If you plan on deploying a bunch of servers with internal hardware RAID storage, it’s better to buy all of the hard drives at the same time from a single vendor. That way all the drives will have the same firmware level which means they will less likely to have issues when used in RAID configurations. Plus your service and warranty management will be a lot easier.
Of course, before you do this make sure you research the literature for reviews of the make/model of drive you plan on buying to ensure you’re getting drives that have a track record of reliability and not a bunch of lemons.
The above tip was previously published in an issue of WServerNews, a weekly newsletter from TechGenix that focuses on the administration, management and security of the Windows Server platform in particular and cloud solutions in general. Subscribe to WServerNews today by going to http://www.wservernews.com/subscribe.htm and join almost 100,000 other IT professionals around the world who read our newsletter!
Mitch Tulloch is an eleven-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award and a widely recognized expert on Windows Server and cloud computing technologies. Mitch is also Senior Editor of WServerNews. For more information about him see http://www.mtit.com
