Multiple SATA drives for backup?

[rgrebby]

I have a load of backup SATA drives and I want to be able to put them in a large caddy and access them all at once. What options do I have?

 

[neil_g]

you can put them all in a NAS enclosure or a multi disk enclosure but for every one ive seen your machine will need a port multiplier esata interface (some come with a pc card for desktops)

 

[mikeward]

do you need constant access to them or just easy access. i been using one of these (or similar) for quite a while http://www.scan.co.uk/products/shar...sktop-docking-station-for-2-sata-hdds-(25-35) and it been very good. just got a new comp a few weeks ago so got a new usb3 one and they are as fast as an internal drive.

 

[rgrebby]

Thanks guys, im thinking the second one could work although I was hoping to have more than one running at once.

Im not sure but I think I have an esata port on the front of my case. Is that a lot faster than USB2?

 

[neil_g]

yes.. gbps vs mbps..

id run a sata cable around from the back if it was me personally

 

[rgrebby]

all my internal sata drives are taken but I could always get a pci-e card that gives me some esata jacks

 

[neil_g]

all my internal sata drives are taken but I could always get a pci-e card that gives me some esata jacks

a card should only cost a few quid

 

[rgrebby]

I bought a hub thing that has esata outputs on it, my motherboard the MSI K9A2 Platinum
has 2 esata ports at the back but its not finding the hard drives in window.

If I ctrl +f on boot I can see them in the promise raid controller setup so im wondering how can I use these drives?

 

[neil_g]

hub thing?

 

[rgrebby]

hub thing?

http://www.dabs.com/products/akasa-duodock-2-usb-esata-desktop-dock--2-5----3-5---775J.html

Question is, how can connect this to the esata inputs in the back of my mobo and have it read like a seperate disk?

 

[neil_g]

right okay..

do the disk(s) appear in disk management in windows? a lot of the time theyre there but not assigned a drive letter.

 

[Mikesphotaes]

http://www.dabs.com/products/akasa-duodock-2-usb-esata-desktop-dock--2-5----3-5---775J.html

Question is, how can connect this to the esata inputs in the back of my mobo and have it read like a seperate disk?

The only reason that I can think of as to why your SATA drives don't show, like the rest of your other drives, is your new ones are not initialised and formatted ?

 

[rgrebby]

Nope, they dont appear when connected via the esata port. They work fine when connected using the USB function and they are formated and used all the time via USB and internal SATA connections.

When connected they do show up on the promise raid controller screen if I perss ctrl + f during bootup.

 

[neil_g]

without looking at the dock details online, maybe it defaults to a raid setup for esata? or do you have an existing raid setup in your pc?

 

[rgrebby]

I managed to install the promise raid drivers and it kinda works. Although only one disk works if there are two plugged into it.

 

[mikeward]

must be an esata issue as i have very similar (usb3) and didnt need to install anything to get the drives to show up in system. Have you checked you got the esata drivers installed for your motherboard ?

 

[neil_g]

is it a hardware requirement of the dock that it needs a "port multiplier" compatible eSATA port?

 

[clicktor]

I managed to install the promise raid drivers and it kinda works. Although only one disk works if there are two plugged into it.

Sounds like it might be set up to default to using RAID1 mirroring. Be careful, if you put two disks in it might try to make one the master and start trying to sync the data between them to be the same.

have you tried connecting the drives up to the spare 2 x internal SATA headers on the motherboard next to the four in use? Does it work using those?

 

[clicktor]

is it a hardware requirement of the dock that it needs a "port multiplier" compatible eSATA port?

Ah good point, looking at that hub product the OP has bought, it appears to only have the one e-sata port? Is that right? So if you are writing/reading to both disks simultaneously in the docker you would never get a dedicated 3gbps to each disk as it is shared between them. I know you bought that product for speed, but dependant on your usage it might not be adequate. A proper hot swappable Sata backplane can be had for another 20 or so quid, which would sit inside your computer case in 2 x 5.25inch bays nicely, and provide a much better product with dedicated Sata II bus per disk.
You may find that it is a motherboard limitation with the e-sata ports not working as Neil_g states in port multipler mode... i.e. like a USB hub extension would.