[jedberg]

I think you misinterpreted what I said. I explained it more clearly below. I suggested using the same 12 nodes but putting each one as a RAID 0, which would get you more reliability and more storage for the same cost. In your current config, two dead disks possibly bricks the system -- in the config I propose, you'd need four dead disks before anyone noticed.

What I'm suggesting is that you think of the cluster more holistically, since I assume your goal is a reliable cluster, not reliable nodes. As a nice bonus you get more "free" disk space.

[jrallison]

That was my interpretation of your comment, but I'm still not sure I follow. In my understanding, by using RAID 0, any single disk failure will brick a node. Each node would then have 3 disks that are ticking time bombs (multiplying the failure rate by 3). How is that more reliable?

In RAID 5, I can have 1 disk failure on a node with no problem. 2 disk failures on the same node, and I only lose 1 node of my 12 node cluster (I.E. cluster is fine). I can also theoretically lose 12 (1 on each node) + 2*(RF-1) disks, and gracefully repair the situation with 0 interruption.

What's the benefit of RAID 0 other than increased usable disk space and perhaps write performance? It seems you're decreasing reliability significantly for those gains.