ReadyNAS 4312 (or similar) - RAID config and expansion

[flattened]

Hi,

I need help with a decision.

We'd like 20TB of storage for both iSCSI LUN HyperV VHD virtualisation and general SMB3 data (with snapshots).

One volume.

The 12 bay RR4312S is a model we are familar with.

We'd like the space to be easily upgradable in the future - cost is a consideration right now or we'd use bigger disks right away.

We want to use RAID10.

Is RAID10 an XRAID option? Whenever I've tried on the online calculator XRAID RAID 6 is chosen each time.
So, if RAID10 isn't an XRAID option what do I do? Which is the best suggestion for populating it now with an eye on the future (4 years hence) in terms of expanding Flex Raid.

Is Vertical less hassle than Horizontal? Therefore should we fill all 12 bays now then add bigger disks one by one in the future - i.e. vertically? Or do we leave chassis space for a horizontal expansion?

Many thanks, Andy.

[mdgm-ntgr]

X-RAID uses RAID-6 where more than 6 disks are installed.

There are multiple different Flex-RAID options, RAID-0 (not recommended), RAID-1, RAID-5, RAID-6, RAID-10, RAID-50 and RAID-60.

For your NAS the options to consider would be RAID-6, RAID-10, RAID-50 or RAID-60.

If you want to vertically expand a Flex-RAID volume you'll need to replace all your disks with higher capacity ones one by one (wait for resync to complete before replacing the next disk). See How do I vertically expand a Flex-RAID volume on my ReadyNAS OS 6 storage system?