DS418 (4 bay) Can I start with a RAID1 with two drives then just add a second separate RAID1 later?

[morthanley]

I was just thinking of configurations and currently have two drives. I understand that I can use SHR but I'd just like to know if this is another option. If I add one or two drives later, can I make a second separate RAID1? Does it require specific settings so I don't get stuck somehow not being able to do it down the line?

Second scenario, can I convert a single drive to (a second) RAID1 if I add a second (4th) drive later ?

example configs:
Drive 1 + 2 (now): RAID1
Drive 3: (2022) RAID1 and a single drive
Drive 4: (2023) RAID1 a + RAID1 b

Is this doable without losing any data?

Does the file system make any difference in this scenario?

 

[jeyare]

this plan isn’t doable

Better approach is:
- if you need the NAS just for unspecified data store, just use SHR(RAID5) for all the disks. Follow the different thread topic opened by you, you will get same operation performance. Then no need to complicate upgradeability to future.
- for tiered data store you need different NAS, then no need a worry

 

[morthanley]

can you help

 

[fredbert]

example configs:
Drive 1 + 2 (now): RAID1
Drive 3: (2022) RAID1 and a single drive
Drive 4: (2023) RAID1 a + RAID1 b

I'm not exactly sure what you are meaning by this: what's RAID1 a / RAID1 b?

Populate the NAS with the drives you want for initial setup. Then later the remaining bays can be used to either expand* a current storage pool or create new storage pool. When adding extra drives just be sure not to add them to the current pool if that isn't what you want to do... it's easier to fall into this trap than you'd think going by the number of posts on the lines of "I added a second disk but my storage hasn't increased but now says it has 1 disk redundancy".

The file system type doesn't affect the storage pool array type: choose the file system type that is best for you.

*subject to what type of array you previously used.

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[morthanley]

i mean two of them and i never said that

 

[fredbert]

Now:
Bays 1 and 2: RAID 1 with two drives
Bays 3 and 4: empty

Later #1:
Bays 1 and 2: RAID 1 with two drives
Bay 3: Basic (one drive)
Bay 4: empty

Later #2:
Bays 1 and 2: RAID 1 with two drives
Bays 3 and 4: Migrate Basic 'RAID type' of Bay 3 to RAID 1 by adding drive to Bay 4.


Whenever a drive is added to the NAS it will be wiped and made ready to be included in a storage pool.