Will adding RAID drives 2 my Quad Pro make any FCS processes much faster?

Anyone have an opinion on adding RAID drives to Mac Quad Pro (dual 2.66 intel xeon) as far as significantly speeding up any video processing times?

The won't add processing power, won't speed up processing times. What a RAID does is allow you to play higher data rate formats, or multiple streams of high data rate formats (ProREs, uncompressed HD).
Shane

Similar Messages

Will adding more ram to my Macbook Pro make it faster?

So I have about mid-2010 Macbook Pro and after all these OS upgrades throughout the years (currently running OSX 10.9.5), it's starting to run annoying slow but still useable. My specs on this Macbook is a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of ram. If I upgrade my ram to 6 or 8 GB will my Macbook run a lot more faster? I use my Macbook mostly for entertainment purposes such as web browsing, movies and music as well as for school mainly Microsoft Powerpoint and Word. Also, if I were to upgrade my ram is it as simple as popping out the old ram and installing the new ones? Thanks.

Hi kidrobot123,
Thanks for your question. Think of Random Access Memory (RAM) as the amount of information your computer can think about at any one time. Your operating system requires a certain amount of memory for basic functions. Every software program that you have open needs memory as well. So, increasing the available memory is one of the things you can do to improve performance.
The resource below explains how to do it. I've highlighted the section of the article that pertains to your Mid 2010 model. Click on the link for more details.
MacBook Pro: How to remove or install memory - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201165
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
Number of memory slots
2
Base memory
4 GB
Maximum memory
8 GB
Memory card specifications
- Double Data Rate Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR3) format
- 30mm (1.18 inch)
- 2 GB or 4 GB
- 204-pin
- PC3-8500 DDR3 1066 MHz type RAM
Additional notes
For best performance, fill both memory slots, installing an equal memory module in each slot.
Removing or installing memory
Warning: The internal components of your MacBook Pro can be warm. If you have been using your MacBook Pro, wait ten minutes after shutting down the computer to let the internal components cool before continuing.
Step 1: Remove the bottom case
Shut down your MacBook Pro. Disconnect the power adapter, Ethernet cable, USB cables, security lock, and any other cables connected to the MacBook Pro to prevent damaging the computer.
Turn over your MacBook Pro and remove the ten (10) screws that secure the bottom case. Because the screws are different lengths, note the screw lengths and locations so you can replace the screws correctly. Put them aside in a safe place. Lift off the case and place it to the side.
Touch a metal surface inside the computer to discharge any static electricity from your body.
Step 2: Remove existing memory (if present)
Push the levers on the sides of the memory module in an outward direction to release the module from the memory card slot. The memory pops up at an angle. Before removing it, make sure you find the half-circle notches. If you don’t, try pressing the levers outward again.
Hold the memory module by its notches and remove it from the slot.
Remove the other memory module.
Important: Hold the memory modules by their edges, and do not touch the gold connectors.
Step 3: Install memory
Align the notch on the gold edge of the module with the notch in the lower memory slot.
Tilt the card and push the memory into the slot.
Use two fingers with firm, even pressure to push down on the memory module. There should be a click when you insert the memory correctly.
Repeat this procedure to install an additional memory module in the top slot. Press down on the module to make sure it is level.
Note: Make sure you install the memory according to this illustration, with the gold contacts inserted almost completely into the connector.
Step 4: Replace the bottom case
Replace and tighten the ten screws you removed earlier, making sure to put the different length screws in their proper locations.
The resource below provides some other considerations to improve your computer's performance using Mavericks.OS X Mavericks: If your Mac runs slowly
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13895
OS X Mavericks: If your Mac runs slowlyIf you find your Mac is running slowly, there are a number of potential causes that you can check.
An app you’re using may require more memory than your computer has easily available. To see how much memory your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac. See the help that came with the app to find out what it requires. To find out how to increase your computer’s memory, see the documentation that came with your computer.Find the manual for your Mac
Quit any app that isn’t compatible with your computer. For example, an app may require a different processor or graphics card. See the documentation that came with the app to find out what it requires.
To see what processor your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac.
To see what graphics card your computer has, choose Apple menu > About This Mac, click More Info, then click Displays.
Your computer’s startup disk may not have enough free disk space. To make disk space available, move files to another disk, then delete files you no longer need on the startup disk.Increase disk space
Quit any apps you’re not using.
Use Disk Utility to verify and fix any issues with your hard disk.If you have problems with your disk
Use Activity Monitor to see if a particular app or activity is making a large demand on your Mac.
Last Modified: May 8, 2014
Cheers,
- Judy

New Mac Pro 8-core / D700 not much faster than an iMac... in PPro CC.

So.... my very preliminary testing with our new Mac Pro using the plugin I use most (filmconvert -FC) anyway, shows that Premiere CC needs more optimization for the dual GPUs. In fact, I'd say the CPU utilization is not up to snuff either.
I know FC only uses one GPU presently from the developer. That will change. In the meantime, using a couple of typical projects with that plugin as an example, I'm only seeing 25-45% speed up in renders over our maxed out iMac (late 2012, 27") exporting the same project. That's significant of course but not the 100%+ one would think we would be seeing at the least given the MacPro config of 8 cores and dual D700s. Premiere Pro CC seems in fact to never maximize CPU (never mind GPUs). I have yet, in my very limited testing, see it "pin the meters" like I did on the iMac.
Of course that's just testing now two short (under 5 min) projects, and it depends on what one is doing. Some stuff is much, much faster like Red Giant's Denoiser II or Warp Stabilizer VFX. The improvement there can be 3-4x faster anecdotally. I used to avoid them for speed reasons unless absolutely needed a lot of the time but now they are fast enough to rely on quickly. Other stuff unrelated top PPro CC like DxO PRIME noise removal on RAW stills is much faster too, as is Photoshop CC. Some effects like blur, sharpening, resize there are nearly instant now even on giga pixel files in Photoshop CC.
And of course FCPX is much faster on it but I hate the whole editing paradigm. The timeline is just horrid on it; simple things like replacing a word in someone's dialogue is a multi click, multistep process that is nearly instant in Premiere and most every other NLE. Just to try to see your whole timeline is a chore, to see what your edits and sound are in detail are problematic, trying to keep things in sync is a chore, and you can't even zoom your timeline window to full screen! If anybody has edited for any amount of time, I do not understand how they use FCP X. If they start with that program, for example if they are young, then that is a different beast.
I'm sure Adobe will improve over time. They have to to stay competitive. In the meantime I'll take my 45%... but I wish I saw much more improvement given the cost and hardware differential. Unfortiunately, for now, the mainstream reviews I have seen regarding PPro performance on this machine were right.

That statement about 4k/5k in Premiere CC with the nMP is false, insofar as performance goes.
I just tested 5K Red raw files just dragged into Premiere Pro CC (latest version). I expected this to be slow, given my HD experience. However, on my 8 core/D700, I can play 1/2 just fine, full speed. And I even can also do that with a very streneous plugin/filter attached - FilmConvert (in OpenCL mode), also at 1/2 which is quite impressive. I can even add a bunch of other Premiere filters and SG looks and it still stays at full speed at 1/2.
Ironically, this is quite faster than FCPX which can't seem to play back 5K at all with that filter attached (it doesn't stutter, but it's not smooth... low resolution at "best performace" and reduced frame rate). Even if I remove all filters FCPX plays back Red 4k (again not transcoded) about the same as CC at 1/2, but with a seemingly lower resolution to keep it smooth. It's a head scratcher. It's like Adobe's Red handling is much better coded than Apple's in this case.
Or... it has to be attrituable to that particular plugin (other FCPX motion-based plugins don't suffer the same fate and are fast). But either way, filter or no, Premiere Pro CC is definitely and sharper looking at 1/2 when cutting Red 4k/5k with no transcode, playback in real time, than FCPX which needs to bump it down to what looks like a 1/4 or less rez to keep it smooth. So I have no idea what is going on.
This experience is the opposite with HD, where FCPX is significantly faster (using the same filters/plugin, using C300 Canon XF for HD and 4 and 5K RedRaw alternatively). Premiere seems slower in HD than FCPX by a good amount in HD and signficantly faster with Redraw 4k. Go figure.

Can Premiere Pro 5.5 be that much faster?

I have two identical PCs, purchased and set up at the same time. I'm running Premiere Pro 5.0 on one and Premiere Pro 5.5 on the other. The software preference settings are identical. The newer version smokes the older one for speed. It renders and outputs files in about a fifth of the time. I can't figure why there's so much difference. Can the newer version be that much faster?

Premiere pro CS5 has a smaller list of supported GPU's that enhance the playback and render performance.
On the other hand PRemiere pro CS5.5 has new graphic cards added to the list.
And thats the reason for knowing the computer specifications because if GPU in your computer is supported in CS5.5 but not in CS5 there would be a difference in the performance.
Any ways we would expect Premiere Pro cs5.5 to be faster, certain performance upgrades(software coding) that Adobe might have done(CONFIDENTIAL) since is is meant to supersede Premiere Pro CS5.

A DVD external super drive on a Macbook-pro 15', any chance to work?

Hey! I bought a macbook-pro 15’ in 2009 which does generally well. Nevertheless it has a problem concerning the DVD internal drive. It doesn’t read anymore and I have tried to clean with no effect. Few days ago I bought an external USB super drive from Apple store. I did so because I did not like to give my computer back for service, when I need it all the time for my work. I thought with that I would have solved my problem. Now I realized that things are not so easy, I must have made a mistake. Macbook-pro 15’ is not supposed to be connected to an external USB super drive. Can I still do something to make it work? Thanks

Apple designs external Superdrive to only work with computers that shipped without an optical frive. Why don't you save yourself much grief & return it. Then purchase any USB drive you want, just not a Superdrive. Thousands on the market & they will work just fine with your computer.

Multiple external drives failed on Mac Pro. Any idea why?

This is the third drive that has failed since I was assigned this Mac Pro at work a few weeks ago, and the drive was purchased less than a week ago. The other two were older drives.
They would suddenly stop being readable. Sometimes there was a problem ejecting the drive before it stopped becomeing readable (message would say the drive couldn't be ejected because another program is using it, when there were no programs open). One of them eventually mounted again and I recovered some of the files (but some files weren't readable when I tried to copy them). But that was just luck as they all seem now to be consistently unreadable. When I plug them in I get the message: "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer"... same if I plug it into a different computer.
And when I try to repair, it shows this: http://i.imgur.com/ivK9d.png
Any idea what would cause this? When it happed to the second drive, I just thought it was a fluke... but now a third, brand new drive? Something about the computer must be causing it.

innergalactic wrote:
The first two were WD and the third was Seagate - all in their own enclosures. They MIGHT have been plugged into the same FW800
So we're talking different vendors, different enclosures -- but likely the same bus, possibly even the same port, and different hosts (Mac Pro and MacBook).
Very difficult to say at this point, because two different computers are actually involved and you're not sure how and which is involved. The problem does sound like a hardware issue -- but, if it is, is it the FW controller on the MBP or on the MP? I can't tell.
Your pic shows DU can't fix the drive, but can it re-format the drive? (If the drive is FW/USB hybrid, try USB if FW doesn't work.) If yes, the error might be hardware or software; if no, the problem is likely hardware.
Although it's difficult, you must keep track of what drive is connected to what machine and on which port, otherwise you'll only fix this by being lucky. Also, check if you have on either Mac software which might interfere with disk writing. Of course, I assume you always eject the ext'l drives properly before you disconnect them physically.

HT1229 How do I back up my entire iPhoto library to an additional hard drive. I have a WD 1TB hard drive which I would like to use as a backup drive to my MacBook Pro. What steps do I take to do this. Thank you

How do I back up myentire iPhoto library to an an additional hard drive, I have a WD My Book 1TB hooked up to my MacBook Pro via USB 2 port.

Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Most Simple Back Up:
Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.
Slightly more complex: Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically.
Example of such apps: Chronosync - but there are many others. Search on MacUpdate or the App Store

I can't see two of my internal drives on my mac pro?

I can't see two of my internal drives on my mac pro? Any idea's or suggestions on how I can see them again. They were working last week just fine - Now they don't even show up in the finder? I have video stored on one and the other is just used for extra storage if needed - not really used much.

A drive that will not show BOTH its Make&Model AND a reasonable Size/capacity in Disk Utility has failed.
IF Disk Utility can see those things, use (Repair Disk) to attempt to repair its Directory. It takes about five minutes. If it finishes in 10 seconds, it just repaired the Partition Map and nothing else. Select the Macintosh_HD or whatever you renamed the Volume, and (Repair Disk) again.

I have an internal 256 Solid State Drive on my MacBook Pro. Can I upgrade it to a larger solid state drive? If so, how?

I am trying to free up space on my solid state drive on my MacBook Pro, but am not having much luck. I have come to the point where I am asking myself, "is it possible to upgrade to a larger internal drive?" Please help. I appreciate the feedback.

Yes you can upgrade it. Unless your MBP is one of the new Retina display models. Is it one of the new models with the Retina display?
If not it is the same as changing a regular hard drive. you buy a new bigger SSD. Take the bottom off, aboput 8 screws. Take the part that holds the SSD drive inplace. Remove the cable connector. Remove the 4 mounting screws on the side of the original SSD and istall them on the new SSD Re-Connect the cable. Slide the drive into the drive area. Replace the hold down part. Then put the bottom back on.
Then connect the original SSD to the compuiter with a SATA to USB adapter. Boot the system and hold down the Option key. At the screen that come up select the USB attached SSD and boot the system from it. Open Disk utility and Partition the new drive as 1 partition, format it Mac Extended (Journaled) giving the partition the name of Macintosh HD (or any name you like). Once that is done exit out of disk utility and get a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper then install that. Run it and clone from the USB attached SSD to the SSD you just installed inside your system. Once that is done shut the system down, disconnect the USB attached SSD and then power on the system. It should now boot to the internal SSD you install. To nbe on the safe side go into System Preferences, Startup Disk and make sure the internal SSD is selected. You are done.

Adding a RAID card to help speed up export (and other drive question) in Premiere Pro CC

First of all, I have read Tweakers Page exporting section because that is where my primary concern is. First my questions, then background and my current and proposed configurations:
Question 1: Will adding a hardware RAID controller, such as an LSI MegaRAID remove enough burden from the CPU managing parity on my software RAID 5 that the CPU will jump for joy and export faster?
Question 2: If true to above, then compare thoughts on adding more smaller SSDs for either a one volume RAID 0 or smaller two volume RAID 0 to complement existing HDD RAID 5. That is, I'm thinking of buying four Samsung 850 Pro 128 GB SSDs to put in a four disk volume to handle everything (media/projects, media cache, previews, exports), or split it up into two volumes of two disks each and split the duties, or keep the four disk volume idea and put the previews & exports on my HDD RAID 5 array.
The 850's are rated at SEQ read/write: 550/470 MB/s thus I could get around 2000/1500 MB/s read write in a four disk RAID 0 or 1/2 that if I split into two volumes to minimize volumes from reading/writing at the same time, if that really matters with these SSDs?
The Tweaker's page made a few comments. One is splitting duties among different disks, rather than a large efficient RAID may actually slow things down. Since the SSDs are much faster than a single HDD, I'm thinking that is no longer accurate, thus I'm leaning toward the Four disk configuration putting OS & Programs on C drive, Media & Projects on D (HDD RAID 5), Pagefile & Media Cache on SSD (2-disk RAID 0) and Previews &Exports on 2nd SSD RAID 0 (or combine the two RAID 0's and their duties).
Just trying to get a perspective here, since I haven't purchased anything yet. Any experience/stories, I would appreciate.
My current drive configuration:
My D drive is software RAID 5 consisting of four 1 TB Western Digital RE4 (RED) 7200 RPM HDDs with a CrystalDiskMark SEQ Read/Write of 339/252 MB/s.
The C drive is SSD 500 GB (Samsung 840 (not Pro) and does 531/330 MB/s. My OS, Program Files and Page File are on C, and data/media files/project, etc all are on the RAID drive.
Problem:
Current setup allows for smooth editing, only the exporting seems slow, often taking between two and two and a half times the video length to export. Thus a 10 minute video takes 20-30 minutes to export. 15 minute video can take 30-40 minutes to export. The first 10% of the two-pass export takes under a minute (seems fast), but it gets slower where the final 10 or 20% can hang for many minutes like my system is running out of steam. So where is the waste?
I have enabled hardware acceleration (did the GPU hack since my GPU isn't listed) and it may spike at 25% usage a few times and eat up 600 MB of VRAM (I have 2 GB of VRAM), otherwise it is idle the whole export. The CPU may spike at 50% but it doesn't seem overly busy either.
Our timeline is simple with two video streams and two audio streams (a little music and mostly voice) with simple transitions (jump cuts or cross dissolves). We sometimes fast color correct, so that might use the GPU? Also, since we film in 1080 60P and export 1080 29.97 frames/sec, I think that is scaling and uses the GPU. I know without the GPU, it does take a lot longer. I have ruled out buying a faster GPU since it doesn't appear to be breaking a sweat. I just need to know if my system is bottlenecked at the hard drive level because I'm using software RAID and my disks are slow and will hardware RAID significantly reduce the CPU load so it can export faster.
Our files are not huge in nature. Most our clips are several MBs each. Total project files are between 5 GBs and 10 GBs for each video with Windows Media File export being 500 MB to 1.2 GB on average. We shoot using Panasonic camcorders so the original files are AVCHD, I believe (.MTS files?).
Considerations:
1. I'm thinking of buying (and future proofing) an LSI Logic MegaRAID 9361-8i that is 12Gb/s SAS and SATA (because some current SSDs can exceed the 6Gb/s standard).
2. I'm not replacing my current RAID 5 HDDs because not in my budget to upgrade to 6 or more large SSDs. These drives are more important to me for temporary storage because I remove the files once backed up. I don't mind a few inexpensive smaller SSDs if they can make a significant difference for editing and exporting.
I can only guess my HDD RAID is slow but the CPU is burdened with parity. I would imagine running RAID 10 would not help much.
My setup:
my setup:
CPU - i7-3930K CPU @4.5 GHz
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 2133 @2000
Motherboard - ASUS P9X79 WS LGA 2011
GPU - Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC 2GB (performed the compatibility list hack to enable hardware acceleration).
C drive - 500 GB Samsung 840 SSD (Windows 7 Pro 64 bit and programs).
D drive - four 1 TB WD RE4 Enterprise HDDs 7200 RPMs in software RAID 5
Case - Cooler Master HAF X
CPU Fan - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO with 120 mm fan
Power Supply - Corsair Pro Series AX 850 Watt 80 Plus Gold
Optical Drive - Pioneer BDR - 208DBK
thanks in advance,
Eric

........software RAID 5 off the motherboard ??????......NOT a good idea, from what I have read here on this forum from experts like Harm Millard and others. They have mentioned a LARGE overhead on the CPU doing this....causing sub-par performance. RAID 0 off the motherboard will NOT do this, however.....RAID 0 would provide optimum speed, but, with the risk of total data loss if ANY drive fails. You may wish to reconfigure your RAID to be RAID 0...BUT...you would need to DILIGENTLY back up its entire volume onto perhaps a quality 4TB drive very frequently.
A lot depends on the nature of your current and FUTURE codecs you plan to edit. You may not want to sink a lot of money into an older setup that may have trouble with more demanding future codecs. For now, in the 1080p realm, your rig should be OK....the read/write performance on your CURRENT RAID 5 setup is not great, and a definite drag on the performance. The rest of your components appear to be fine.....the Samsung SSD, though not ideal, is OK.....it's write speed is WAY lower than the Pro model,but, the drive is used mainly for reading operations. Since you have Windows 7 Pro, and NOT Windows 8.......you CAN put the entire windows page file onto the RAID 0 you might create.....this will take that frequent read/write load OFF the SSD. Read the "tweakers Page" to see how to best TUNE your machine. To use your current setup most efficiently, without investing much money, you would :a. create the RAID 0 off the motherboard, ( putting all media and project files on it ) b. install a quality 7200rpm 4TB HDD to serve as a BACKUP of the RAID array. Then, install a Crucial M550 256GB or larger SSD, ( close in performance to Samsung 850 Pro...much cheaper), to put all previews, cache , and media cache files on....AND to use as " global performance cache" for After Effects...if you use that program. Exporting can be done to ANOTHER Crucial M550 for best speed...or, just to the either the FIRST Crucial or, the 4TB drive. Your current GPU will accelerate exports on any video containing scaling and any GPU accelerated effects. Your CPU is STILL important in SERVING the data to and from the GPU AND for decoding and encoding non-GPU handled video....your high CPU clock speed helps performance there ! You may want to check out possibly overclocking your video card, using MSI Afterburner.or, similar free program. Increasing the "memory clock speed" can RAISE performance and cut export times on GPU effects loaded timelines,or, scaling operations. On my laptop, I export 25% faster doing this. With my NEW i7 4700 HQ laptop, I export in the range of your CURRENT machine....about 2 to 3 times the length of the original video. PROPERLY SET UP...your desktop machine should BLOW THIS AWAY !!
Visit the PPBM7 website and test your current setup to possibly identify current bottlenecks,or, performance issues. THEN, RE-TEST it again, after making improvements to your machine to see how it does. Be aware that new codecs are coming (H.265 and HEVC,etc.) which may demand more computer horsepower to edit, as they are even MORE compressed and engineered for "streaming" high quality at a lower bandwidth on the internet. The new Haswell E...with its quad-channel memory, 8 core option, large number of PCI gen. 3 lanes, goes farther in being prepared for 4K and more. Testing by Eric Bowen has shown the newer PPro versions provide MUCH better processing of 4K than older versions.

Adding optical drive to Mac Pro

I have added RAM & hard drives to my Mac Desktops, including the Mac Pro, but have never messed with the optical drive.
Recently, I decided that I would like to have a second CD/DVD RW drive in the Mac Pro. I have two questions:
1 - can someone recommend a good internal CD/DVD RW drive for the Mac Pro? I mainly do audio CDs, occasionally DVDs, do not need Blu-Ray as of yet.
2 - is there a visual guide for installing an optical drive? If it's as easy as inserting hard drives, it should be a piece of cake.
thanks!
w

Be sure to get a drive that uses ATA, such as the Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-115D, not SATA. You need to remove the tray lip.
<http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/index.cfm?page=removedrivedoor.html>
Apple provides the mounting screws. They are on the back of the metal drive holder. Set the drive jumper to CS (Cable Select). Be careful when putting the drive holder back into the Mac Pro, so you don't nick or pinch any cables.
Eject will open the upper drive. Option-Eject will open the lower drive.

Best Way to Backup a Raid hard drive on Windows 7 Pro OS

This is my set-up
Lenovo W520 on factory installed Windows 7 Professional OS
Two 500 GB Internal Hard drive on Raid 1 (factory installed):
NO DVD burner
Have a 2TB External Hard drive partitioned into three -
#1--600GB; #2-- 600GB;    #3--600+GB
I already created a "Factory recovery disk" from the thinkvantage tool and put it in partition #1
The next step is to create a backup of my system, application and data.
Thinkvantage tools offers 2 options:
1. Windows backup
2. Rescue & Recovery
Question 1:
With the set-up as listed above, what is the best & most effective way to backup a Raid 1 on Windows 7 Pro OS?
How do you do it? How often to backup? (I am just a beginner on RAID)
Question 2:
OR do you use other Back-up/ Imaging software??? (e.g. Acronis,paragon system backup,norton ghost , novabackup, nero backit up)

Hi, Herb,
   RAID is no substitute for backing up your hard drive. For example, if you get a virus it will destroy the data on both RAID drives. In fact, I don't think that RAID 1 has much value for most users. Odds are much higher that you will encounter a software (virus) issue than a sudden disk failure. However, if RAID makes you feel more secure, then by all means.
   I recommend getting Acronis True Image Home. It is cheap and it works. It will enable you to take a snapshot of your hard drive and recover with ease.
Acronis
   Last thing - I'm guessing your external drive is USB 3 or eSATA? If so, it has the speed you need to run complete backups. I do mine every evening, as I can't afford to lose a whole day's work.
                                                        Best, ZZ
P.S. I recommend rotating multiple external drives. I use three and keep one in my car. Yes, external drives can fail/ be stolen, etc.

RAID drives with MacBook Pro?

Do I need a RAID card in my MacBook Pro to use external 800 firewire RAID Lacie drives with a 5+ array?
Thank you,
Patrice Shannon

Dear RedRocket,
Thank you for your response. I will try this. AussieDJ said I should use eSATA but I don't know if my MacBook Pro supports that? have to do more research. I've used external firewire 800 before with my laptop but never a RAID. I decided to go this route for data safety since I'm starting a new project soon.
I just bought
LaCie 4big Quadra
4-BAY RAID I USB 2.0 I FireWire 400 & 800 I eSATA
I hope it works okay with the MacBook and firewire 800. I'm going to be editing an Avid project in AppleProRes 422.
If it doesn't work properly, I guess I'll just invest in a desktop with eSATA.
Best Regards,
Patrice Shannon

Looking for a Hard Drive RAID System for 17" MacBook Pro, any Suggestions?

I purchased my 17" MacBook Pro in Nov. 09 and it does have an ExpressCard/34 slot. What I am looking to do, is purchase a 4TB Caldigit VR External Hard Drive and put it on RAID 0. I Love the performance fact, but I don't feel too safe, because if that drives go down, there goes my data. So what I want to do is use Carbon Copy Cloner and find another External Hard Drive that will backup my Caldigit VR, since it will be RAID 0. Any Suggestions would help out very much! I am using this RAID System to store my HD Video using Final Cut Pro Studio. I know I can set up the Caldigit VR as a RAID 1, but I would rather set it up as a RAID 0 and have another hard drive back the data up. Let me know if you have set up a RAID System for your MacBook Pro and what you did. Also what express cards do you recommend?
Thank you,
Chad

There is a difference technically between this iStorage unit and the Cal Digit stuff. Cal Digit includes a hardware raid controller, and removable drives. The iStorage Pro unit relies on your computer's CPU to control the raid... so will tax things like render times... plus just to play a software raid can take as much as 30% of your CPU's cycles to do it...
That said, it may not matter if you're working in lower resolution files, or lower data rate stuff, either company makes great gear though. Both are intended for use with video systems. But ya do get something for the extra money on the CalDigit gear.
But if all you want to use it for is backup of data... anybody's drives would do this... doesn't have to be a raid either. Single FW drives will certainly hold the data as backup even if they won't play it without dropping frames.
OH, and Colorado... join the Denver FCP User Group... http://www.dfcpug.com We meet at the Colorado Film School in Denver on a monthly basis.
Jerry
Message was edited by: Jerry Hofmann

Will I lose Raided Drives if I wipe the boot drive?

Hey,
I'm having a couple different issues with my computer, so I'm hoping if I wipe down and zero out the boot drive and reinstall evrything back to the factory settings, some of the issues will be resolved.
I have two 500gb drives in the Mac Pro that are Raided together. I performed the raid through the disc utilities. I am wondering if I erase everything from the boot drive will it be able to reconize the Raid btw the two drives when it is restored, giving me acesss to everything saved on the raid.
Thanks very much!

RAID-ness is an attibute of the Drive, not the Mac, and not the boot drive.
If you took a RAID drive out and put it in another Mac running a similar Operating System, it would still be a RAID drive.
Rebuild your boot drive with confidence, it should have no impact on your RAID drives.

Will adding RAID drives 2 my Quad Pro make any FCS processes much faster?

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