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[Lyokobot]

Hey everyone,

        I need to know how I can partition the drives. I'd prefer to do it from Windows Vista. However, if needed I can do it from the Configuration panel. Please weigh in. Also my setup is a DNS-321 with two 1TB Samsung  hard drive. Thanks.

[gunrunnerjohn]

You must format them in the NAS if you're going to use them there.

[Lyokobot]

I don't see how that is relevant. They're (the drives) already in the NAS. I want to know I can partition them. Giving that I can, I want to know how.

[gunrunnerjohn]

Well, since you obviously know it all, why ask here?

[jamieburchell]

You must format them in the NAS if you're going to use them there.

Not only is it relevant, it's the answer. The 321 partitions the drive(s) to its own needs and formats them with a Linux filesystem.

[JoeSchmuck]

This might be a little bit off topic but I don't believe the EXT2/3 format is propritary (unique) to the NAS since I know I can read and write to the drive from Knopix.  My question is... Has someone tried to change the partition table (maybe using GPARTED) after it was formatted in the NAS device?  Maybe I'll give it a try once I free up a hard drive (could be weeks from now, computer geeking time is limited).  I would be curious to see if the NAS wants to reformat the drive or if it will accept it and display a second volume in a one hard drive system.  Maybe Lyokobot want's to give it a shot?

Just a question and if anyone has tried it, I'd love to hear if it worked or not.

-Joe

[gunrunnerjohn]

One has to wonder in this case, why not simply stick the drive in and allow the DNS-321 to prepare it.  It's fine to tinker around and learn what's possible, but the obvious answer to the question this time is simply format it with the DNS-321.

[JoeSchmuck]

I would think the poster wanted several volumes vice just one volume per hard drive.  I wouldn't mind that either.  Too bad the NAS isn't set up that way.

[Observer]

Yes, and I appreciate what Lyokobot is asking.  The responders seem to be implying that the device is inflexible and will not work cooperatively with preformatted disks.  That's unfortunate, as I can imagine using it for utility purposes with any number of configurations.  Like, say LVM containing Reiser, ext4 or XFS?

In a typical Linux installation, the system will detect partitions, MD volumes, PVs, VGs and LVs (and their content) automatically, and I thought this device is based on a Linux 2.6.N kernel.  So one might reasonably think that this device could behave similarly by presenting the detected extents logically through its administrative interface.  Certainly from the shell, an invocation of partprobe would get you halfway there.

But based on the expert replies, I'm inferring that it's dumber than that, and enforces a single simplistic configuration for every disk plugged into it.  So, just to be sure, is my inference correct?

[gunrunnerjohn]

That's the stock configuration.  If you want to install a 3rd party add-on like fun_plug and tinker with the disk format, you can probably get additional configurations.  The device does handle at least two logical disks on a single drive, since if you have dissimilar drive sizes and configure RAID-1, the surplus of the larger drive is a separate volume.  Clearly, the underlying Linux is capable of what you seek, it's just not stock with the GUI.

[afterday]

You can partition your hard drive through the 3rd software, such as Partition Assistant. Maybe you have heard of this tool, I know this tool has free edition, it is highly-efficient, easy-to-use and multifunction partition manager software. I used to choose this software Home Edition to solve the same problem as you mentioned.
Hah, u can have a try. Or you can read the detail article first--Guidelines on how to partition a hard drive by Creating, Deleting, Formatting and Resizing Partition. You can get more helpful information about hard drive partition.