What is your HDD solution

What is your method for keeping Sonar projects organized and backed up? 
 
I have about 3-4 external drives around that I've collected over the past few years. Some are permanently connected to my system and essentially used the same as internal drives, while others are sitting unused, and of course there are the actual internal drives which are partitioned. I have a default folder for new projects, backup folders on other drives, archive folders, something I call the Boneyard for abandoned projects, but in truth, I can never remember what I put where, and don't really feel I have a usable backup or storage system. Not to mention there's the drive with all my PLAY and other samples on it, and the drive that Sonar itself runs on, which is supposed to be separate, or is it supposed to be the same? I forget. I have on occasion decided to put a system in place, but then will forget what it was soon after. 
 
The trouble is that the drives and backups and everything are essentially abstractions. If I were a butterfly collector it would be easy to keep track of because I would physically see butterflies stored in different places. But this stuff is so out of sight out of mind that it goes directly out of mind at the earliest opportunity. When I come down to do music I'm thinking "Change the ritard in the middle section and put more energy into the castanets", not "The backup for the exported audio bounce down is on the G drive".
 
So I'm asking what kinds of solutions other people have, and how do you keep it straight for the long haul?

Big picture, data that is not pre-loaded content (i.e. can be replaced by re-running an installer) reside in the following locations:
 
C:\ProgramData
C:\Users\[User Name]
[Drive Name]:\Cakewalk Projects
 
Those 3 directories (and subdirectories) should have the data backed up to another location for "just in case" purposes. Although blindly copying the entire directory works, you will end up copying 99% of the files again for no reason (and spend the time doing so). Any backup utility that allows for incremental backup (i.e. only copying newer/non-existent files) is the easiest method to make sure everything at location A = location B.
 
I personally use Windows xcopy/robocopy batch files I made more often than not (not "intuitive" to everyone), but there are utilities which will do the same incremental backup strategy for data files. I posted what I do here a while ago, but a utility for such might be simpler for you.

C: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Programs, OS & Plugins
D: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Cakewalk Projects & Exports
E: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Sample libraries
F: 2TB WD  7200 RPM External - Backups
G: 750GB Seagate External - Archived material

Zargg71
Hi. I have separate disks for os, samples and libraries (one for each). I have an external HD that I do backups to regularly. Have not had any problems with that.
Best of luck.

...What he said.
 

mettelus
 
I personally use Windows xcopy/robocopy batch files I made more often than not (not "intuitive" to everyone), but there are utilities which will do the same incremental backup strategy for data files. I posted what I do here a while ago, but a utility for such might be simpler for you.

Hey, thanks for the info... very useful.
 
Mel

1. 250GIG SSD Win 8.1.1 all programs, plugins
2. 1TB 7200rpm SATA 3 Projects and other static data
3. 2TB 7200rpm SATA 3 All sample libraries
4. 1TB 7200rpm SATA 3 All installers

All backed up automatically nightly to a Win2011 sever. Also have project and doc backup to Onedrive.

2TB Seagate SSHD for all things Windows as well as video for composing etc.
2TB Seagate SSHD for Sonar Projects and Audio Folder
1TB Drive for Mastering & Samples
 
All of these get backed up via a program my brother-in-law wrote - it compares files dates and only replaces the older ones (funny how Windows can STIOLL not do just that!). It has recallable sets of paths and can back up to any amount of drives all at once (one set at a time) at the click of one "backup" button.
 
My backup drives are:
4TB Seagate External (for all Sonar stuff)
1TB for Mastering/Samples (via Ethernet)

Once a month, I use a 2TB Seagate for Cloning C-Drive (I use Macronis Reflect Free).
 
I recently also invested in Wondershare Data recovery software which works really well in case of disaster.

Has anyone tried to use Raid-0 to improve performance?

Grem

rogeriodec
Has anyone tried to use Raid-0 to improve performance?

Might get better responses by starting a new thread. Use the sentence you posted as the title of the thread.

Thanks, I'll do that.

Jesse G
Have you folks heard of SSHD Drives? They are not as fast as SSD but faster than a conventional HD and the drive cost is roughly less than $200.00 for a 4TB drive. 
 
I purchased one for Windows 10 for when it is fully released later this July and the new computer I will be building for it. 
 
Take a look  ~~>  SSHD Review

 
Again, it depends on what you are doing.  If you are loading a large template with lots of large Kontakt samples, then it's not a good solution, IMO, and that's what I am currently using.  Reason:  cache is too small and really doesn't help with loading large sample files.