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ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

seanmt
Aspirant

ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Currently I am running with two 1TB HDD's but I need more capacity so have bought two 2TB HDD's.

Current HDD's
--------------------
Disk 1 Seagate ST31000528AS
Disk 2 Seagate ST31000528AS

New HDD's
--------------------
Seagate ST32000542AS
Hitachi HDS722020ALA330


I want to be able to add the new 2TB HDD's without losing any data.

What are the steps to accomplish this?

Do I just take out Disk 2 and put in the new HDD, wait for it to sync, and then remove Disk 1 and put this newly synced drive in that slot?
Message 1 of 24
Rabbie
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

yes, you are right.
Please do not swap the second 2T drive before the first 2T drive sync finished .
Message 2 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Here;s what you should do
1. You should ensure you have a good backup of important data primarily stored on the ReadyNAS. RAID is not a backup and you will be breaking that RAID when you replace a disk. So during the time the replacement disk is syncing you are vulnerable to your other old disk failing.
2. You should upgrade to the latest RAIDiator (currently 4.1.7: http://www.readynas.com/RAIDiator_4_1_7_Notes). Note that the update requires a reboot.
3. If one of your disks is failing/bad obviously it should be replaced first. You can check the health of the disks under Status > Health > SMART+ in Frontview. If neither disk looks to be failing/bad then you can choose whichever disk you want to replace first.
4. Let's assume you replace disk 2 first. You would e.g. take disk 2 out and put the new SeaGate in slot 2. You would then wait for the resync to complete.
5. Then you would remove disk 1 and put the Hitachi in slot one. Don't reorder the order of the disks. Simply replace the existing disks with new disks one by one waiting for the resync to complete before replacing the next disk. Once the resync has completed on the final disk replacement you should be prompted to reboot for expansion to take place.

Note that whilst the disks you have chosen may not be 4k sector disks, going forward all new 2TB disks released will be. So if you can it would be better to do the following:
1. Backup all data
2. Verify backup is good
3. Upgrade to the latest RAIDiator (currently 4.1.7: http://www.readynas.com/RAIDiator_4_1_7_Notes) if you haven't already
4. Do a System > Config Backup
5. Factory default: http://www.readynas.com/forum/faq.php#How_do_I_reset_the_ReadyNAS_to_factory_default%3F
6. Restore Config Backup
7. Restore data from backup
Message 3 of 24
seanmt
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Thanks for that great info, very detailed.

I have successfully added both hard drives now but it says on the Frontview home screen...

Volume C: Online, X-RAID, 2 disks, 95% of 925 GB used

But under Status -> Health it does say they are 1.86TB. It hasn't prompted for me to reboot since syncing could this be why?

Disk 1 Hitachi HDS722020ALA330 1862 GB
Disk 2 Seagate ST32000542AS 1862 GB
Message 4 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Try doing a reboot anyway, wait 10 minutes and if Frontview still hasn't given an alert about expansion try another reboot.

If you still have problems then there are some further things that can be tried.
Message 5 of 24
seanmt
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Brilliant. Rebooted and got the alert that it needed to do a few things for the expansion to happen.

All sorted now, thanks for your help!
Message 6 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

I'm looking at doing the same 2x 500gb to 2 x 2tb upgrade.

Am I right in thinking that I have to take 1x 500gb out, format the drive and back up the duo to the drive over usb.
remove the other 500gb, backup config, insert 2 x 2tb, factory reset, wait..., transfer the back up over usb.

It's just the formatting and backing up step that I don't get - I assume netgear's xraid means that the drives cannot be viewed on their own by putting them in an enclosure and that is why it's required?

Thanks for all the billiant information on these forums - they have saved me on many occasions!

Kind regards

Ben
Message 7 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

I wouldn't do it that way. Breaking the RAID before having a backup isn't a good idea in my view.

I would preferably backup to none of the drives you mentioned above. If you really want to backup to one of your drives put one of the 2TB drives in a USB enclosure or in a PC, backup to it, verify the backup is good, download the Config Backup zip file (System > Config Backup) onto your PC. Then power down, remove the 500GB disks, do the factory default with the other 2TB disk installed, restore config backup, then restore data from backup, then add the 2TB disk you used as a backup while the NAS is on.

Doing data recovery using drive 1 from your X-RAID array would be a last resort. The data can be read, but it does take a bit of work and not recommended. So yes you would need to backup to a USB disk or a disk inside your PC or connected by some other means. You could alternatively if you prefer backup to another ReadyNAS.
Message 8 of 24
bwblackett
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

bendraper wrote:
I assume netgear's xraid means that the drives cannot be viewed on their own by putting them in an enclosure and that is why it's required?


Is this right ?

I currently have a single 500gb drive in my Duo which is full. I'm going to replace it with 2x 2Tb drives. Can I put the 500gb drive in an enclosure and access the files on it ?
Message 9 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

bwblackett wrote:
bendraper wrote:
I assume netgear's xraid means that the drives cannot be viewed on their own by putting them in an enclosure and that is why it's required?


Is this right ?

I currently have a single 500gb drive in my Duo which is full. I'm going to replace it with 2x 2Tb drives. Can I put the 500gb drive in an enclosure and access the files on it ?

Possible to read the data, but it's not recommended to do this. It isn't easy to read it using a Linux machine, but it can be done.

Be sure to choose disks from the HCL.

I'd suggest you do the following:
1. Backup all data (put one of the new 2TB drives in an enclosure an backup to this).
2. Verify backup is good
3. Upgrade to the latest RAIDiator (currently 4.1.7: http://www.readynas.com/RAIDiator_4_1_7_Notes) if you haven't already
4. Do a System > Config Backup
5. Power down, remove the 500GB disk. You can put this drive back in the NAS later if you need to.
6. Put the other 2TB disk (not the one from the USB enclosure) in the NAS.
7. Factory default: http://www.readynas.com/forum/faq.php#How_do_I_reset_the_ReadyNAS_to_factory_default%3F
8. Restore Config Backup
9. Restore data from backup
10. Remove the disk from the USB enclosure and hot-add (add it to the NAS while the NAS is on) it.
Message 10 of 24
bwblackett
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

I understand all the stuff about backing up and replacing drives.

All I want to know is it possible to read the old drive on an XP PC or would I have to format it and re-copy the data ?
Message 11 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

You can read it using 3rd party software, but this would be a last resort for data recovery. So, if I had to give a one word answer I'd say "no".
Message 12 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

hi,

I have finally got my 2 x 2tb hard drives and am in the process of a full backup to a 500gb hard drive.

Just want to query the first point of the process
"1. Backup all data (put one of the new 2TB drives in an enclosure an backup to this)."
do you mean using the backup options in the readynas and if so, which one - the c to the external option or do you just mean copy all of the files that you can see

I've currently got the c to the 500gb drive backup running (as an extra precaution)

Thanks in advance

Ben
Message 13 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

You could backup the entire data volume, volume C, if you wish.
Message 14 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

thanks muchly
Message 15 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

so, two backups later (due to paranoia) I pop a fresh 2TB disk all on it's own into the readynas duo when off.
Hold down the reset button and push power button, release reset after 30 seconds and LED flashes.
Access through raidar and select standard xraid2
various lound fan noises and about an hour 1.5 hours later radar indicates that system is up
access through the web portal to find readynas null on the homescreen and no menu
A few google searches later http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=28107&view=previous I do a os install
further 30 minutes later (just to be safe) same readynas null issue.

I can see the nas on the network and access the media and backup shares - although I've not tried writing to them yet.

Any thoughts from anyone how to get my admin menu back?

Do i need to wait even longer as it is a 2tb drive?

Kind regards

Ben
Message 16 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Have you tried opening an online technical support case? See http://www.readynas.com/support

Have you tried clearing your web browser cache (e.g. Temporary Internet Files)?
Message 17 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Thanks mdgm

Reset the browers cache and everything worked fine - thanks for your time

Although has anyone else encountered the Firefox issue the asking you to create a security exemption for the https: etc becuase the cert is self signed, and then not letting you add it becuase it is a vaid cert?
how bizzar

Thanks for you time

Kind regards

Ben
Message 18 of 24
bendraper
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone on the forum who posts and helps generally with things.

I now have a 2 x 2tb xraid readynas system with all my files transfered over.

The only thing I would note is that there doesn't appear to be any point in moving anything other than shares (I copied the c drive) as you can't restore to anywhere other than shares!

Thanks again to everyone

Kind regards

Ben
Message 19 of 24
PapaBear1
Guide

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

Anytime you reset the NAS or upgrade to a new version of RAIDiator, you will probably see that Firefox warning. Just check the box to make the exception permanent and you won't see the warning for a while. You also get a warning in IE9, and it turns the address block red. There is no permanent exception in IE9 that I can find. They don't like it because the NAS has a self signed certificate. However, why should Netgear pay for a certificate for these units, when they are always connected to an internal network? (I don't think the certificates are cheap either).
Message 20 of 24
pengjn
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

mdgm wrote:
Here;s what you should do
1. You should ensure you have a good backup of important data primarily stored on the ReadyNAS. RAID is not a backup and you will be breaking that RAID when you replace a disk. So during the time the replacement disk is syncing you are vulnerable to your other old disk failing.
2. You should upgrade to the latest RAIDiator (currently 4.1.7: http://www.readynas.com/RAIDiator_4_1_7_Notes). Note that the update requires a reboot.
3. If one of your disks is failing/bad obviously it should be replaced first. You can check the health of the disks under Status > Health > SMART+ in Frontview. If neither disk looks to be failing/bad then you can choose whichever disk you want to replace first.
4. Let's assume you replace disk 2 first. You would e.g. take disk 2 out and put the new SeaGate in slot 2. You would then wait for the resync to complete.
5. Then you would remove disk 1 and put the Hitachi in slot one. Don't reorder the order of the disks. Simply replace the existing disks with new disks one by one waiting for the resync to complete before replacing the next disk. Once the resync has completed on the final disk replacement you should be prompted to reboot for expansion to take place.

Note that whilst the disks you have chosen may not be 4k sector disks, going forward all new 2TB disks released will be. So if you can it would be better to do the following:
1. Backup all data
2. Verify backup is good
3. Upgrade to the latest RAIDiator (currently 4.1.7: http://www.readynas.com/RAIDiator_4_1_7_Notes) if you haven't already
4. Do a System > Config Backup
5. Factory default: http://www.readynas.com/forum/faq.php#How_do_I_reset_the_ReadyNAS_to_factory_default%3F
6. Restore Config Backup
7. Restore data from backup


I am about to upgrade to two WD WD20EARX 2TB disks. I have some questions:
1) 'Note that whilst the disks you have chosen may not be 4k sector disks, going forward all new 2TB disks released will be.'. What is the implication if they aren't 4k sector disks? How do i find out if the disks I am getting are 4k?
2) I currently have 2 1TB drives in redundant RAID config. They are partitioned into two 500GB volumes. When I upgrade to the 2TB disks how will the volumes expand? I want to keep one volume 500GB and have the other one 1.5TB.
3) If I need to do a backup (is there an advantage to this technique?) rather than just put the new disks in one by one and syncing them, how is this done?

Thanks!
Message 21 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

pengjn please don't revive a dead thread in future. Start a new thread and if necessary refer to an existing one.

1. The disks you're getting are 4k sector ones.
2. Only X-RAID volumes are expandable.
3. Perform the steps I suggested above (latest firmware is now 4.1.8). After step 5, discover the NAS in RAIDar (http://www.readynas.com/downloads), click setup and choose Flex-RAID. Then before restoring the config backup, delete the volume created by default and create two new ones.
Message 22 of 24
pengjn
Aspirant

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

mdgm wrote:
pengjn please don't revive a dead thread in future. Start a new thread and if necessary refer to an existing one.

1. The disks you're getting are 4k sector ones.
2. Only X-RAID volumes are expandable.
3. Perform the steps I suggested above (latest firmware is now 4.1.8). After step 5, discover the NAS in RAIDar (http://www.readynas.com/downloads), click setup and choose Flex-RAID. Then before restoring the config backup, delete the volume created by default and create two new ones.


Sorry - didn't realise that reviving old thread was bad! 🙂

How do I do step one? I'm guessing that I need a USB drive enclosure and I can use one of the new 2TB disks for the backup until the first 2TB has finished syncing?
Message 23 of 24
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: ReadyNAS Duo Upgrade to 2TB Hard Drives

You could do it that way if you like.
Message 24 of 24
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