Disks wil not allocate available space when upgrading disks

[Castor]

I have a RND4000 (ReadyNAS NV+ v1), which I have used with 4 1TB disks until recently.
I replaced the disks one at a time with four Western digital disks:  "WB Blue, 2 TB", Model: WD20EZRZ.

Although this model does not seem to be on the Hardware Compatible List, all four disks were rebuilt.
However, only 927 GB of 1862 GB is allocated on each disk (as with the 1TB disks).

Is the problem perhaps an increase of disk block size, from 512 bytes to 4Kb?
Then, why did the disk change work in the first place?
 
How can I do a "vertical expansion", and allocate all of the space?

The following does not help:
Reboot
Resync
Deletion of snapshot area
Reboot, and Perform volume scan
Reboot, and Check and fix quotas

Remove and disable Snapshot

I have not disabled any Journaling, or "spindown".

When checking for firmware update, I get:
"The system is already running the latest firmware. Click Perform System Update if you wish to proceed with the
update anyway. Date: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970".       

Model: ReadyNAS NV+ [X-RAID]
Serial: 000da201a0e7
Firmware: RAIDiator 4.01b1-p2-T10 [1.00a042]
Memory: 256 MB [ 2.5-3-3-7 ]

Will a "Factory Default reset" make use of al the disk space (i doubt it), or will I have four *empty disks*...?

[mdgm-ntgr · Accepted solution]

1) If the resync to sync the disks sector by sector is still in process that may slow things down a bit. You are using old hardware and the resources needed to run things would have gone up a bit over time. The NV+ essentially uses  pretty much the same hardware (has same CPU and RAM) as the NV we released back in February 2006. Note there is a warning for some options that it's best to use a UPS if you use it. 

2) It uses the web browser's language. If you don't want to change the web browser's language install another web browser and set that one to use English and use that. Our current models give you the option to override the language used in the UI.

[Castor]

Sorry:

The journal is enabled, and the spindown is disabled.

[mdgm-ntgr]

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@Castor wrote:

Firmware: RAIDiator 4.01b1-p2-T10 [1.00a042]

---

You just made my day. This is very special. I can hardly believe that that firmware is still being used.

That is most definitely not the latest firmware. That is a beta firmware release released on Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:40 pm PST. I looked up the release date for the fun of it.

I wonder how you've coped with that for so long? Missing out on new features, bug fixes, security updates and never once needing to contact technical support (who would've told you that you were running beta firmware) for help with anything. That beta firmware was released nearly a year before I ordered my first ReadyNAS.

Seeing yoh-dah's avatar again certainly brings back some memories.

I've seen systems that are running even older firmware before but as far as I can recall it's always been production firmware.

The latest firmware is 4.01c1-p15 or under the "new" (well "new" compared to what you are running) naming structure 4.1.15 which was released recently (nearly 8 and a third years after the firmware you are running). See http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30914/~/raidiator-version-4.1.15-(sparc)

To get 4k sector partition alignment you need to do a factory reset on 4.1.7 or later. You will run into an expandsion if you don't.

You should

1. Backup your data
2. Verify your backup is good.
3. Do a factory default (wipes all data, settings, everything)
4. Restore your data from backup

I would recommend that you use user mode as share mode is now EOL.

Also I would've recommended using RED disks rather than Blue disks.

[StephenB]

EDIT: my response crossed posts with mdgm's...

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@Castor wrote:

Firmware: RAIDiator 4.01b1-p2-T10 [1.00a042]

When checking for firmware update, I get:
"The system is already running the latest firmware. Click Perform System Update if you wish to proceed with the
update anyway.

---

If the firmware version you are quoting is correct (e.g., not just copied off the label), then you are not running the latest firmware - which is 4.1.15.   Your firmware is at least 8 years old.

I suggest backing up the unit, then manually installing the current firmware.  After that, do a factory default - either using the paper-clip method or via the web ui (system->update->factory default).

Raidiator 4.1.15 can be found here: http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/30914/~/raidiator-version-4.1.15-(sparc)  You need to manually extract the binary file from the zip, and then you can do the upgrade from system->update->local

After the factory default completes, you need to reconfigure the NAS and reload the data from backup.

[mdgm-ntgr]

I guess whatever was the URL for checking for firmware updates at the time that beta firmware was released is now a broken link or the firmware you are running can't handle the "new" firmware version scheme properly and so doesn't realise there is newer firmware available.

[Castor]

How I have coped"...?

Well, I obviuosly have had NO problems, or any need for "new features":-)

Thank you very much for the response.

Some questions regarding your suggestions on how to fix my problem with the new disks not allocated to the maxium capacity:

1) Is it really MANDATORY to do a "factory reset"?

2)  Updating the firmware surely would not require an backup?

3) What if I do that, and then remove one disk, fooling the system that it is "broken", and then mount the disk, so it will be rebuild.

(Perhaps using a partition application on another computer to wipe it clean?)

Would that -with the the new firmware- allocate the full potential of the disk?

If so, I would be happy to continue to do the same procedure with the remainging three disks.

"Factory restore" is always scary:-)

[mdgm-ntgr]

1) Well the disks would not be 4k partition aligned so the performance may be terrible. Furthermore if you last did a factory reset on RAIDiator 3.x then you would have a volume block size of 4k and the NAS would try and fail to expand the volume on each boot as volumes with a 4k block size on a Sparc unit cannot be expanded past 5TB.

2) No, but you are updating from a very old firmware and it's best practice to keep a regular backup, and one of the times it's a good idea to do an extra update to this regular backup is before a major firmware update.

3) Without needing to format it using a PC if a disk is hot-added it will be wiped and added to the array.

If there is a ReadyNAS Photos add-on or BitTorrent add-on on your system you should remove those before doing the firmware update. Otherwise you will lose access to the web admin interface after doing the firmware update.

[StephenB]

This might be useful info: http://www.rnasguide.com/2011/06/22/why-you-might-want-to-factory-reset-a-sparc-readynas/

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@Castor wrote:

3) What if I do that, and then remove one disk, fooling the system that it is "broken", and then mount the disk, so it will be rebuild.

(Perhaps using a partition application on another computer to wipe it clean?)

Would that -with the the new firmware- allocate the full potential of the disk?

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No.  As mdgm says, it will rebuild the existing array.  But the only way to get full expansion is to create a new volume with the "new" blocksize.  That requires a reset.

[Castor]

You were right:-)

A firmware update did indeed fail to "upgrade" to 4 Kb block size:-(

A "factory reset" was as instructed used.

This made ALL of the disk space allocated:-)

I am still copying data from temporary storage media, such as a 3TB Sata disk.

Questions:

1) Is it normal to get a transfer speed of of about 7 MB/s, copying data to the NAS as above?

I deactivated "journaling", which slightly increased the data copying rate.

2) The new firmware "Localized, and set the language in the User Interface to Swedish".

Sure, I live in Sweden, and speak Swedish.

But....

I do not want the User Interface in the ReadyNAS frontview- connected with my browser- to use Swedish.

The translation is often "corny", and a bit hard to understand.

The English user interface is crystal clear.

I hate when installation routines localize an application based on my location, or OS language, without ASKING me for the prefferred language.

And above all, thereafter NOT giving you a choice to change the UI language.

Do I have to edit some obscure Linux text file -which I can not get access to- to remedy this?

I am not on about the language "used by users", but only the UI language.

Sure, i can cope with it.

As said before, I have had no problems for the last 8,5 years: with a Beta release:-)

I am fully satisfied with your solution to my problem, except this small "glitch", regarding the language in the UI:-)

Thank you!

[mdgm-ntgr · Accepted solution]

1) If the resync to sync the disks sector by sector is still in process that may slow things down a bit. You are using old hardware and the resources needed to run things would have gone up a bit over time. The NV+ essentially uses  pretty much the same hardware (has same CPU and RAM) as the NV we released back in February 2006. Note there is a warning for some options that it's best to use a UPS if you use it. 

2) It uses the web browser's language. If you don't want to change the web browser's language install another web browser and set that one to use English and use that. Our current models give you the option to override the language used in the UI.