Softraid will not create a volume larger than 8TB. Why? - Functionality Issues

RE: Softraid will not create a volume larger than 8TB. Why?

SoftRAID Support — Wed, 29 May 2024 07:43:58 +0000

@zayphod2112

If you were making a RAID 4/5 volume, that is how it works. Even "Drobo" could not make it larger.

If you want 60TB, then use RAID 0.

BTW: the reason Drobo went bankrupt in part was their dynamic partitioning, which made data recovery services millions, many customers lost data, etc. It was unstable technology, as it required "hacking" the file system to work. Interesting idea, but really not a mass market viable product.

RE: Softraid will not create a volume larger than 8TB. Why?

zayphod2112 — Wed, 29 May 2024 00:52:05 +0000

@softraid-support I just set up 3 20TB Drives in a OWC Thunderbay 4 enclosure. Softraid will not allow more that a 40TB volume. WTF? Now that I have 3 identical drives, I need as much of that space as possible. Why Can't this work. Raid choice does not make a difference. If this is a limitation of the RAID protocol, then, I really, really miss my Drobo! I wish someone would by the Drobo technology and set up a Drobo like Raid system, (They'd make millions!). Drobo is blazing fast, allows any size and make of drives regardless of size, you get full use if every sing TB, GB, and MB, and allows hot-swapping while actually working, to replace a failed drive or two. That tech is now lounging uselessly in Chapter 7 & 11 Bankruptcy. What a world...

RE: Softraid will not create a volume larger than 8TB. Why?

SoftRAID Support — Sun, 26 May 2024 03:43:26 +0000

That is a bad match of sizes. A RAID volume has identical sized partitions, so the 4TB limits the volume size. It does not make any sense to try to use RAID on these mismatched sizes.

Softraid will not create a volume larger than 8TB. Why?

zayphod2112 — Sun, 26 May 2024 00:07:53 +0000

Hi,

I just bought my first OWC Thunderbay 4 enclosure with Softraid 8. I have 1. 20 TB, 1. 6TB, and 1. 4TB drives for a total of 30TB. Softraid won't allow volumes of more than 8TB. What am I not understanding?

I tried Raid 5 and 0 and 1 to no avail.

Help!