Want to set up RAID 1 system on Ubuntu and Windows

Setting Up a Cross-Platform RAID 1 System on Ubuntu and Windows: A Practical Guide

In today’s digital age, safeguarding your valuable data—such as cherished photos and videos—is more important than ever. If you’re looking to implement a reliable, cost-effective storage solution across both Ubuntu and Windows environments, setting up a RAID 1 system can be an excellent solution. This article explores the feasibility of creating a software-based, cross-platform RAID 1 array using external hard drives, perfect for users with budget constraints who want redundancy without dedicated hardware controllers.

Understanding RAID 1 and Its Benefits

RAID 1, also known as mirroring, duplicates data across two or more drives. This setup ensures that if one drive fails, your data remains intact on the other, providing a layer of redundancy. Unlike simple backups, RAID 1 operates in real-time, continuously syncing data between disks, which makes it an attractive option for safeguarding irreplaceable files like personal photos and videos.

The Challenge of Cross-Platform Compatibility

Most hardware RAID controllers are designed to work exclusively with specific operating systems or hardware configurations, which poses a challenge when attempting to set up a RAID array accessible from both Ubuntu and Windows. However, software-based RAID solutions, such as Linux mdadm and Windows Storage Spaces, can offer greater flexibility.

Feasibility of Using External Enclosures and Software RAID

Given your setup—using two external hard drives housed in separate enclosures—software-based RAID implementations are ideal. These solutions can manage RAID arrays via the operating system without specialized hardware RAID controllers.

On Ubuntu: The mdadm utility is the standard for managing software RAID arrays. It supports cross-platform compatibility, provided the array is formatted with a shared filesystem (e.g., exFAT or NTFS) that both Ubuntu and Windows can read and write.
On Windows: Microsoft’s Storage Spaces allows you to create mirrored volumes (RAID 1) directly within the OS. Alternatively, third-party tools like SoftRAID or DrivePool can also be considered.

Implementing a Cross-Platform RAID 1

While creating a RAID array directly managed by both operating systems can be complex—since RAID configurations are typically stored on the array itself—an effective strategy is to set up a software RAID in one OS and ensure the data is stored on a shared filesystem compatible with both systems.

Recommended Approach: