Mirror or backup

[Catutzi]

Hi,
I'm trying to decide which scenario is best and more secure for my data.
I My hardware is very small: intel chipset with embedded CPU, 8 GB RAM, and 2 WD RED (2GB each).
My dilemma is: should I mirror the 2 drives or should I configure the 2nd HDD as backup for the first one?
My biggest concern is in case of MB failure (power outage, other MB failure).
Can I just replace the MB with another one and simply reinstall FreeNAS/restore database?
Or do I need the exact motherboard to be replace the defective one?
What is the best scenario in case of MB failure? 1HDD and 2nd HDD as backup? or just plain simple mirroring?
Thanks,

 

[Dice]

My dilemma is: should I mirror the 2 drives or should I configure the 2nd HDD as backup for the first one?

With 2 drives available - do mirrors. That is the best option.
The sooner you can get a 3rd drive, used for backup, the better.

 

[gpsguy]

Should your hardware fail you can move your hard disks and boot device to new hardware and be up and running. The new hardware doesn't need to be identical, it just needs to meet the specs for FreeNAS. If the NICs are different you would need to reconfigure the network settings, but other than that you should be good to go.