Expanding diskgroup with new HDDs and converting Raid

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Expanding diskgroup with new HDDs and converting Raid

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414j
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Hello
I have been using a DS414j for years with 2 HDDs with 4 TB each (WD Red) in Raid 1 (mirrored) configuration.
Now I added two 8 TB HDDs - this is a 4 bay model.

My plan:
1) Convert the Raid 1 to Raid 5 (or something similar - recommendation?) using 4 HDDs. Of course, only 4 TB of each of the new HDDs will be used for this.
2) Put the rest of the free space in both 8 TB HDDs in a Raid 1 group.

Is this feasible?
If yes, any short hints about the procedure? (Give me the essential short hints, I will look up for details to learn more).

Sorry to say that I just do updates of the NAS software regularly but otherwise do not deal with the Disk Station Manager software, so I don't feel comfortable reorganizing the drives, as this puts all data at risk!

By the way, I would prefer executing point 2 first, so I would copy the data from the existing Raid 1 before converting, just in case the conversion fails.

I just noticed that for some reasong the old HDDs (4 TB nominal capacity) are being shown as 5,46 in size, but the 8 TB HDDs are shown with 7,3 TB. Is this due to an overall capacity limit of the DS414j? It should support 24 TB afaik.

Thanks in advance.
 
2) Put the rest of the free space in both 8 TB HDDs in a Raid 1 group.

Is this feasible?
That is not feasible. In retrospect, had you chosen SHR in lieu of RAID1, you would not be facing "lost" space.

Alternatively, you could pull one of the 4TB drives, and create a new SHR pool/volume with it. Then after relocating your shared folders from vol1 to vol2, you could delete the RAID1 pool, and move that drive over to the SHR pool, then later add the 8TB drives, leaving you with 16TB (approx) vs 12TB with your current plan.
 
That is not feasible. In retrospect, had you chosen SHR in lieu of RAID1, you would not be facing "lost" space.

Alternatively, you could pull one of the 4TB drives, and create a new SHR pool/volume with it. Then after relocating your shared folders from vol1 to vol2, you could delete the RAID1 pool, and move that drive over to the SHR pool, then later add the 8TB drives, leaving you with 16TB (approx) vs 12TB with your current plan.
I am a bit disappointed about DSM but let's take it as it is.

I think the outcome of your solution would be great. I just don't quite understand your procedure
.
When you say "pull one drive", do you mean to take it out of the diskgroup (logically) or do you mean to physically pull it out of the NAS? In the latter case I cannot follow, since just reinserting it in order to create a new SHR pool would automatically re-integrate it into the defined Raid 1 group, afaik.
And also: Can one create a 1 drive SHR pool at all? Can one expand a 1 drive SHR pool adding drives with larger sizes, resulting in a mixed drives pool? You see that I am not familiar with this NAS, I just use it :).
I am just trying to understand...

Perhaps one could do 2) using CLI? I assume that this NAS has a CLI interface, right?
Thanks for your support.
 
Last edited:
I am a bit disappointed about DSM but let's take it as it is.
Nothing to do with DSM and everything to do with RAID.
reinserting it in order to create a new SHR pool would automatically re-integrate it into the defined Raid 1 group
Not if you pull it hot.

Can one create a 1 drive SHR pool at all? Can one expand a 1 drive SHR pool adding drives with larger sizes, resulting in a mixed drives pool? You see that I am not familiar with this NAS
Those are very basic questions, particularly since you began your post critical of DSM. Given you lack of familiarity, you would be best served to spend time acquainting yourself with the NAS Knowledge Base, and perhaps begin with the section labeled "Storage Manager". If you have unanswered questions after that, please ask here.
 
Nothing to do with DSM and everything to do with RAID.
I don't agree.
In professional systems you can use chunks of space of any drives and build Raid groups out of them.
This is what I was hoping DSM could do. Your scope is apparently strongly limited by your NAS knowledge, seems to me.

Yes of course I will have to instruct myself but I am not going to read the whole manual with irrelevant topics in advance, which is why I am trying to pinpoint what is possible at all. I am not expecting a lesson but simple answers like "yes" or "no" to some of my questions (didn't I say "essentials"?).

I anyway thank you for sharing such valuable tricks like hot pulling disks...
 

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