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Forum Discussion
RN316 Initial setup | X-RAID2 | SSD + HDDs any advantages / disadvantages?
G'day, I've looked around but either my searching is poor or there's nothing that I can find that looks specifically at this. Please feel free to point me at threads that I may have missed if this has already been addressed!
I intend to use X-RAID2 as the mixing and matching of HDD sizes is one of the main reasons I went with the RN316 - to use a baseline of HDDs that I already have (empty) and expand as HDDs become cheaper or I need the capacity.
I'm just getting around to setting up my ReadyNAS 316 (OS6) for the first time, and have available the following for use in the NAS. I don't need to use all of them, but would like advice on the best mix / order / etc if possible.
I have:
1x 256Gb SSD
3x 1TB HDD
2x 2TB HDD
3x 3TB HDD
Numerous other smaller HDDs
I've read the software and hardware manuals, and again, I may have missed this there, but:
1. Is it worth using an SSD as the first drive, so that the files used by the OS / cache etc live there?
2. Is there an advantage to using a single SSD in the ReadyNASes?
3. Is there a problem with using an SSD (smaller) mixed with HDDs (larger)?
4. Is there a recommended order to adding drives (start with smaller drives and add larger? Start with large and add smaller?)
I really think I've missed an obvious post here in the forums, so please point me there if appropriate!
Thanks.
2 Replies
This link looks like it addresses some of my question, but not the usefulness or otherwise of an SSD: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Using-your-ReadyNAS/XRAID-2/m-p/857408#M27198
In summary:
- use the largest number of large drives available
- insert all the drives prior to initial power up
In my case then:
- unknown if useful to have 512GB SSD in slot 1
--- if SSD is useful, then perhaps use 1x 512SSD + 3x 4TB HDD + 2x 2TB HDD
--- if SSD not useful to have in the mix then perhaps use 3x 4TB HDD + 3x 2TB HDD
fastfwd wrote:
The largest sized disk in your NAS will not contribute to your usable space...
So
4x2TB will give you 6TB usable, and
3x2TB + 1x3TB will also give you 6TB usable.
2x2TB + 3x3TB will give you 7TB usable, so you should use that combination.
<snip>
Regardless of the exact numbers, though, 2x2TB + 2x3TB will give you around 16% more space than you will get with the other two combinations.
<snip>
... does it matter what order the disks go, i.e. do I need the 2 x 3TB drives in slot 1 & 2 or should the smaller 2TB go in slot 1 & 2 and the 3TB in slot 3 & 4...
The slot order does not matter. If you are inserting the disks one at a time, then you need to insert the smallest disks first.Though on an initial install it is better to just put them all in at once and then power up.
Hmmm, that suggested topics widget to the right of the thread is really helpful - I think I'm answering my own questions due to that function pointing me in related directions without hard search terms.
Anyway, looks like using a single SSD would perhaps not have muc, if any, advantage, according to the replies here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Using-your-ReadyNAS/RN204-SSD-quot-Boot-quot-Drive/m-p/1043877#M103193
mdgm wrote:
Re: RN204 SSD "Boot" Drive
Options 2016-02-02 01:36 PMCharlesR wrote:
I realize there is no boot drive per se. Although I believe the NAS would be functional with just the SSD drive if I was to remove the other data drives. And I could place the two "data" drives into a similar NAS and access them?
-YesCharlesR wrote:
I guess you are saying each drive has a copy of the OS and no drive is unique as far as booting the system?
-Correct. You'd be limited by the speed of the slowest disk, so using the SSD alongside hard disks in the one system wouldn't make much difference to boot times.CharlesR wrote:
To the point if I pulled the SSD drive (assuming it was the first installed) would the NAS still boot?
-Yes
CharlesR wrote:
Would the volume I created on the two "data" drives be accessible?-Yes. The OS is in RAID-1 across all the disks and the volume on the hard disks would be accessible. It would only be if you were say using e.g. a RAID-5 volume using the SSD and the two hard disks and had the SSD and another disk missing/with problems of some sort that you wouldn't be able to access the volume.
CharlesR wrote:
However if only the SSD drive was installed it would at least boot and I could access the NAS minus the "data" drives of course.-Yes
CharlesR wrote:
Could I remove the two "data" drives from the NAS and it would still be accessible and configured. I could reconfigure/remove the data drives and go from there?
-You would see that the disks were marked as dead. Though there is an option now to export the volume, I believe.CharlesR wrote:
Could I move the "data" drives to another NAS and have them be accessible?
-Yes. They would need to be the only disks installed and the destination system would also need to be an OS6 system. It would be advisable to update the destination system to the same firmware (or newer) using a scratch disk before moving the disks across. The NAS would recognise that the SSD is missing.
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