Convert SoftRaid 0 to 1+0

Yes you can. Just initialize the two new disks and "convert", then select the disks.

Yes you can. Just initialise the two new disks and "convert", then select the disks.

Hello,

I came to hear about your software via this thread..

https://srforums.wpengine.com/forum/archive/index.php?thread-630.html

.. which was a result from a search in Google. I wish to buy your software but have some questions about how best to configure my setup with your app.

I have bought the Lacie 5big which I will have very shortly. I currently have a Synology 1515+ which has 5 bays.

Inside there there:

1 4TB HDD (Raid 5)
2 6TB HDD (Raid 5)
2 750 SSD (Raid 1 - Utilised as SD Cache)

I have ordered 2 6TB HDD's. 1 of which will replace the 4TB drive in the Synology, which will then give me the full 3 bay, Raid 5 capacity as all drives will have the same capacity.

The Lacie will then be the source of a network mirror to the Synology. My current setup is backing up to the Synology as well as using this NAS as a scratch disk over Link Aggregation using 4 GB/s LAN lanes to increase data transfer. But this was not working out as the NAS has to be mounted manually on every reboot, and it sometimes mounts the network folder as a different name if it thinks the same network folder with the same name is still mounted.

I decided to use the Lacie DAS as the default scotch disk and mirror it over the network through my Mac via my two thunderbolt docks which give me the Link aggregated 4 GB/s LAN lane.

For the LAcie 5big, of which I will be using with your software, I will be left with 1 6TB, 1 4TB, & 5 2TB (Which comes with the Lacie), all HDD's.

My plan was to sell the 1 4TB & 5 2TB HDD's and buy further 6TB drives for the Lacie. But several future scenarios came to mind and further more once looking at your program capabilities.

Current Rad 5 (3 Disks, as above: 6TB/6TB/4TB) usage on Synology is 5.62TB. Available 1.62TB.

Some advice on these scenarios would help:

What Raid level, with your software, should I use if I plan to buy 8TB HHD's for the Synology in say 6 months to a years time?

With my current hardware and setup which device and or raid level setup do you think I should use on either device with using your software?

If I mirror my Synology NAS to the Lacie DAS, with the Lacie configured with your software in Raid 0, utilising 2 drives, a 6TB & 4TB equaling 10TB, (which would be enough for now as my NAS Raid 5 utilisation is just under 6TB currently); If I then decide to convert the DAS Raid 0 to the favoured Raid 1+0 (Raid 10 I believe), which requires 4 Di, with your software, utilising 2 6TB drives from the NAS which would be replaced by 2 8TB drives in the NAS (Still keeping the Raid 5 capacity on the NAS as 12TB) ; As Raid 1+0 uses more space for redundancy, would I have to make sure that the Raid 0 to be covered to Raid 1+0 is less than equal size of the resulting Raid 1+0 array?

With that in mind, and with Raid 1+ 0 requiring even number disk clusters above 4 disks, coupled with the fact that both hardware devices, the NAS & DAS have a maximum of 5 bays, would there be any benefit to a Raid 1+ 0 setup on the DAS? Could you suggest a better setup?

My computer, which is the semi partial source of the data stored on either device is a laptop. This laptop is always plugged in to the power source and the power source is always on. As laptops have batteries, their batteries can act as a power failure protector for as long as the battery lasts. With regard to your software, if there was a power failure and restoration in my building within the life of the Laptops battery, where the attached DAS became powered off, would your software be able to safely handle such a situation, keeping data intact?

I hope this was not much of a hong or hard read and hope I have been clear.

Any help is appreciated.

Regards,

Michael.

Don't make this overly complicated.

The Synology is a NAS with its own operating system and runs its own version of "raid". Unless a disk is directly connected to the Mac (I.e, Thunderbolt, or USB), SoftRAID cannot control it.

If you direct connect the Synology, you would need to change it to JBOD mode to use it. (I don't know if they have a USB mode, but they are designed to run as a independent operation over the network.)

SoftRAID is a true/standard RAID implementation, meaning all partitions in a volume must be exactly the same size. So you cannot mix drives of different sizes (the large drives will have unpartitioned space that cannot be used in that volume)

to get started, for maximum data protection, RAID 1+0 is the best.

In the future we plan for offerings with SoftRAID that include multiple parity disks. So you would be able to create a volume with 6 data drives and 2 parity disks, for example.

Now that you understand better, if you want to ask additional questions, feel free to do so. (for example, your RAID 10 question would not apply to SoftRAID)

Our motto: Keep it simple and have multiple backups!