DSM 7.1 DS218play HDD Upgrade Question

[ddouglas]

I want to upgrade the HDD in my ds218play. My question is multipart, so please bear with me.

The NAS has 2 HDD bays. One of them has a 4TB Seagate Ironwolf HDD. The other bay is vacant. RAID is not configured.

I want to install 2 8TB Ironwolf Pro HDDs: one in each bay and use RAID 1 (the NAS doesn't support SHR). The existing HDD data is already extended SMART tested and fully backed up to a NTFS formatted external USB drive.

Here's my question regarding the order of operation:

I first plan to install a new drive into bay 2 and run an extended SMART test on it.

I then plan to use DSM clone the existing drive to the new drive.

I then plan to remove the existing old drive and move the new drive into bay 1.

I then plan to run some tests to ensure that the new NAS configuration is operating properly.

I then plan to install the other new drive into bay 2 and run an extended SMART test on it before I configure the NAS for RAID 1.

Now, here's my question assuming that all has went well up to this point:

Should I use the DSM clone utility to replace the old existing drive with a new drive? If so, is it okay to remove the old drive in bay 1 and insert the new drive in bay 1? If so, can RAID 1 be used in a single storage pool that's mirrored between 2 drives? If so, is the next step to configure RAID 1 or to configure the storage pool? How should the storage pool be configured? This is where I'm confused. Please advise. Thanks in advance

 

[Rusty]

I then plan to use DSM clone the existing drive to the new drive

What utility would this be exactly?

The problem with this setup is that you will not be able to start and make RAID1 (conventional) with a single 8TB drive and then add another one in the mix. RAID 1 will require to have 2 drives present at the moment of creation.

If you use SHR (yes, 218play does support it), then you can use the following steps.

Place the new drive in bay2 and make a new pool/volume using that single drive with SHR raid type. Then, migrate the data from bay 1 drive to bay 2, including apps. DSM will be installed on that second drive in the moment of initialization so no need to clone anything.

Once the data and app transfer is complete, you can terminate the 1st pool/volume and pull the drive out.

Then, put the second 8TB drive into bay1 and join it into the existing SHR array.

The end result will be SHR with 2 drives (8TB usable) called volume 2 (as volume 1 was the original drive). This can be unofficially modified but I would suggest not to mess with it, and just leave its name as volume 2.

Should I use the DSM clone utility to replace the old existing drive with a new drive?

Again, what is that clone utility?

If so, is it okay to remove the old drive in bay 1 and insert the new drive in bay 1?

Yes, following a successful data transfer to a new volume

f so, can RAID 1 be used in a single storage pool that's mirrored between 2 drives?

This is what RAID1 means, so yes.

If so, is the next step to configure RAID 1 or to configure the storage pool? How should the storage pool be configured?

Creation of any storage pool will as you for its RAID configuration. So it is in this moment that you will need to have the correct number of drives present in order to make any RAID. For RAID1 you will need 2 unused drives to make it happen

 

[Telos]

I want to upgrade the HDD in my ds218play

use RAID 1 (the NAS doesn't support SHR)

That NAS does support SHR. The proposed upgrade appears unnecessarily complicated.

What is the nature of the existing pool... SHR? Basic? JBOD?

 

[ddouglas]

What utility would this be exactly?

The problem with this setup is that you will not be able to start and make RAID1 (conventional) with a single 8TB drive and then add another one in the mix. RAID 1 will require to have 2 drives present at the moment of creation.

If you use SHR (yes, 218play does support it), then you can use the following steps.

Place the new drive in bay2 and make a new pool/volume using that single drive with SHR raid type. Then, migrate the data from bay 1 drive to bay 2, including apps. DSM will be installed on that second drive in the moment of initialization so no need to clone anything.

Once the data and app transfer is complete, you can terminate the 1st pool/volume and pull the drive out.

Then, put the second 8TB drive into bay1 and join it into the existing SHR array.

The end result will be SHR with 2 drives (8TB usable) called volume 2 (as volume 1 was the original drive). This can be unofficially modified but I would suggest not to mess with it, and just leave its name as volume 2.


Again, what is that clone utility?


Yes, following a successful data transfer to a new volume


This is what RAID1 means, so yes.


Creation of any storage pool will as you for its RAID configuration. So it is in this moment that you will need to have the correct number of drives present in order to make any RAID. For RAID1 you will need 2 unused drives to make it happen

Thanks for your response. I just want to make sure that I understand you correctly.

For clarification, by "clone" I mean redundancy and/or fault tolerance in the event of drive malfunction or failure (I don't know is Synology provides a clone drive utility or not). I apologize for any confusion.

1. Once I've installed and SMART tested a new 8TB drive in bay 2, I can then choose the storage pool setting and select "replace drive". Correct?

2. Next, I can then select the old drive to be removed and the new drive to be added to the storage pool. My understanding is that this function essentially "clones" the old existing drive to the new drive in a new replacement storage pool, and then automatically removes the original storage pool (this is the point where I was confused in my previous post). Correct?

3. Assuming that a new replacement storage pool was created successfully with the entire new drive available for use, I can then proceed to step 4. Correct?

4. Next, I can then remove the old drive from bay 1 and move the new drive to bay 1. Then, I can then install the other new drive in bay 2. This can all be done in one step. Correct?

5. Next, I can then go back into storage manager in order to add the other new drive to the new replacement storage pool. I can then proceed with the storage pool wizard to add the other new drive to this storage pool. Correct?

Question: Assuming that the other new drive (drive 2, bay 2) was successfully added to the new replacement storage pool, how and when is drive 1 (bay 1) mirrored to drive 2, and SHR configured on this storage pool?

Thanks again in advance.

 

[ddouglas]

That NAS does support SHR. The proposed upgrade appears unnecessarily complicated.

What is the nature of the existing pool... SHR? Basic? JBOD?

Thanks for your response. I was confused as to whether DSM 7.1 permits SHR on ds218play. I stand corrected. I apologize for the confusion.

Currently, my NAS is new and has always contained only one (1) drive which is in bay 1. I'm assuming that means RAID isn't configured, but I'm not certain. How can I verify this?

The reason for my upgrade is twofold. (1) to increase the size of the storage pool, and (2) to have redundancy and/or fault tolerance in the event of drive malfunction or failure. Why do you believe that this upgrade configuration is unnecessarily complicated? Thanks in advance.

-- post merged: 27. May 2022 --

What is the nature of the existing pool... SHR? Basic? JBOD?

I discovered that SHR without data protection is configured. I don't recall choosing this option. My guess is that happened by default, but I'm not sure.

 

[Telos]

I discovered that SHR without data protection is configured. I don't recall choosing this option. My guess is that happened by default, but I'm not sure.

If that is your case, moving to 2×8 TB SHR is simple. To do that, you would add one 8 TB to the open slot, and add that drive to the existing storage pool. When that addition completes, you will not see a capacity increase (yet), but you will have one drive data protection.

To add a drive to a storage pool​

Next, you will replace the original 4 TB drive, with the second 8 TB drive (Silence the degraded alarm), and then “repair” the pool. When the pool repair completes, the volume capacity should expand to 8 TB (with one drive data protection).

Replace Drive to Expand Storage Capacity​

Having said all that, I presume your existing pool is btrfs-formatted. If it is ext4-formatted, you should consider whether moving to btrfs-formatting would be desired. To move from ext4 to btrfs, would involve different steps that I've suggested above.

 

[Rusty]

For clarification, by "clone" I mean redundancy and/or fault tolerance in the event of drive malfunction or failure (I don't know is Synology provides a clone drive utility or not). I apologize for any confusion.

@Telos already answered all your questions as now it clear what you want to do.

So as it was said, no need to complicate. Considering your current single drive is already in SHR (yes this is default) simply add the new drive, expand, and then degrade the volume by replacing the initial drive with the second 8 TB drive. Case closed.

 

[ddouglas]

If that is your case, moving to 2×8 TB SHR is simple. To do that, you would add one 8 TB to the open slot, and add that drive to the existing storage pool. When that addition completes, you will not see a capacity increase (yet), but you will have one drive data protection.

To add a drive to a storage pool​

Next, you will replace the original 4 TB drive, with the second 8 TB drive (Silence the degraded alarm), and then “repair” the pool. When the pool repair completes, the volume capacity should expand to 8 TB (with one drive data protection).

Replace Drive to Expand Storage Capacity​

Having said all that, I presume your existing pool is btrfs-formatted. If it is ext4-formatted, you should consider whether moving to btrfs-formatting would be desired. To move from ext4 to btrfs, would involve different steps that I've suggested above.

Thanks again for your assistance. I used your advice and the upgrade process completed flawlessly. The DSM 7 storage manager is much more intelligent than I originally thought

 

[Telos]

Thanks again for your assistance.

You're welcome. Glad to hear your satisfaction.

If my post helped you, you can mark it as a “solution”.

 

[ddouglas]

You're welcome. Glad to hear your satisfaction.

If my post helped you, you can mark it as a “solution”.

I'm more than happy to mark your post as a "solution". How is that done?

 

[Telos]

How is that done?

Guide - Upvote and mark as solution

In question threads, you'll see this below posts: If you are a thread starter, you'll see this: That arrow is an upvote function. So, you can still give a reaction to a post with a like, but you can also upvote it. What is the difference? I would say, if you find the post useful, just...

www.synoforum.com

 

[ddouglas]

Guide - Upvote and mark as solution

In question threads, you'll see this below posts: If you are a thread starter, you'll see this: That arrow is an upvote function. So, you can still give a reaction to a post with a like, but you can also upvote it. What is the difference? I would say, if you find the post useful, just...

www.synoforum.com

Done