NasReady Duo v2 (RND2000), RAID1 and backup

1) If I choose RAID1, my max capacity is 2T, Disk 1 is for acessing and Disk 2 is mirroring. DIsk 1 and Disk2 is identitical. If Disk 1 or Disk 2 failed, I just plug in the new drive and it will rebuild itself. Correct?
=> Yes, you only need to plug a new disk if disk 1 or disk 2 is failed.
2) My understaindg, as soon as you choose Raid1, Mirroring is Automatically set. Correct?
=> Yes,
3) When mirroring - how do I know it's mirroring or actually working? Can I take mirrored Disk 2 out of the NAS, place it on the HD dock and read from here? I just want to know if I can see exact same data in Disk 2 from Disk 1.
=> Yes, you can take disk 2 out of NAS, place it on HD dock, then connect to PC (it needs Linux OS), mount md2, (ReadyNAS has md0, md1 and md2, md0 is for system, md1 is for swap, md2 is for data), you can see data.
Note: if connect disk2 on another linux OS, maybe md2 is detected as other name, you need to check.

yetanotheruser99 wrote:
Backup is very important to me. I just want to set this up correctly :)

You are very likely to get a bunch of responses, or at least people thinking, that RAID is not a backup solution, but rather a convenience to minimise downtime of data availability. Search these forums and you should find multiple topics.
I also use RAID the way you are suggesting, but I do carry out the odd backup of important stuff.

yetanotheruser99 wrote:
1) If I choose RAID1, my max capacity is 2T, Disk 1 is for acessing and Disk 2 is mirroring. DIsk 1 and Disk2 is identitical. If Disk 1 or Disk 2 failed, I just plug in the new drive and it will rebuild itself. Correct?

Basically correct. Either disk can be use for access though.

yetanotheruser99 wrote:
3) When mirroring - how do I know it's mirroring or actually working? Can I take mirrored Disk 2 out of the NAS, place it on the HD dock and read from here? I just want to know if I can see exact same data in Disk 2 from Disk 1.

Power down the NAS before trying this (powering up after you reinsert disk 2). Otherwise, disk-2 will be wiped and rebuilt when you reinsert.

Thanks for your rely.
Those information are very helpful.

My NAS duo v2 installed itself and it chose x-raid2 option after I insert both slots 2T disks. Is x-raid2 works the same as as raid1? ie, if one disk failed, and I just need to put in the new disk and it will automatically rebuild itself. Correct?

Unlike Flex-RAID RAID-1 volumes X-RAID2 volumes are expandable. Yes like with Flex-RAID RAID-1, using X-RAID2 if one disk failed you could replace it and there would be an automatic resync to restore redundancy.

In that case, I presume most most people would opt xraid2 over raid1.
Just curious; what happen when you swap both working disks around; disk1 to slot 2 and disk 2 to slot 1?
I wonder how NASReady know which disk is new in order to ReSync.

ANY disk insertion with the system powered up is treated as a new disk. So pulling/immediately reinserting a drive will reformat it and then resync. If you pull them both with the system running, you destroy your data. So I presume you mean swap with the system powered down.

The newer NAS are supposed to detect changes in slot order, but I haven't tested it. My drives are labeled, and I preserve slot order.

With the disks powered down, the NAS will detect that a new drive if it isn't formatted. Though if the drive was previously formatted, the new disk detection isn't 100% reliable. So generally speaking, hot swap is the best way to replace a new disk, if you are inserting a new disk with the NAS powered down, it is best to make sure it is not formatted.

StephenB wrote:
With the disks powered down, the NAS will detect that a new drive if it isn't formatted. Though if the drive was previously formatted, the new disk detection isn't 100% reliable. So generally speaking, hot swap is the best way to replace a new disk, .

Thanks Stephen, what if one of the disk failed and I accidentally pull out the wrong one, if I put it back it treat as a new disk and data will be lost?

yetanotheruser99 wrote:

StephenB wrote: With the disks powered down, the NAS will detect that a new drive if it isn't formatted. Though if the drive was previously formatted, the new disk detection isn't 100% reliable. So generally speaking, hot swap is the best way to replace a new disk, . Thanks Stephen, what if one of the disk failed and I accidentally pull out the wrong one, if I put it back it treat as a new disk and data will be lost?

Yes. So be careful not to do that.

Thank you StephenB for your resync tip. I have three drives for my ReadyNas Duo and put one in my safe deposit box. I wondered what would happen to the data if I swapped it with one of the others. Reformatting is fine - will hot swap the third drive.