So here I am stuck again at the beginning. I've got the Ultra2 set up in RAID. But I realize that I don't need redundancy. I just need a large file server that can serve video files. Since RAID isn't backup, the backup will take place offline and I think I can set up the Ultra2 as two EXT4 volumes. This will give me optimally an 8TB media server, which is pretty nice. But how do we do this? I believe that the disk must be reformatted as EXT4 as there is no conversion that can be done as with RAID and FLEX. I am thinking of EXT4 because I think that if the ReadyNAS failes, a RAID or FLEX-RAID formatted disk cannot be read by anything other than the ReadyNAS.Now here comes the real problem.... this seems like a ridiculous question but my first run through setting up the Ultra2 was ghastly. I couldn't find any manual that provided me with the setup procedure that worked. I had to find some doc written by someone on a website on how to configure the Ultra2 using some specialized button settings to put the ReadyNAS into a reset mode, etc. Compared to my Synology, this was a real shocking nightmare. Is there anyone who can point me to the beginning to end processing of setting up the ReadyNAS that actually works? I realize that RaidAR and the software to login will not allow me to reformat directly, as appears the case with the Synology. It requires something be done on the Ultra2.Thank you all for your help and your patience for my question!

bolder wrote:I realize that RaidAR and the software to login will not allow me to reformat directlyIt's (perhaps deliberately) not easy to find, but it's in there. Login to Frontview and click System:Update, then select the Factory Default tab. Click "Perform Factory Default" to permanently erase all data and configuration from the NAS.Once you've done that, run Raidar. Wait for it to find the NAS, then click Setup. I'm going by memory now, but I think you'll be presented with a choice between XRAID2 and FlexRAID, with some suboptions for FlexRAID. Choose FlexRAID and then select the non-RAID option (it's labeled "none", or maybe "---"; I forget exactly what, but it's the one that ISN'T "RAID0" or "RAID1"). Follow the directions; I think it reboots.Next, log back in to Frontview (username and password will have been reset to the default admin/netgear1). Click Volumes:Volume Settings (click the "Switch to Advanced Control" button if you don't initially see the Volumes button). From there, it should be obvious how to format each of your drives. When you're done, you'll have one volume named "C" and one named "D".A Google search for the Ultra 2 user's manual might be helpful, as well.

The NAS will use ext4.It isn't clear from your post whether you're using xraid or flexraid at the moment.If your using xraid then you'll need to factory default ( can be done in Frontview), then you will have a 10 minute window during which you need to use Raidar ( the PC utility) to discover the NAS and select flexraid.Once you have done this you can manipulate your volumes as you wish and it should be easy to set up 2 volumes as you propose.I think the reset description you are referring to is the boot menu method for doing a factory default.

And a little more...If you create two non-redundant volumes, you won't exactly get an 8TB drive; you'll get two 4TB drives. If you want to store more than 4TB of data on the NAS, you'll have to manually choose how to split it between the two drives.A better solution, if you want a single 8TB drive, is to use FlexRAID and choose "RAID0" instead of "none". That will combine your two drives into one volume. The only issues are:1) In the unlikely event that the NAS fails, it won't be impossible to read the data from that volume using a PC, but it won't be trivial, either.2) If either drive fails the entire volume will be unusable.But you say that you'll have an offline backup, so those issues shouldn't be a large concern.

Wow - that was super quick!!! Thanks guys.At the moment I'm using X-RAID2 and I'm not sure if that's proprietary and guessing that it was. From your messages it would appear that I'll need to reset to factor and reformat the disks, which is fine. Thanks so much, truly.Regarding the one big drive -- thank you for that solution. It doesn't really matter if there are two drives seen on the network. It's a small inconvenience and either drive can be searched. However if the NAS does fail, there is the potential for files being cross written on both disks, etc. so better to be safe than sorry, at least so it would appear. I did find the instructions - there is something unclear in the manual that caused me to hunt the Internet to find this:Hold down the reset button when booting, until all the lights are lit up.Press usb backup button twice until Disk 1 LED is lit. Then press reset.ReadyNAS will start to format the HD and you will be able to choose Raidar and see the drive online and it will say "Installing" and the light will be blue.Boot Menu All lights litNormal Power Led litFactory Default Disk 1 Led LitOS Reinstall Disk 2 Led LitTech Support USB Led LitSkip Vol Check Power Led and Disk 1 Led LitMemory Test Power led and Disk 2 Led LitTest Disk Power Led and USB Led Lit

This is maddening. So everything went as planned - thanks. Logged into FrontView and you have to go to Volume Settings. There is no option to format the drives in anything other than RAID 0 or 1. There is no option to get two drives formatted as EXT3 or EXT4. I'm using RAIDiator 4.2.26 so I've got the latest update but it's just not there. I look in the manual and I don't see it either. Hmmmm.... I'd really like to avoid having to use RAID-0 as one big 7.38TB hard drive and would prefer to have the dual drives. It makes replacing the data so much easier than need to restore twice the data in case one fails!

How to Reformat Disks in ReadyNAS Ultra 2

16 Replies

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vandermerwe
Master
Feb 20, 2014
The NAS will use ext4.
It isn't clear from your post whether you're using xraid or flexraid at the moment.
If your using xraid then you'll need to factory default ( can be done in Frontview), then you will have a 10 minute window during which you need to use Raidar ( the PC utility) to discover the NAS and select flexraid.
Once you have done this you can manipulate your volumes as you wish and it should be easy to set up 2 volumes as you propose.

I think the reset description you are referring to is the boot menu method for doing a factory default.
fastfwd
Virtuoso
Feb 20, 2014
bolder wrote:
I realize that RaidAR and the software to login will not allow me to reformat directly

It's (perhaps deliberately) not easy to find, but it's in there. Login to Frontview and click System:Update, then select the Factory Default tab. Click "Perform Factory Default" to permanently erase all data and configuration from the NAS.

Once you've done that, run Raidar. Wait for it to find the NAS, then click Setup. I'm going by memory now, but I think you'll be presented with a choice between XRAID2 and FlexRAID, with some suboptions for FlexRAID. Choose FlexRAID and then select the non-RAID option (it's labeled "none", or maybe "---"; I forget exactly what, but it's the one that ISN'T "RAID0" or "RAID1"). Follow the directions; I think it reboots.

Next, log back in to Frontview (username and password will have been reset to the default admin/netgear1). Click Volumes:Volume Settings (click the "Switch to Advanced Control" button if you don't initially see the Volumes button). From there, it should be obvious how to format each of your drives. When you're done, you'll have one volume named "C" and one named "D".

A Google search for the Ultra 2 user's manual might be helpful, as well.
fastfwd
Virtuoso
Feb 20, 2014
And a little more...

If you create two non-redundant volumes, you won't exactly get an 8TB drive; you'll get two 4TB drives. If you want to store more than 4TB of data on the NAS, you'll have to manually choose how to split it between the two drives.

A better solution, if you want a single 8TB drive, is to use FlexRAID and choose "RAID0" instead of "none". That will combine your two drives into one volume. The only issues are:

1) In the unlikely event that the NAS fails, it won't be impossible to read the data from that volume using a PC, but it won't be trivial, either.
2) If either drive fails the entire volume will be unusable.

But you say that you'll have an offline backup, so those issues shouldn't be a large concern.
bolder1
Aspirant
Feb 20, 2014
Wow - that was super quick!!! Thanks guys.

At the moment I'm using X-RAID2 and I'm not sure if that's proprietary and guessing that it was. From your messages it would appear that I'll need to reset to factor and reformat the disks, which is fine. Thanks so much, truly.

Regarding the one big drive -- thank you for that solution. It doesn't really matter if there are two drives seen on the network. It's a small inconvenience and either drive can be searched. However if the NAS does fail, there is the potential for files being cross written on both disks, etc. so better to be safe than sorry, at least so it would appear.

I did find the instructions - there is something unclear in the manual that caused me to hunt the Internet to find this:

Hold down the reset button when booting, until all the lights are lit up.
Press usb backup button twice until Disk 1 LED is lit.
Then press reset.
ReadyNAS will start to format the HD and you will be able to choose Raidar and see the drive online and it will say "Installing" and the light will be blue.

Boot Menu All lights lit
Normal Power Led lit
Factory Default Disk 1 Led Lit
OS Reinstall Disk 2 Led Lit
Tech Support USB Led Lit
Skip Vol Check Power Led and Disk 1 Led Lit
Memory Test Power led and Disk 2 Led Lit
Test Disk Power Led and USB Led Lit
bolder1
Aspirant
Feb 20, 2014
This is maddening. So everything went as planned - thanks. Logged into FrontView and you have to go to Volume Settings. There is no option to format the drives in anything other than RAID 0 or 1. There is no option to get two drives formatted as EXT3 or EXT4. I'm using RAIDiator 4.2.26 so I've got the latest update but it's just not there. I look in the manual and I don't see it either. Hmmmm.... I'd really like to avoid having to use RAID-0 as one big 7.38TB hard drive and would prefer to have the dual drives. It makes replacing the data so much easier than need to restore twice the data in case one fails!
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired
Feb 20, 2014
Delete the existing volumes (if any) and create a RAID-0 volume using just one of the disks, then once that's finished create another RAID-0 volume just using the other disk. This will give you what you want.
bolder1
Aspirant
Feb 20, 2014
mdgm - Thanks. The process was very poor. I tried to use 0 and 1 drive, as you suggested prior to reading your reply. The window wouldn't update and I kept getting 7.38TB storage, 233GB of RAID/FS overhead, etc. Only after refreshing a few times did it finally work.

I can't express how appreciative I am that others have responded here. None of this is in the manual or in any type of setup guide or even logical. Guessing wrong means a very long wait! ;) I will save this as an addition to my ReadyNAS manual. :) Thanks again everyone, looks like I should be good to go from here.
bolder1
Aspirant
Feb 20, 2014
Looks like I spoke to soon. It created one single 4TB drive that FrontView says is RAID-0. After it does, I see only one drive appearing under RAID Settings and the second drive is not visible. The message is as follows:

Not redundant. A disk failure will render this volume dead.

Great. I know that. But apparently the ReadyNAS Ultra 2 isn't accepting anything other than RAID 0 or 1 or X-RAID2. Any other suggestions? I searched all over for EXT4 on the Ultra 2 and can't find anything.
bolder1
Aspirant
Feb 20, 2014
http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=61391

Unbelievable. No offense to my fellow ReadNAS owners, but this is utter primitive nonsense for a NAS purchased within the past year. I have a couple of ReadyNAS Ultra 2 devices and none of them can be used as two separate EXT4 formatted drives!!!! It's RAID or the highway.

Unfortunately I have just destroyed 3.4 TB of data for nothing. It will take numerous hours to reconstruct. The worst part about all of this is that even a backup isn't going to help. If one drive fails, both drives fail. And this means that if backup drive for the non-failed disk isn't perfectly backed up, the NAS fails.

Guys, I really appreciate your help. Too bad about the hardware. It's really nice, well built but the instructions and Netgear's terribly maintained and mismanaged website makes me wonder if Netgear is staying in business or at least the NAS business. I never would have believed it. They seem more concerned with having all users know who the Netgear CEO is than anything else. ;)
fastfwd
Virtuoso
Feb 20, 2014
You're clearly very frustrated, but it really is possible to create two EXT4 volumes. I know, because that's how my Ultra 2 Plus is set up.

In my earlier instructions, I misremembered the FlexRAID options. It turns out that there are only two: RAID0 and RAID1. My apologies. You want RAID0, and it sounds as though you already chose that option, so that's good.

A single-drive RAID0 volume is the same as a non-RAID volume. By default, the NAS uses EXT4 as its underlying filesystem, so if you create two single-drive RAID0 volumes, you'll get two EXT4 drives, each of which can be read in any system that can read EXT4 disks.

I'm not exactly clear on where you are, but it sounds as though you have one 4TB RAID0 volume. If that's true, you're halfway done: You've created one volume on one drive, and now you just need to create the second volume on the second drive.

Log in to Frontview and click Volumes:Volume Settings. Look at the tabs at the top of the screen. Do you see "Volume C", "Add Volume", "USB"? If so, click "Add Volume" and follow the prompts to create the second volume.