Question Multiple storage pools for different levels of redundancy

[Andross886]

I have a new NAS with 2 2TB drives. I plan on using it for 2 main purposes, as a photo storage backup, and as a media server (probably Plex). For my photo storage I'd like to have redundancy in case of drive failure, but it's not necessary for the media server files.

Is there a way to create 2 storage pools each spanning half of each of my drives, so I would have 1TB with redundancy and 2TB without?

Alternatively would there be a way to set up
3 volumes like this:
Volume A: 1tb on drive 1
Volume B: 1tb on drive 2
Volume C: 2tb across drives 1&2

That way I can save my important photos to A and back then up to B to achieve manual redundancy, then use volume C for the media server.

 

[Rusty]

You can’t divide a single disk into multiple partitions

 

[jeyare]

I have a new NAS with 2 2TB drives. I plan on using it for 2 main purposes, as a photo storage backup, and as a media server (probably Plex). For my photo storage I'd like to have redundancy in case of drive failure, but it's not necessary for the media server files.

Is there a way to create 2 storage pools each spanning half of each of my drives, so I would have 1TB with redundancy and 2TB without?

Alternatively would there be a way to set up
3 volumes like this:
Volume A: 1tb on drive 1
Volume B: 1tb on drive 2
Volume C: 2tb across drives 1&2

That way I can save my important photos to A and back then up to B to achieve manual redundancy, then use volume C for the media server.

@Rusty is correct,
for such expected scenario of data operation you have these choices:

1. perfect fit - 3bay NAS (but there is min 4bay standard)
- two bays for the Photos with RAID1 or SHR (warning RAID isn’t a backup)
- single bay for Media (Plex,...)
- then the last forth bay you can use as (as first) system and rest of Synology SW packages.
OFC this isn’t your case because you have 2bay only NAS.
In this case you can use your current NAS for backup of the proposed solution. Then you get also the backup of your valuable data.

2. worse, but still applicable
- RAID or SHR = single disk group = 2TB in total, redundant w/o backup
for all your data divided into Shared folders

3. hybrid solution better than solution no. 2., up to your NAS model, in this case just fir D718+, you can expand your NAS with expansion box (new free disk slots) to achieve solution near to no 1.

 

[WST16]

How about attaching an external disk for the media files. The only caveat is that when the disk is ejected (a restart for example), the files will go through reindexing once the disk is mounted again.

I think you can export the media index and import it again after a restart to shorten (or eliminate) the indexing time. I believe this works with Video Station. I don’t know how Plex works.

 

[Andross886]

Thanks so much guys, this definitely answers my questions, and I've got some options. I've got a D218+ so the expansion won't work for me, but the external drive might work, and that I'd be able to put off until I run out of space and I can decide to upgrade or add an external drive.

 

[WST16]

I've got a D218+ so the expansion won't work for me

You can use the DX517 expansion unit. But I’d rather upgrade the disks to a larger capacity or buy a new DiskStaion when the need arises.