We have a ReadyNAS 3200 that is over 5 years old. We need to reconfigure it so that all 12 drives (2TB ea) are in one large volume. We will then create iSCSI targets within that volume. This ReadyNAS is currently running the firmware that it shipped with (RAIDiator 4.2.8). As I understodd it at the time we purchased and configured the NAS, it was not capable of having one large volume with that firmware. We need to extend the use of this NAS for about 6 - 8 months before we replace it with a new larger one.
Two things I need to know:
1. Can I upgrade directly from 4.2.8 to the current firmware (4.2.27)?
2. Does 4.2.27 support one large volume with multiple iSCSI targets within it?
1. Yes, but you should backup your data first. You might need to do a factory reset if there is a problem with the upgrade.
2. On the 3200 you should be able to create a volume larger than 16TB from the very first firmware, but all disks have to be in place on factory default. There have been improvements for things like iSCSI since 4.2.8.
If you want to create a new volume I would backup your data, update to 4.2.27, verify the firmware update is successful, do a factory default (wipes all data, settings, everything with the disks in place) and set things up how you want.
4.2.8 is very old firmware and there have been lots of improvements since then.
