How to configure Duo as Non-RAID

You will need to factory default your Duo and switch to Flex-RAID 0 mode. This will allow you to use each disk independently with a separate volume on each disk. Switching RAID modes requires a factory default, meaning that all data and settings will be lost. You would need to backup your data and restore.

faq.php#How_do_I_switch_between_Flex-RAID_and_X-RAID_mode%3F

faq.php#How_do_I_reset_the_ReadyNAS_to_factory_default%3F

After performing the factory default, the NAS will default into X-RAID after 10 minutes. In order to configure it for FlexRAID, you need to connect with RAIDar before the 10 minute window expires:



By default, FlexRAID will create a RAID1 volume which you will need to delete if you want to create a RAID 0 volume. Then, you can follow the instructions here & create your desired volume type & size:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=29704&p=164286#p164286

Be advised that if all of your data is stored on the NAS it is not really considered a backup (even if you have a separate copy on the other drive). Hardware failure, multiple disk failures, accidental/intentional deletions, fire, flood, theft, etc. can all cause catastrophic data loss. Have a look at this post: http://www.readynas.com/?p=3153

You would be much better served to leave the Duo in X-RAID mode and get an external USB drive to make your backups.

BogilyG wrote:
I am using RAIDar 4.01

You may wish to update to a newer version of RAIDar. That's a pretty old version.
You could try RAIDar 4.1.7 Beta

BogilyG wrote:

I have a ReadyNAS Duo which came with a single 1 TB drive. I want to upgrade it to 2 TB. The forum FAQ has the following question and answer: » Does ReadyNAS support JBOD or some sort of non-RAID setup? ReadyNAS does not support JBOD, however, you can create a RAID 0 striped volume across all four disks or create a separate RAID 0 volume on each disk. From this I assumed (oops) that this meant that I could add a second 1 TB drive and have the pair of 1 TB drives act like a single 2 TB volume. I could not figure out a way to do this. I installed the second drive, but it was just synchronized with the first, and I can't find any way to change this. Can anyone direct me on how to accomplish taking the second drive out of RAID configuration and making it extra storage instead? I am using RAIDar 4.01 Thanks.

Thanks to both dbott67 and mdgm I recently was able to to do exactly what you are trying to do. As is mentioned, you will have to back up your data first. In my case that was easy because I bought a second DUO. :D I now have two DUOs each with 2 x 1TB drives with a total of 4TB (nominal) storage. I now have what I consider true redundancy/backup as I have the two DUOs "rsync" each other for all my critical data. A large bulk of what is stored are DVD images so I don't need to back up those as I have the DVDs to go back to if needed. It is comforting to know if for any reason (other than theft or fire) one of the DUOs crashes, I have lost NOTHING. :D

dshepard wrote:
Thanks to both dbott67 and mdgm

You're welcome.

dshepard wrote:

I recently was able to to do exactly what you are trying to do. As is mentioned, you will have to back up your data first. In my case that was easy because I bought a second DUO. :D I now have two DUOs each with 2 x 1TB drives with a total of 4TB (nominal) storage. I now have what I consider true redundancy/backup as I have the two DUOs "rsync" each other for all my critical data. A large bulk of what is stored are DVD images so I don't need to back up those as I have the DVDs to go back to if needed. It is comforting to know if for any reason (other than theft or fire) one of the DUOs crashes, I have lost NOTHING. :D

Backing up is good. I have my backup NAS off-site most of the time (I really want to get another one at some point). After all RAID is not a backup. Rsync will just copy incremental changes. I backup some really big files but they only have to be backed up once to my backup NAS as they don't change.

RAID is not a backup and using RAID-0 (no redundancy) you certainly would want to backup. I have 2 NV+ with 4x1.5TB in each using X-RAID (lose capacity of one disk to redundancy on each NAS).

dbott67 wrote:
You will need to factory default your Duo and switch to Flex-RAID 0 mode. This will allow you to use each disk independently with a separate volume on each disk. Switching RAID modes requires a factory default, meaning that all data and settings will be lost. You would need to backup your data and restore.

I don't think so... Flex-RAID 0 mode creates a single bigger logic volume, data would be spanned on both hard disks. That's a standard RAID functionality.
If you need two logical volumes you must select JBOD mode instead.

I know... this is an old topic, but this information may be important.

tedebus wrote:

dbott67 wrote: You will need to factory default your Duo and switch to Flex-RAID 0 mode. This will allow you to use each disk independently with a separate volume on each disk. Switching RAID modes requires a factory default, meaning that all data and settings will be lost. You would need to backup your data and restore. I don't think so... Flex-RAID 0 mode creates a single bigger logic volume, data would be spanned on both hard disks. That's a standard RAID functionality. If you need two logical volumes you must select JBOD mode instead. I know... this is an old topic, but this information may be important.

dbott67's information is absolutely correct with the Duo V1 (which is what the original poster was using).

The Duo V1 does not have JBOD. You can create independent RAID-0 volumes (one per disk), or a single RAID-0 volume that spans both disks. dbott67 suggests two volumes, which has the benefit that a single drive failure won't lose data saved on the remaining drive.

I don't have a V2, so I don't know if it has a JBOD mode or not.

On the v1 you can delete the volume automatically created and create one RAID-0 volume per disk to effectively do JBOD.

On the v2 when you choose Flex-RAID in RAIDar you can choose the JBOD option for the RAID level.

StephenB wrote:
The Duo V1 does not have JBOD. You can create independent RAID-0 volumes (one per disk), or a single RAID-0 volume that spans both disks.

Hmm... There was a misunderstanding between the two versions...
I have a v2 and I see these option: Auto, RAID0, RAID1 and JBOD.
I don't know, but I think that "one RAID-0 volume per disk" is a meaningless phrase. The word "RAID(1)" assumes that system has an "array of disks" (at least 2). A single disk is... a single disk.
At this point I think that both versions are quite similar, the only thing that has changed is the wording:
v1 RAID0 with span and striping = v2 RAID 0
v1 RAID0 without span and striping = v2 JBOD (that's not RAID)
Apparently Netgear has corrected these inaccuracies on v2.
To be more precise (IMHO) there is another configuration that's missing: JBOD should be configured in two ways: "independent mode" (without spanning, each logical volume has its own physical disk) and "continuous mode" (with spanning but without striping data, with a damaged disk you loose only a part of your data).

tedebus wrote:
I have a v2 and I see these option: Auto, RAID0, RAID1 and JBOD. I don't know, but I think that "one RAID-0 volume per disk" is a meaningless phrase. The word "RAID(1)" assumes that system has an "array of disks" (at least 2). A single disk is... a single disk.

Right. The wording should be corrected.

At this point I think that both versions are quite similar, the only thing that has changed is the wording: v1 RAID0 with span and striping = v2 RAID 0 v1 RAID0 without span and striping = v2 JBOD (that's not RAID) Apparently Netgear has corrected these inaccuracies on v2. To be more precise (IMHO) there is another configuration that's missing: JBOD should be configured in two ways: "independent mode" (without spanning, each logical volume has its own physical disk) and "continuous mode" (with spanning but without striping data, with a damaged disk you loose only a part of your data).

The latter is called "SPAN", and not "JBOD". And that's exactly what is missing as configuration option. I want SPAN, and I want disk0 to be able to sleep while I am watching a movie playing from disk1.