questions on ReadyNAS 3200 -> 4200 move and 16 TB limitation

A firmware update is not going to overcome a hardware issue.

I wasn't sure if the LSI 2.0 TB issue was hard coded in to the controller or could be updated via a LSI firmware update. Our Qlogic fibre cards can get their firmware at boot from the OS, so I know it is sometimes possible.

We are hopefully solving the 16 TB issue by just buying 4 more 2.0 TB drives and filling it up with 6 original + 6 added = 24 TB (manufacturer) raw, hopefully will be 16 TB XRAID2 2x redundant volume (24TB sans 2 drives, 80% ~ 16 TB). No 3 TB drives on HCL for 3200/4200 yet, so...

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The reason we are leaving the 3200 behind is that it is experiencing some really odd behavior on disk 6; ATA errors lead to pulling/replacing disk, but the system will not recognize it has anything new plugged in to the disk port (even after cold reset). We tried 2 new WD hard drives, both of which worked just fine when later tested in the RN4200. Just for kicks we took a working Hitachi drive from the RN4200 and put it in the RN3200. It also fails to be seen, yet works perfectly in any other piece of equipment. The web interface still shows a Seagate drive for disk 6. The part that worries us is that disk 1 now is starting down the same road disk 6 went down; multiple ATA errors in a single day, no other issues reported.

We will be getting in touch with ReadyNAS about this particular issue once we get the RN3200 out of production.