Readynas OS6 future requests

A few things to request:

1. Record all events in the Log File.  Presently, the log file seems to only record "selected" events, inconsistently.  For example, start of "DISK RESYNC" after a hot-swap is not reported, but the change from "RESYNC" to "ONLINE" is recorded. See message text for the latter, cut&pasted from my log.

2. Disambiguate terminology, and use terms consistently, across all tools (RAIDar, Admin Console, log file, pop-ups in Windows Tray, etc.) and documentation. For example, these terms  used in log messages, GUI for Admin Console, are inconsistently used to refer to different events, activities, and specific objects (disks vs. Volumes, vs. LUN's, etc.Disambiguate == Better User Experience == Less support cost to NETGEAR == happier customers == more sales == More Profits == BIGGER R&D budgets == More COOL Innovation and Features == loop-back into this cool cycle !!!

For example, to reduce confusion in messaging.  "Rebuild." "RESYNC," "ONLINE," "Degraded," "Redundant", and so on should be used with one, proper object (gramatically speaking). The object f these terms should always be stated as either: "System <name>," "Volume <name>," or "Disk <channel#>."

3. Do not allow software engineers to design user interfaces.  Add 1 good UI designer, and give them authority over all tools to have a richer, but common GUI - and ultimately an exceptional "User Experience" (see cycle in 2 to defend, why this hire is the most important.  SW engineers and programmers will be happier, and more productive, if they don't have to do the GUI design work.  That one good UI designer should develop a "GUI Style Guide," that outlines the "specification" for the "framework" for User Interfaces, messaging, vernacular, terminology, grammar, and so on - consistently - with extensions to all supported UI languages (English to Chinese to Arabic, and so on).  This is super-old innovation - companies like Autodesk Inc., were able to ship software in 22 languages, simultaneously, as early as the mid 1980's.  No need to reinvent the wheel, just choose a well vetted open-source language tool set and follow what everyone else has already done - and empower one authority over all domains to evaluate and drive consistency across software engineering. Give that role to the "1 good UI designer."

4. Use a GUI Style Guide (developed by the one good UI designer with authority to do it) to use consistent display of messages Upper Case or Lower Case - should be consistent "ONLINE" vs. "Redunant" in the example here from my LOG file. And, either use quotation marks or don't use quotation marks, consistently, in system messaging, software tools (RAIDar, Admin Console, etc.) and Documenation.

5. Reboot events in the Log File would be more informative if they indicated how they were initiated.  I've see reboot events initiated by AntiVirus, and other reasons (or drawn that conclusion - because of no information written in the log.

6. "ReadyNAS has started" events would be far more valuable if they noted the version of ReadyNAS OS, and the firmware version from the registry tables.

FWIW, I LOVE my ReadyNAS 104.  The more I use it, the more I love it - and the more I want to make it perfect !

7. Admin console should NOT allow a firmware update if a hot-swap has been initiated - or for that matter, any disk error, or volume "degraded" condition. In the Admin console, say an update is available, but will only be installed after the current system condition is restored to "online" and "redundant."   (OR do 8, below... Ask your new GUI designer which approach would be better!)

8. OR, Tell the user in a firmware error message to be displayed (in the admin console, etc.) indicating that the "Firmware update will not interfere with disk resync and volume rebuild process you have recently initiated. Continue safely with the reboot."  (Assuming that is completely failsafe and true.)