB or Firewire. I can't imagine even three drives with the external cases could take up very much room. Bulky yes, but for what it is it would be a minimal desk footprint (assuming you will be able to fit a desk of some sort where ever you are going lol).

If you wanted to still have some sort of file server you could make one out of a mini-itx (http://www.mini-itx.com) board which would take up about as much room as one of the hard drives. This with three drives would be about the size of a small sub woofer. But I'm sure this would break the $350 budget.

Quick look on newegg looks like a RAID 1 solution would be 2x 500GB drives @ $100 each + 2x external USB 2.0 enclosures @$15 each = $230. If you stack the enclosures than you are looking at 9" deep 4.5" wide and about 3.5" tall. Run it in software RAID 1 via USB, won't win any speed tests but it will get the job done in a fairly compact size and under budget.
I like that idea but what about software raid for mac osx? And does anyone have any experience with the WD RAID 1 External hdd? Is anyone else out there worried about data like I am? Lol.

[Zerix01]

I like that idea but what about software raid for mac osx? And does anyone have any experience with the WD RAID 1 External hdd? Is anyone else out there worried about data like I am? Lol.

Yes, hence my 1TB RAID 5 array lol.

Umm I'm not sure about RAID in OS X. Try posting in the alternative OS section, people might have more knowledge of that there. I'm sure it's easy though.