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Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

willeand
Tutor

Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

I have a RedayNas Duo v2 that will no longer mount its 2 HDDs. After a power outage and a successful synchronization of the RAID X configuration (started by the NAS itself) and a scheduled power down over night the NAS will not come online anymore. Both HDD LED remain dark after Starting the NAS with power on button. Raidar does find the NAS but will display ‘bad disks’ and I can not access any more functions through Raidar.

I do have another ReadyNas Duo v2. Can I try to insert the two HDDs from the non operational NAS to the good one and see if they start up there?

Its hard to believe that 2 HDDs fail at the same time.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated, I am clueless.

Message 1 of 8

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StephenB
Guru

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2


@willeand wrote:

. Looks like disk 1 is about to fail or has failed already but then disk 2 should have taken over, right? Is the Ready NAS OS only on disk 1?


The OS is on both disks, but the system normally boots from the first disk it sees.  So I would try booting up with only disk 2 (in slot 2) and see what happens.

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Message 7 of 8

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StephenB
Guru

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2


@willeand wrote:

Its hard to believe that 2 HDDs fail at the same time.

 


Note one disk might have failed first, which would have put the NAS in a degraded mode.  If you weren't watching the status in RAIDar or with the web admin interface, then you might not have realized there was an issue until the second disk failed. 

 

Still, they are likely identical disks, installed at the same time, and subjected to identical loads.  So it isn't that unusual for two disks to fail in rapid succession. 

 


@willeand wrote:

I do have another ReadyNas Duo v2. Can I try to insert the two HDDs from the non operational NAS to the good one and see if they start up there?

 


Yes, if they are both the same model.  Note there is a lot of confusion with the NV+ and Duo v1/v2 models.  The original Duo says "ReadyNAS Duo" on the front panel.  The v2 says "ReadyNAS Duo v2" on the front panel. 

 

Many people see other labels on the original (v1) that include "v2", and mistakenly think they own a v2.

 

Note the NAS boots from the disks, and all settings are on the disks.

 

I always suggest labeling the disks by slot (and in your case, perhaps by NAS) to make sure you don't mix them up.  If the two NAS are running different firmware, then the firmware installation file in the receiving NAS flash will be installed on the hard disks (either upgrading or downgrading the firmware). 

 

One thing to try first - swap the two power adapters, and see if that changes the behavior.  I don't think it will, but it is easy to try.

Message 2 of 8
willeand
Tutor

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

Stephen, many thanks for your reply. 
I checke d both NAS, they both say ReadyNas Duo on the front (hence they are v1) and have a label on the underside that says v2 (this still means they are v1, per what you say).

I have changed the power adaptors, no change in behavior though.

Raidar will find the troublesome NAS but won’t say what firmware is on it. The line is blank. While the other NAS (with two good HDDs) will state the firmware version in the overview page when you start Raidar. So I have no way of knowing what firmware is on the troublesome NAS.

The HDDs in the troublesome NAS are the same make and model but one is 3 years young than the other. I have a 3rd HDD of the troublesome NAS (before it became troublesome) that I keep alternating in the same NAS every 3 months and I keep it in the office in case my house burns down. Also this HDD is same make and model.

I keep a yellow sticky on that 3rd HDD with the date, the NAS it came from and what bay it was in, here in this case it’s bay1. I did not do any firmware upgrade in the last 3 months.

What shall I do first?
Try the 2HDDs of the troublesome NAS in the good NAS?

or

Try to reinsert the 3rd HDD taken out of the now troublesome NAS 3 months earlier when the NAS was ok?

Even losing 3 month of data is painful.

 

Message 3 of 8
StephenB
Guru

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2


@willeand wrote:

 

What shall I do first?
Try the 2HDDs of the troublesome NAS in the good NAS?

or

Try to reinsert the 3rd HDD taken out of the now troublesome NAS 3 months earlier when the NAS was ok?

Even losing 3 month of data is painful.

 


I'd

  1. power down the troublesome NAS and removing disk 1.  Then power up and see if it boots.
  2. If that fails, you can then power down, and just insert disk 1 (removing disk 2).  See if that boots.
  3. If 1 and 2 both fail, then update the firmware on the working NAS to 4.1.16 (which is the latest), if it isn't running that already. Then power it down, remove the disks, and migrate both disks from the troublesome NAS.  Power up, and see if it boots.
Message 4 of 8
Sandshark
Sensei

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

You should definitely not re-insert the removed drive together with one of the others, as it is out-of-sync.  You could try it by itself, however.

Message 5 of 8
willeand
Tutor

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

Hi Stephen,

thank you for your reply. I have not done any further steps as advised (was out of town)  but here is what I found out in the meantime.

The day the system failed, we had construction workers using a shaker/vibrator compacting soil-backfill for the road right next to our house for hours (30 feet from the NAS in the basement).

So, I though I first check if the two disks that were spinning in the NAS at the time took any damage.

I did a SMART check on the disks and have attached the analysis below. Looks like disk 1 is about to fail or has failed already but then disk 2 should have taken over, right? Is the Ready NAS OS only on disk 1? Will it be written to disk 2 if I only insert the original disk 2? Seems that disk 2 is still OK (and the NAS did a full synchronization the day before it failed).

 

I also found out that the questionable NAS is not questionable at all. I inserted one blank disk (not even from a NAS) into it and it worked fine. I also inserted two disks (X-RAID) taken of another Ready NAS Duo v1 and it worked fine.

I also made sure the the both Ready NAS Duo I have are on same firmware 4.1.16.

 

Shall I still proceed in the way you recommended?

Disk 1Disk 1Disk 2Disk 2

Message 6 of 8
StephenB
Guru

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2


@willeand wrote:

. Looks like disk 1 is about to fail or has failed already but then disk 2 should have taken over, right? Is the Ready NAS OS only on disk 1?


The OS is on both disks, but the system normally boots from the first disk it sees.  So I would try booting up with only disk 2 (in slot 2) and see what happens.

Message 7 of 8
willeand
Tutor

Re: Swapping HDDs between different ReadyNas Duo v2

Hi Stephen, tanks for the advice. I just started with disk 2 in slot 2 (in the NAS where its always been) and the NAS is now back up and running, albeit non- redundant. I will have to find another old 2TB disk to make it redundant again.

Thanks a lot for your help, big relief an my end.

Its time for a new NAS and its too bad that Netgear discontinued the NAS series.

cheers

Andreas

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