LaCie 6big Thunderbolt 3

Posted by DSW on January 30, 2018 in COMPUTERS | 1 Comment

It’s no secret that data is the lifeblood of 21st century business. Whether that business involves video editing, bookkeeping services or web development, few things are more cringeworthy than watching someone lose their high value digital assets. Just ask anyone who has been a victim of ransomware.

Larger organisations generally have (or should have) data back-ups taken care of by a combination of dedicated storage and back-up routines maintained by IT staff. But smaller business owners with large amounts of data to store may be looking for a middle ground somewhere between a full cloud-based solution and a haphazard collection of thumb drives.

For various reasons some people also just prefer to have their data backed up locally where it’s under their control.

The LaCie 6big Thunderbolt 3 offers up to 60TB of direct attached storage (DAS) in a stylish, unit compact enough to fit on many desktops.

The 6big incorporates six hot-swappable drive bays, each of which holds an enterprise-grade 7200 RPM hard drive of varying size depending on the overall storage opted for (12 – 60TB options available). The unit can then be used to provide different levels of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) data storage virtualisation, to help ensure data remains available in the event of a hardware failure.

Configuration options range from RAID 0 right up to RAID 50, with RAID 5 is the 6big’s default setting – meaning that parity data is distributed across a minimum of three drives and that if one drive fails data can be immediately reconstructed.

Management of the disk array is conducted by LaCie RAID Manager software which has to be downloaded and installed on your computer before connecting it to the 6big. Full details of the setup process can be found here.

For connectivity the unit comes equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports as well as a USB 3.1 port. These both use USB-C sockets – so any appropriately equipped devices (computers, laptops, monitors) should be able to connect to the 6big without needing an adaptor. It also supplies enough power through USB-C to charge most laptops, which is ideal for those who prefer not to have a “snakes’ nest” of different cables around their desk area.

The 6big isn’t exactly small enough for someone to wander with it hidden under their jacket, but if you’re concerned about physical theft there’s also a Kensington Lock slot on the back of the unit, allowing it to be tethered to a sturdy piece of furniture or staff member.

In terms of physical build the 6big comes as a brushed aluminium unit featuring a prominent blue status bulb, which turns red in the event of an error; a design combination that gives the impression of a sort of friendly Cylon watching over your data. The aluminium construction offers natural heat-dispersing properties and cooling redundancy is provided by two surprisingly quiet fans.

With a huge data capacity, blistering (up to 1400MB/s) transfer speeds, a modest (6.34″ wide / 9.33″ deep) desktop footprint and a sleek appearance that will complement many premium laptops, the 6big is an impressive storage solution for businesses and households alike.

For those with more modest storage needs a range of smaller and less expensive solutions like the LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 3 may also be of interest.

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