What to check before using a 6TB drive in a first home server
A first drive was bought for $155: a Western Digital 6TB WD Blue 5400 RPM , model WD60EZAX. It is a 3.5-inch SATA drive with a 256MB cache, sold as used-like-new with box damage and signs that the package had been opened. The main reason for buying it was the low cost per terabyte on a tight budget.
The planned first check is a SMART test through , but the rest of the drive-checking process is unclear. A dedicated NAS is usually recommended for server use. This drive was still considered acceptable because it uses CMR and would be the only in an old cheap computer running Linux.
Using one drive with no backup is risky, but the risk is being accepted because no sensitive information is expected to be stored on it.
Key points
- The drive is a Western Digital 6TB WD Blue 5400 RPM model bought for $155.
- It is a 3.5-inch SATA , model WD60EZAX, with a 256MB cache.
- and a SMART test are planned as the first health check.
- A NAS drive is often preferred for server use, but this drive uses CMR and may be acceptable for light single-drive use.
- One drive with no backup can fail and take the data with it.