OK, so I’m looking into the possibility of replacing 4 x 3TB WD Reds in my ReadyNAS RNDU4000 Ultra 4 with 4 x 10TB WD Reds. I’d back up all data to external storage and perform a ‘factory reset’ with the new unpopulated HDDs. According to the Netgear Raid Calculator this should provide me with 27.2 TiB storage in X-RAID (raid5) configuration.
However I note, in the latest hardware compatibility tables for the RNDU4000, the maximum size checked was 4TB back in 2016. Does that mean there is a restriction in either hardware or software that would mean 10 TB HDDs either wouldn’t work at all, or I wouldn’t be able to achieve the full 27.2 TiB as indicated by the Raid Calculator?
I see that others have upgraded their RNDU4000 to OS6. Is this necessary in order to support 10 TB drives? If so would the x86_64 (version 6.9.1) be the correct version?
I currently use my NAS split between AOMEI backup duties and as a Media Server. I am currently using Logitech Media Server, but I do not see a version specifically for OS6.
(Any guidance as to whether the currently used LMS Netgear ReadyNAS Pro Installer Package (i386) would be compatible for the media server? There are also LMS ‘Installer Package (Sparc)’ and ‘Duo/NV V2 Installer (ARM)’ versions available together with LMS versions for other Linux distributions).
Are there any other considerations I should look at? Which way to go? Any help would be much appreciated.
Does that mean there is a restriction in either hardware or software that would mean 10 TB HDDs either wouldn’t work at all, or I wouldn’t be able to achieve the full 27.2 TiB as indicated by the Raid Calculator?
There are two expansion limits -
you cannot expand a volume over 16 TiB
you cannot grow a volume more than 8 TB from it's original size
You will therefore need to do a fresh factory install if you stick with 4.2.31. It should create the full 30 TB (27.2 TiB) volume, since all disks are of equal size, so no vertical expansion is needed. I say should because I don't recall any posts here from anyone using this disk size with OS 4.2.x. You wouldn't be able to expand after that (because of the first constraint).
Since you are going to need a fresh install anyway, you'd be better off switching to OS-6. That would give you the ability to expand later on, plus OS-6 features. It also gives you SMBv3 support, which is becoming more and more important as Microsoft is deprecating the SMBv1 protocol used in OS 4.2.x.
If you do switch to OS-6, you should install the currently shipping version (6.9.1 at the moment, with 6.9.2 in beta).
I am currently using Logitech Media Server, but I do not see a version specifically for OS6.
There is an app for it here: http://apps.readynas.com/pages/?page_id=9 Though I haven't used it. Hopefully someone who does will confirm if it installs with the current firmware.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
Hi StephenB,
Thank you for the very helpful advice. I will make changes in a step wise fashion.
I’ll initially purchase two 10 TB WD Reds to verify there are no problems. This arrangement will provide slightly more capacity than I currently have. Once data is backed up I’ll stay with 4.2.31 to begin with. If all is OK I’ll start afresh and try upgrading to OS-6 for its more up-to-date security features.
If I’m starting with unpopulated, unformatted disks do I access the NAS in the usual way via RAIDar/Frontview ‘Setup’ - then ‘System/Update/Local’ and navigate to the 6.9.1 image then ‘Upload and verify’? Are there any other steps which need to be taken prior to attempting this?
I’ll try out the version of Logitech Media Server NT from the Get Apps page.
Another thought occurs to me. If OS-6 is more resource intensive would doubling the RAM in the Ultra 4 to 2 GB be possible or of benefit?
I finances allow I’d eventually like to change to a RN424. If the Ultra 4 had been upgraded to OS-6 would I be able to simply transfer, in order, the HDDs from the Ultra 4 to the RN424 or would backing up and starting from scratch again be necessary?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Model: ReadyNAS RNDU4000|ReadyNAS Ultra 4 Chassis only
I’ll initially purchase two 10 TB WD Reds to verify there are no problems. This arrangement will provide slightly more capacity than I currently have. Once data is backed up I’ll stay with 4.2.31 to begin with. If all is OK I’ll start afresh and try upgrading to OS-6 for its more up-to-date security features.
That makes sense, though it might go a bit quicker if you start with 1x10TB installed (it eliminates waiting for the first sync). Note that the conversion will require a factory reset (the details are in a link below).
It does make sense to keep your old disks intact (and labeled by slot). It is possible to revert back to 4.2.31, and boot with the old disks installed. So it gives you another safety net on top of the backup. If you want to do this, just power down the NAS and remove all disks at once (which you are planning to do anyway to check out the 10 TB drives).
If I’m starting with unpopulated, unformatted disks do I access the NAS in the usual way via RAIDar/Frontview ‘Setup’ - then ‘System/Update/Local’ and navigate to the 6.9.1 image then ‘Upload and verify’? Are there any other steps which need to be taken prior to attempting this?
Another thought occurs to me. If OS-6 is more resource intensive would doubling the RAM in the Ultra 4 to 2 GB be possible or of benefit?
1 GB seems to be adequate at present, but currently shipping OS-6 platforms have at least 2 GB of RAM. So it is reasonable to upgrade the memory as part of the conversion.
If finances allow I’d eventually like to change to a RN424. If the Ultra 4 had been upgraded to OS-6 would I be able to simply transfer, in order, the HDDs from the Ultra 4 to the RN424 or would backing up and starting from scratch again be necessary?
You'll be able to migrate the disks as you describe - you won't need to start over.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
Hi Stephen,
Thank you. This is all looking very promising.
I’d like to verify as ‘proof of concept’, in particular, the Logitech Media Server version for OS-6. I’ll report the outcome back here. I’d like to check it out, but be able to revert back to 4.2.31 if problems arise.
I see, looking at the Release Notes for the normal version of v6.9.1, there are procedures to be taken note of such as:
‘ReadyNAS 202, 204, 212 and 212 must not be updated directly to 6.9.x from 6.3.x. They must first be updated to 6.3.5 then 6.5.2 and then onto 6.9.x’
‘Devices updated with 6.9.1 firmware should not be downgraded to firmware versions before 6.9.0’.
Also, given the ‘preparation’ files needed to convert from 4.2.31 to OS-6, presumable something similar would be necessary going back to 4.2.31? So what I am seeking here is an answer to the question ‘Is changing from OS-4 to OS-6 a one way journey?’
If I can fall back to 4.2.31 I’d start by removing all four 3 TB drives and install a single spare 1TB drive, start from scratch with 4.2.31 and the normal Logitech Media Server add-on. The advantage to me is this would require no additional expenditure for now. After verifying that the 4.2.31 is OK I’ll follow the procedure you outlined for upgrading to OS-6. I’ll install the OS-6 compatible version of LMS to verify it functions as intended.
I think some of my confusion is because 4.2.31 is described as firmware rather than software or an OS. As such does 4.2.31 (or 6.9.1) reside on the HDDs or in the NAS hardware?
Also, given the ‘preparation’ files needed to convert from 4.2.31 to OS-6, presumable something similar would be necessary going back to 4.2.31? So what I am seeking here is an answer to the question ‘Is changing from OS-4 to OS-6 a one way journey?’
I haven't used it, but others here have, and can help you through it if necessary. Like the upgrade, it requires a factory reset/reformatting of the disks.
I think some of my confusion is because 4.2.31 is described as firmware rather than software or an OS. As such does 4.2.31 (or 6.9.1) reside on the HDDs or in the NAS hardware?
The installation image is saved in the NAS flash memory, but the OS itself resides on the disks. The bootloader, etc do need to be consistent with the OS, so you can't simply put OS6 disks into an OS4.2 system and expect it to boot.
You can put OS4.2 disks into an x86 OS6 system - the system will boot, and give you read-only access to the volume. That is intended to help folks migrate to a new NAS when their old one has failed.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
Thanks Stephen,
That gives me much more confidence.
With regard to the downgrade image, I note it is named as ‘RAIDiator-x86-4.2.31-downgrade’, without any extension. Is that correct and it will be recognised as valid or should I rename the file as ‘RAIDiator-x86-4.2.31-downgrade.bin’?
Also is it necessary to run ‘PREP4TOR6_0.1-x86.bin’ again?
I’ve been trying to source a 2GB ASint DDR2 PC2-6400 667MHz (or higher) SO DIMM 200-pin memory module. As I've read on this forum ReadyNAS's seem to be quite choosy about memory it makes sense to try this out with a memory check while I’ve got the temporary single 1TB HDD installed.
There’s plenty for me to getting along with. Thanks again.
With regard to the downgrade image, I note it is named as ‘RAIDiator-x86-4.2.31-downgrade’, without any extension. Is that correct and it will be recognised as valid or should I rename the file as ‘RAIDiator-x86-4.2.31-downgrade.bin’?
OS 6 doesn't use the .bin You wouldn't need the prep, you install the downgrade, reboot, and then do a factory default via the boot menu.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
I can confirm that the downgrade worked at least through 6.7.5. I had one Pro that I'd forgotten to update the BIOS on, and I downgraded it to do the easier BIOS upgrade and then re-upgraded it to OS6.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
Hi all,
My proof of concept is going well.
Thus far I have removed the 4 x 3TB HDDs and replaced them with one scratch 500GB drive. With 4.2.31 I created a new volume and shares together with the Logitech Media Server add-on. I installed the BBC iPlayer plugin to verify its operation. I added some content to the Music share and to the Backup share and confirmed it all worked as expected.
I then performed the 4.2.31 → 6.9.1 upgrade. That went without a hitch. The GUI is very unfamiliar to me but, having downloaded user guides for the ‘ReadyNAS OS 6 Desktop Storage Systems’, I am getting up to speed on that.
Shares have been created and checked. I have installed the compatible version of LMS with the BBC iPlayer plugin and so far everything is working perfectly. I can confirm this version of LMS works well with OS-6.
I’m taking the opportunity to familiarise myself with the Boot Menu options while I have OS-6 installed. I’ve allowed the Memory Test to run for 3 passes taking about 2 hours. I’ll want to repeat this if I’m successful in sourcing a 2GB module. Currently I’m about 25% of the way through the Disk Test and estimate this will take another 3 hours.
Sandshark has made reference to the BIOS. I had never given this any thought. I’ve not previously seen reference to the BIOS, or BIOS version on the GUI. Where do I find this information? Is it something that would be revealed by entering the ‘Tech Support’ option in the Boot Menu? The unit was shipped with V4.2.19 firmware so the BIOS is likely to be of a similar vintage. Are there aspects of OS-6 operation that would be impaired with an out-of-date BIOS? I note the preference to update the BIOS with OS-4 installed.
My next step of my dummy run will be to perform the downgrade back to 4.2.31, but that will now be for another day. Thank you all very much.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
BIOS version should not be as big a deal with the Ultra as the Pro. I needed the latest BIOS in the pro for a faster CPU, but you can't swap that out in an Ultra4. onetheless, you can find it in the los ZIP file in bios_ver.log. My Ultra4 has 08/23/2011 ReadyNAS-NVX-V2 V1.10.
My point was just that I had to go to 4.2.x and back to 6.x and did so without a hitch.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
OK. I‘ve found the ‘bois_ver.log’ which shows the BIOS as ‘08/23/2011 ReadyNAS-NVX-V2 V1.10’. As that appears to be the most recent version, there is no more action necessary there.
I’ve had a play around with the OS-6 GUI, downgraded and upgraded several times and verified that data could be read with OS-6 firmware installed and an OS-4 HDD. All these checks were done with test HDDs where any data loss would be unimportant. The one anomaly in this mode: it could not read the various V+12, VBAT, V3_3 and V5_0 voltages, and continuous log entries and notifications were generated. Although I do not intend to recover existing data in this manner I assume these ‘failed’ notifications would not be a material consideration reflecting on the security of OS-4 data?
I’ve also sourced and installed a 2GB Hynix memory mode, type ‘HYMP125S64CP8-S6 AB-C’. The Memory Check facility has been run for over 24 hours making 15 passes without any errors, so no worries there.
I now have 2 x WD Red 10TB HDDs on order (and others will follow at a later time). In the meantime I’m transferring my existing data from the ReadyNAS to external storage.
Thank you everyone for all the assistance you have given me.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
Inability to read the voltages is generally caused by a bad /etc/sensors.d/system.conf. In your case, it should be a link to (or copy of) /etc/frontview/sensors/ULTRA4.conf.
Re: Can I populate a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 with 10 TB HDDs?
If OS6 is on the flash and you insert hard disks from RAIDiator-x86 4.2.x it will boot off the disks so that you can backup the data, but it's still using the OS6 kernel so some errors you can ignore about voltage are not unexpected.
If you put a scratch disk in and use the RAIDiator downgrade image and downgraded back then after verifying that was successful, powered down, removed the scratch disk and put your RAIDiator disks back in it'd boot RAIDiator-x86 just like it would have before you decided to upgrade to OS6.
If you put a scratch disk in and use the RAIDiator downgrade image and downgraded back then after verifying that was successful, powered down, removed the scratch disk and put your RAIDiator disks back in it'd boot RAIDiator-x86 just like it would have before you decided to upgrade to OS6.
That is the situation I am currently in. I can confirm everything functions as before – no voltage error notifications.
The 2GB memory mode is installed and in the working 4.2.31 setup without problems.
I am still transferring data from the ReadyNAS to external storage while awaiting the arrival of the 10TB HDDs. I now have confidence installing these with OS-6 firmware will go without a hitch.
I'll likely not require any further assistance, so thanks to all.
