MergerFS + SnapRAID : Forget about RAID 5 in your Home Server !

How to Set Up MergerFS and SnapRAID for Your Home Server

1. Assess Your Data Storage Needs: Determine the amount of data you need to store and ensure you have the necessary hard drives for your setup.

2. Backup Your Data: Before making any changes, ensure you have a backup of all your important data to prevent any loss.

3. Prepare Your Hard Drives:

   • Use old components or secondhand parts to set up your Home Server.
   • Remove faulty hard drives and replace them with suitable ones.

4. Understand RAID Levels:

   • Learn about RAID configurations like RAID 5 for data redundancy and fault tolerance.

5. Install MergerFS:

   • Install MergerFS from the Ubuntu repository using apt install fuse mergerfs.
   • Configure MergerFS to merge your storage drives into a single mount point for easier management.

6. Configure MergerFS:

   • Create a new empty partition on each storage drive using fdisk and format it with mkfs.
   • Use blkid to get the IDs of your drives and update the /etc/fstab file for automatic mounting at startup.

7. Mount Your Drives:

   • Create directories for your drives and mount them using mount -a.
   • Verify the mount points using df command.

8. Install SnapRAID:

   • Install SnapRAID from the Ubuntu repositories using apt install snapraid.
   • Configure SnapRAID for data protection and fault tolerance.

9. Edit SnapRAID Configuration:

   • Edit the /etc/snapraid.conf file to specify the location for parity data and data disks.
   • Add exclusions for specific folders if needed.

10. Run Initial Synchronization:

    • Launch the synchronization process with SnapRAID to protect your data.

11. Set Up Automation:

    • Create a script to automate the synchronization process using Slack notifications for alerts.
    • Schedule the script to run at specific intervals to keep your data protected.

12. Monitor and Maintain:

    • Regularly check the status of your Home Server setup and ensure data integrity.
    • Update your setup as needed and make necessary adjustments for optimal performance.

By following these steps, you can set up a reliable and cost-effective data storage solution using MergerFS and SnapRAID for your Home Server.