> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# VI. - ⚙️ Configure the ggRock Array

| This guide walks you through your first-time ggRock Array setup. The Array stores all your Windows system images and game/application images. Getting this right ensures speed, reliability, and scale.

### Table of Contents

* [**I. -📥 How to Download Debian and Rufus**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/i-how-to-download-debian-and-rufus-1mctc5r/)
* [**II. - 💾 Create a Bootable Debian Installer**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/ii-create-a-bootable-debian-installer-1kxab79/)
* [**III. - 🐧 Install Debian Linux**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/iii-install-debian-linux-13-14qgozu/)
* [**IV. - 🖥 Install the ggRock Server Application**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/iv-install-the-ggrock-server-application-1r0g9sn/)
* [**V. - 🚀 First-time Setup and Accessing the ggRock Server Application**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/v-first-time-setup-and-accessing-the-ggrock-server-application-1pudbnd/)
* [**VI. - ⚙️ Configure the ggRock Array**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/vi-configure-the-ggrock-array-mkgkfy/) 🎯 You Are Here
* [**VII. - 🖼️ Create, Configure, and Test ggRock Images**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/vii-create-configure-and-test-ggrock-images-11jl7lm/)
* [**VIII. - 🖧 Configure Client Machines for Network/Diskless (PXE) Boot**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/viii-configure-client-machines-for-networkdiskless-pxe-boot-ey4vsf/)
---

## 🛠️ Initiate Array Configuration

1. From the ggRock Web UI, click the **"Array"** tab in the left sidebar.

   ![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-173002.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743701405518&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)
2. Click the **"Configure"** button in the top-right corner of the Array page.

   ![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-173011.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743701414502&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

---

### 🧠 Things to Know Before You Configure

> 🔧 The ggRock Array is made of **Stripes**, and each Stripe contains one or more Drives.  
> ⚠️ **By default, your array is not redundant!**  
> 🛡️ To ensure data protection, use a RAID type that supports redundancy (RAID1, RAID10, RAID5, RAID6, etc.).  
> 🚫 You **cannot** include your Debian OS drive in the array.

✅ **Recommended Configuration**: Use **RAID10** for the best balance of performance and fault tolerance.

---

## 🔐 Select a RAID Type (Ranked by Data Security)

Choosing the right RAID configuration is critical to balancing **performance**, **data protection**, and **storage efficiency**. Below are the most common types, ranked from **most secure** to **least secure**:

---

### 🥇 RAID10 – High Performance + Redundancy (Most Recommended)

✅ Best balance of speed, reliability, and fault tolerance  
✅ Survives multiple drive failures (as long as they're not in the same mirror pair)  
⚠️ Requires **at least 4 drives**

**Visual Layout:**

```
[Drive 1] = [Drive 2] ← Mirrored
[Drive 3] = [Drive 4] ← Mirrored
↑ ↑
Data is striped across mirrors
```
![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-232217.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743722540925&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

---

### 🥈 RAID1 – Simple Mirroring

✅ Every drive has an exact mirror  
✅ Very reliable and easy to recover  
⚠️ Only 50% of your drive space is usable  
⚠️ Slower write performance compared to other types  
Requires **at least 2 drives**

**Visual Layout:**

```
[Drive 1] = [Drive 2] ← Identical data on both
```
![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-232419.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743722662276&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

---

### 🥉 RAID5 – Striping with Parity (Space Efficient, Some Redundancy)

✅ Can tolerate **1 drive failure**  
✅ More usable space than RAID10  
⚠️ Slower write speeds due to parity calculation  
⚠️ Rebuild time can be lengthy with high failure risk  
Requires **at least 3 drives**

**Visual Layout:**

```
[Data A][Data B][Parity AB]
[Data C][Parity CD][Data D]
```
![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-232525.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743722728967&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

---

### 🚫 RAID0 – Striping Only (No Redundancy – Not Recommended)

🚀 Fast read/write performance  
❌ **Any drive failure = total data loss**  
⚠️ Should only be used for temporary or non-critical environments  
Requires **at least one drive.**

**Visual Layout:**

```
[Data A1][Data A2][Data A3] ...
Data split across all drives for speed, but no backup
```
![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-232656.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743722819677&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

---

### 💡 Pro Tips

* Want both speed **and** safety? 👉 Go with **RAID10**
* On a tight budget but want some redundancy? 👉 Try **RAID5** (with caution)
* If your data is mission-critical, **never use RAID0**
* If you’re unsure, contact ggCircuit Support — we’re happy to help you choose!

---

## 🧮 Example: Planning Array Size

Let’s walk through a sample setup:

* **Writeback per PC**: 10 GB
* **Machines in center**: 60
* **Games image size**: 2 TB
* **System image size**: 200 GB (0.2 TB)
* **Game writebacks**: 100 GB (0.1 TB)

### Calculation:

```
Writebacks: 10 GB x 60 = 600 GB (0.6 TB)
Total usage: 2 TB (games) + 0.6 TB (sys writebacks) + 0.2 TB (system image) + 0.1 TB (game writebacks)
= 2.9 TB
```
> ⚠️ If you only have a 3 TB array, you’re close to maxed out — not enough room for snapshots or expansion.  
> Consider larger/more drives or reducing PC count.

---

## 🧠 ggRock Array Planner

${frame}[ggRock Array Planner](https://images.ggleap.com/ManagedServices/ggRockArrayPlanner-compact.html)
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## ✅ Confirm Successful Login

9. You should see the **Machines** page (initially empty):

![](https://ggcircuit.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/15861751/image-20250403-170442.png?version=1&modificationDate=1743724655344&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)

🎉 **Congratulations!** You've successfully configured your ggRock array!

You may now proceed with the "[**Configure Client Machines for Diskless (PXE) Boot**](https://helpdesk.ggcircuit.com/en/article/viii-configure-client-machines-for-networkdiskless-pxe-boot-ey4vsf/)" guide.

---