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Build a Raspberry Pi RAID NAS Server – Complete DIY Guide

Build a Raspberry Pi3 RAID NAS Server – Complete DIY Guide

Introduction

Today I will show you how to build a Raspberry Pi 3 RAID NAS server using USB flash drives, the Linux native RAID application mdadm, and SAMBA so the drive will show up as a normal network folder on Windows PC’s. It’s a pretty easy tutorial and shows you how to create a Linux RAID array which is a good skill to have.

Contents

  1. Introduction, Hardware Requirements & RAID Levels
  2. Install/Update Raspbian 9.x “Stretch” and mdadm
  3. Setup RAID Volume & File System
  4. Install/Setup SAMBA, Summary

Hardware Requirements

Raspberry Pi

You can use Raspberry Pi’s from version 2 onwards, so 2B, 2B+ and RPi 3’s are fine, but I recommend the latest Raspberry Pi 3. You’ll also need a good quality microUSB power pack suitable for the Raspberry Pi you’re using, if in doubt, just buy a combo pack that comes with case, power pack and other goodies.

USB Flash Drives

We will be using USB2.0 flash drives for our RAID array because RPi’s (all versions) only support USB2.0, so there’s no use spending up big on USB3.0 drives (unless you want to). The drives should all be the same size and preferably the same manufacturer for a good RAID array however, if you have an odd one out, just make sure it’s the same size or larger than the smallest drive.

In terms of drive size, your budget will be the determining factor, so just get what you can afford. Remember that with RAID-0 you get the total amount of all drives put together, so 2x 64GB drives will give you 128GB. RAID-1 will halve your total capacity, so 2x 64GB drives will give you 64GB, and RAID-5/6 will give you roughly 2/3 of total capacity, so 3x 64GB drives will give you 128GB of storage. RAID-10 will halve you total capacity, so 4x 64GB drives will give you 128GB storage (more about RAID levels further below).

RAID Levels

The number of drives you have with determine what RAID level you will be able to create. I suggest 3 (or more) drives which is the minimum required for a RAID-4/5 array that offers a good balance between redundancy and speed. If you only have 2 drives, I suggest using RAID-0, and even though there is no redundancy, RAID-0 rarely fails on solid state media. I have had my workstation running on SATA-3 SSD RAID-0 for years and it never skips a beat, but If you’re storing important files, definitely go with RAID-1.

If you’re confident in your Linux skills you can create a RAID-10 array with 4 drives, which is 2 sets of RAID-1, then each set is used to form a RAID-0 array giving you the benefit of speed and redundancy (I will show you how to create all types of Linux RAID arrays).

Number of Drives RAID Level Availability
2
  • RAID-0 Stripe (Fastest, but no redundancy)
  • RAID-1 Mirror (Excellent redundancy, good speed)
3
  • RAID-0 Stripe (Fastest, but no redundancy)
  • RAID-4 Dedicated parity disk (Good speed & redundancy)
  • RAID-5 Block-level striping with distributed parity (Excellent speed & redundancy)
4
  • RAID-6 Block-level striping with two parity blocks distributed across all member disks (Excellent speed & redundancy)
  • RAID 10 (nested RAID 1+0) (Excellent speed and redundancy)

Once you’ve chosen a desired RAID level you’re happy with, let’s move onto Install/Update Raspbian 9.x “Stretch” and mdadm.

Setup AutoPlay on Windows 10

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCW33iwwzdg]

Today I’ll show you how to setup Autoplay on Windows 10 so that when you connect a drive or insert a DVD, Windows will automatically perform a default action (like opening in folder view, or opening Windows media player etc). You can also choose to always prompt for action which is my personal preference.

Watch the video above or follow the text guide below.

How to Setup Autoplay on Windows 10

  1. Click on the Start Menu Windows 10 Start Icon button bottom-left
  2. Now click on the Settings Windows 10 Settings menu item
  3. Then click the Devices Windows 10 Settings - Devices icon
  4. Now click on the AutoPlay menu item
  5. Turn AutoPlay on or off using the toggle button
  6. Click on the drop down menu for Removable drive & Memory card
  7. Choose a default action (I suggest Ask me every time)
  8. Close the Device Settings window
  9. All done!

Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes & Terabytes explained

Today I would like to demystify the kilobyte issue and explain why there are sometimes large differences between an advertised devices’ capacity, and the capacity that same device displays in Windows and other operating systems. I will also explain the difference between kilobyte, kilobit and kibibyte.

If you just want to convert a kilobyte to another value (megabyte, megabit, gigabyte, gigabit etc) then use the Byte Converter further below, but if you want to learn about bits and bytes and their multiples, then read on!

Contents

  1. Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes
  2. Download conversion charts (PDF)
  3. Bit, Byte, Kilobyte Converter
  4. Conclusion

Kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes

First, let’s get some things out-of-the-way. Bits, bytes and their multiples is a very confusing issue, and I have tried very hard to lay everything out in an as-easy-to-understand way however, this isn’t easy, it’s hard (at first anyway). It certainly doesn’t help when manufacturers use the wrong terms to describe their product capacity (not kidding). I would describe the situation as a dog’s breakfast, but hey, that’s just my opinion 🙂

Now let’s get straight into the different definitions of a kilobyte, which varies according to the standard being used.

Kilobyte (Binary, JEDEC)

A Binary kilobyte is a digital information unit that is a multiple of a byte, specifically: 1 kilobyte (KB) == 1024 bytes (B). In the Metric system, kilo means 1000, so using the term "kilo" in this context has caused much confusion. It gets even more confusing when hardware manufacturers of storage (hard drives/optical discs/optical drives/flash storage, except RAM) and data communications (networking and other data rates) actually use a different methods to calculate the storage capacity or speed of their products (they use Decimal kilobytes and kilobits, more on this later).

Kilobyte (Binary, JEDEC) profile
Term Abbreviation Bytes Standard
kilobyte KB (upper-case K and B, as-per JEDEC) 1024 Binary, JEDEC
Used for measuring…
  • RAM (Random Access Memory, ie. SDRAM)
  • CPU cache
  • File and folder sizes in Windows and other operating systems
  • Software

1 kilobyte (KB) == 1024 Bytes (B)
Multiples
Term kilobyte megabyte gigabyte terabyte petabyte exabyte zettabyte yottabyte
Abbreviation KB MB GB TB PB EB ZB YB
== (equal to) 1024 Bytes 1024 KB 1024 MB 1024 GB 1024 TB 1024 PB 1024 EB 1024 ZB

Kilobyte (Decimal, Metric)

Next we have to the Decimal kilobyte which consists of 1000 bytes, specifically: 1 kilobyte (kB) == 1000 bytes (B) and used for data storage (hard drives, flash drives and optical discs etc) and sometimes data communication rates (networking). This is the reason you can buy a USB flash drive advertised as having a 64GB (gigabyte) storage capacity, but shows up in Windows and other operating systems as having only 59.6GB. This is because the manufacturer measures data capacity in 1000 byte blocks (Decimal), however your Windows or other operating system measures the same device using 1024 byte blocks (Binary) hence the smaller size.

Kilobyte (Decimal, Metric) profile
Term Abbreviation Bytes Standard
kilobyte kB (lower-case k, upper-case B) 1000 Decimal, Metric
Used for measuring…
  • Hard drive storage capacity
  • Flash based storage capacity (ie. Compact Flash, SD cards, USB drives etc)
  • Optical discs and drives
  • Floppy disks, tape storage
  • Sometimes used for data communication (networking) speed rates

1 kilobyte (kB) == 1000 Bytes (B)
Multiples
Term kilobyte megabyte gigabyte terabyte petabyte exabyte zettabyte yottabyte
Abbreviation kB MB GB TB PB EB ZB YB
== (equal to) 1000 Bytes 1000 kB 1000 MB 1000 GB 1000 TB 1000 PB 1000 EB 1000 ZB

Kibibyte (Binary, IEC)

Now to clear up the confusion between a Binary (1024 byte) and a Decimal (1000 byte) kilobyte, the IEC enacted standards with new names for all Binary prefixes for 1024-byte-kilobytes, which replaces the term kilobyte with kibibyte, megabyte with mebibyte, gigabyte with gibibyte, and so on (see table below). These changes are in the hope that we will all refer to a Decimal kilobyte (1000 bytes) as a kilobyte, and the Binary kilobyte (1024 bytes) as a kibibyte. This is in unison with the Metric System where the term "kilo" means 1000.

Kibibyte (Binary, IEC) profile
Term Abbreviation Bytes Standard
kibibyte KiB (upper-case K, lower case i, upper-case B) 1024 Binary, IEC
Used for measuring…
  • RAM (Random Access Memory, ie. SDRAM)
  • CPU cache
  • Slowly gaining acceptance in software

1 kibibyte (KiB) == 1024 Bytes (B)
Multiples
Term kibibyte mebibyte gibibyte tebibyte pebibyte exbibyte zebibyte yobibyte
Abbreviation KiB MiB GiB TiB PiB EiB ZiB YiB
== (equal to) 1024 Bytes 1024 KiB 1024 MiB 1024 GiB 1024 TiB 1024 PiB 1024 EiB 1024 ZiB

Kilobit (Decimal, Metric)

Next we have the Decimal kilobit which consists of 1000 bits of digital information and is most often used to express data communication rates, as in networking. For example: an ADSL line speed is expressed as 1500kbps, which means the connections’ capacity is 1500 kilobits-per-second. The same ADSL connection can also be expressed as being 1.5Mbps which means 1.5 megabits-per-second. Please note that a kilobit is in no way comparable to a kilobyte and it’s best not to confuse the two. A kilobyte actually consists of 8192 bits because a kilobit (Metric) has 1000 bits.

Kilobit (Decimal, Metric) profile
Term Abbreviation Bits Standard
kilobit kbit (lower-case k suffixed with lower-case "bit", subsequent values have an upper-case first letter ie. Mbit) 1000 Decimal, Metric
Used for measuring…
  • Data communications (network speeds ie. 56kbps kilobits-per-second)

1 kilobit (kb) == 1000 bits (b)
Multiples
Term kilobit megabit gigabit terabit petabit exabit zettabit yottabit
Abbreviation kbit Mbit Gbit Tbit Pbit Ebit Zbit Ybit
== (equal to) 1000 bits 1000 kbits 1000 Mbits 1000 Gbits 1000 Tbits 1000 Pbits 1000 Ebits 1000 Zbits

Kilobit / kibibit (Binary, JEDEC / IEC)

Finally we have the Binary kilobit (JEDEC) or kibibit (IEC) which consists of 1024 bits of digital information and is most often used to express CPU cache and RAM memory capacities. As with the 1000-bit-kilobyte vs 1024-byte-kilobyte issue, the IEC enacted new names for Binary kilobits and renamed them kibibits, mebibits, gibibits etc in the hope we will now refer to a kilobit as consisting 1000 bits, and a kibibit as consisting of 1024 bits. Please also note that some chip/memory manufacturers still use the Metric prefixes when referring to Binary multiples, further confusing consumers.

Kilobit / kibibit (Binary, JEDEC, IEC) profile
Term Abbreviation Bits Standard
kilobit
kibibit		 Kbit (upper-case K suffixed with lower-case "bit")
Kibit (upper-case K suffixed with "ibit")		 1024 Binary, JEDECand IEC
Used for measuring…
  • CPU cache and RAM memory capacity (ie. 128Kbit cache)

1 kilobit (Kbit) == 1024 bits (b)

1 kibibit (Kibit) == 1024 bits (b)
Multiples (JEDEC)
Term kilobit megabit gigabit terabit petabit exabit zettabit yottabit
Abbreviation Kbit Mbit Gbit Tbit Pbit Ebit Zbit Ybit
== (equal to) 1024 bits 1024 Kbits 1024 Mbits 1024 Gbits 1024 Tbits 1024 Pbits 1024 Ebits 1024 Zbits
Multiples (IEC)
Term kibibit mebibit gibibit tebibit pebibit exbibit zebibit yobibit
Abbreviation Kibit Mibit Gibit Tibit Pibit Eibit Zibit Yibit
== (equal to) 1024 bits 1024 Kibits 1024 Mibits 1024 Gibits 1024 Tibits 1024 Pibits 1024 Eibits 1024 Zibits

Bit, byte, kilobyte conversion charts (PDF)

You might want to download and print these charts for your reference etc.

Bit, byte, kilobyte quick reference chart PDF
Bit, byte conversion chart PDF

Byte Converter

Enter the value you want to convert in the proper field, such as: If you wanted to convert 1 binary megabyte into decimal kilobytes, enter 1 into the megabyte/mebibytes field in the middle column (3rd down), click the Calculate button, and the result will be in the right column, 2nd down (1048.576kB).

 

Conclusion

It can take a few light-bulb moments to fully grasp the kilobyte issue, but if you’re still stuck then read over this article again or perhaps visit some of the links below for further information. If after doing all that you’re still stuck, just email me and I’ll help you out.

Cheers!

Wikipedia links

Other links

Manually backup files, folders & personal data in Windows

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjQR77wmd8]

Today I will show you how to optimally backup all your personal files, folders and data in a way that is easily read and used in any operating system, not just Windows.

As I have mentioned in earlier guides, Windows Backup & Restore is great if you are sticking with a Windows operating system, but messy and complicated if you want to use that backup in MAC or Linux (its inside a container file) and System Repair Discs are only good for your Windows system, not your personal data. It is far better to manually backup your personal data, preferably in addition to Windows built-in backup, rather than relying solely on the Windows backup format.

Before we begin, you will need either a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive (see example images below) with the capacity to hold all your personal data, which I will go through with you first, before commencing the backup process.

USB flash drive
Typical USB flash drive storage device
3.5 inch external hard drive
USB3.0 external hard drive 3.5 inch 500GB capacity

How to manually backup your personal data (Vista, 7 & 8)

1. Calculate how much space you require

  1. Windows XP/Vista/7: Click on the Start Menu icon Windows Start Button bottom-left of your screen, then click the Computer menu item
  2. Windows 8/8.1: Press the Windows Logo key Windows Logo Key on your keyboard, click on the File Explorer icon Windows 8 Explorer taskbar icon on your taskbar, then click Computer from the left-pane
  3. Click on your System (C:) drive or the drive where your Windows system is installed
  4. Vista/7/8 user folders location: Computer > System (C:) > Users > [yourusername]
  5. XP user folders location: Computer > System (C:) > Documents and Settings > [yourusername]
  6. Right-click on your user folder (named the same as your logon name) and select the Properties menu item
  7. Look for the Size on disk: XX.XXGB item where XX.XX will be the size of your personal files and data (ie. 15.56GB, MB=Megabyte, GB=Gigabyte, TB=Terabyte)
  8. Repeat this process for all Users > [username] folders you want to backup
  9. For USB flash drives, I recommend buying one-size-up from the size calculated, such as: if the size calculated is about 30GB you should buy a 64GB USB flash drive (not 32GB) as this will allow for headroom (you’ll need it).
  10. If you have more than 128GB of personal data, I recommend buying an external USB hard drive instead of a USB flash drive (see below) as it is more affordable and faster.
  11. For external USB hard drives, as a minimum I recommend buying a 500GB unit or larger, and USB3.0 rather than USB2.0. They come in sizes up to 4TB as of 2014.
  12. Obviously you should purchase an external hard drive capable of holding all your personal data plus 100% headroom, in other words double the size of your personal data.

2. Locate important data files

Rather than explain how to find important data files located outside of your user folder (which would make this guide far too long), I will instead give you some links showing how to find the most common ones.

There may be more data files you need to back up, go through your programs and assess which ones do before proceeding, but most programs will (and should) store data files inside your Users > [username] folder.

3. Copy the data to external drive

  1. Plug in your USB or external hard drive
  2. Open your user folder: Computer > System (C:) > Users > [yourusername]*
  3. You should now see all your user folders (Contacts, Desktop, Downloads, etc)
  4. Starting at the top of the list, right-click on the first folder
  5. Mouse-over the Send to: menu item
  6. Click on the USB or external hard drive from the list, it will usually be named the same as its brand, WD_Elements (E:) or SanDisk (F:) etc
  7. Windows will now copy the selected folder and it’s contents to your backup drive
  8. Repeat this process for each folder but be aware, it can take some time (hours) to transfer large amounts of data (ie. My Documents or My Music) especially to USB flash drives
  9. When finished transferring all your user folders, copy over any extra data files to your backup drive too (Outlook, Quicken etc)
  10. Backup of all your personal data is complete*

*Please note that sometimes your user folders will be on a different partition or disk, particularly if you have a high-end workstation. Be sure you have at least copied the following folder list…

  • Contacts
  • Desktop
  • Downloads
  • Favorites
  • Links
  • My Documents or Documents
  • My Music or Music
  • My Pictures or Pictures
  • My Videos or Videos
  • Saved Games
  • Searches
  • Any other folders or files inside your user folders

There may be more files related to custom programs installed on your PC (Adobe Creative Suite, Corel etc) you will need to find these files and back them up also.

Cheers guys! and any questions leave them in the comments below.