Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bond13579]

I currently have a 1TB WD drive in the DNS-323.  I just bought a 2nd 1TB WD drive to set up a RAID 1.  I've been reading the forums and some people say you can set up the RAID 1 without backing up the data and some people say you have to.  I don't see why I would have to format the old drive.  I don't even have 1 TB of space elsewhere to backup all the data...   hmmm

Thoughts?

[fordem]

Let me answer your question this way - can you afford to lose the data?

If you answer YES to that, then power the system off, insert the new drive into the empty bay, and power it back up - login, and when you get the prompt to format the new drive, check the box that says create a RAID1 array and click OK.

IF you're lucky - your DNS-323 will format the new disk and then sync the data - however - IF Lady Luck does not smile on you, you're DNS-323 will format the old disk, and your data will be gone.

You can theorize as to why there is no need to format the old disk (and you'd be 100% correct), but what good will that do you, if you cannot afford to lose the data, did not make a backup, and then had the wrong disk formatted?

Have you ever heard it said that "experience teacheth wisdom"?

Whilst I'm about it - since you're asking about setting up RAID1 and displaying a reluctance to back up your data - I hope you don't mind if I invite you to read my signature.

[Bond13579]

First off, thanks for the response.  Second, I read your signature and I do understand what RAID 1 is.

In any case, I'd like to respond to the following comment:
"IF you're lucky - your DNS-323 will format the new disk and then sync the data - however - IF Lady Luck does not smile on you, you're DNS-323 will format the old disk, and your data will be gone."

How do we not know which disk will be formatted?  Doesn't make sense for a "random" disk or both disks to be formatted.  I'm sure it doesn't choose a disk to be formatted...  makes more sense for the user to choose.

In any case, I guess you answered my question... I can't trust the DNS-323 and will have to backup my data first.

[liketolearn]

I tried this on DNS-321 ver 1.03. DNS-321 takes the drive on the right as master. I installed the new drive on the left. DNS-321 formatted the new drive and created the Raid-1 without ruining the data on the right drive. This might be same with DNS-323 FW (but who knows?)

[fordem]

How do we not know which disk will be formatted?  Doesn't make sense for a "random" disk or both disks to be formatted.  I'm sure it doesn't choose a disk to be formatted...  makes more sense for the user to choose.

In your first post you mentioned that you'd read the forums and some people say you can setup RAID1 without backing up the data and some people say you have to.

I'm pretty certain that the people who said you have to, also said why - in a nutshell - the DNS-323 is known to have a "bug" which causes it to occasionally format the "existing" disk rather than the newly installed one.

To answer your questions - what you think makes sense is of little relevance when you have no input into how the device works - however - since it is opensouce, you DO have the ability to change this and make it work the way you want - assuming that you have the relevant skills.

D-Link, for reasons best known to them, didn't see eye to eye with you and didn't give you the option to choose which drive to format - if it's any consolation - I agree with you, and I've suggested it to D-Link, but like your's, my opinion doesn't count.

@liketolearn - that's exactly how the DNS-323 is supposed to work, and when I have tested it, did in fact work, but feel free to search the forum and see the posts from those with different experiences.

@Bond13579 - your first post mentions not having the space to backup a terabyte of data - your second post says you understand what RAID1 does - so - with further ado, may I suggest that you'd be better off using the new drive for backup rather than redundancy.