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[movisman]

Hi all,

Currently I am running 2x500gb drives in RAID 1 (mirrored) configuration. I've managed to get my hands on 2x1TB drives, so I'd like to upgrade the existing ones in the NAS and keep all my data intact. Obviously I'd also like to be able to use all of the available space on the new drives.

Can someone outline the 'proper' process for achieving the above? Would like to keep the process as hassle free as possible.

Cheers!

[JavaLawyer]

Here's the most hands-off approach:

(1) transfer all data to an external device (e.g. PC, or USB drive)
(2) Store the two 500GB HDDs for safe keeping until all data is migrated to the DNS-320
(3) Format the two new HDDs in the DNS-320
(4) copy your data back to the DNS-320

More of a hassle but less-copying approach:

(1) Physically install your DNS-320 500 GB HDDs in a PC using the program Ext2Read, which can mount drives formatted with the EXT (i.e. Linux) filesystem
(2) Format the two new HDDs in the DNS-320
(3) copy your data back to the DNS-320

[movisman]

Ah, I figured this may be the case.

Am I right in thinking if I take out one drive, place the new one in, let it rebuild the array, swap out the next drive, and let it rebuild again - it will not show the entire 1TB as available - because the original partition layout/setup was 500gb?

Do you know if the 2.02 firmware will allow me to connect a USB drive direct to the NAS and let me copy that way - or is the copy function still one-way?

Thanks

[JavaLawyer]

What you are describing is called dynamic RAID array resizing, something the DNS-320 does not support. If you remove one HDD from the existing array, the DNS-320 will report the array as degraded. Your assumption is correct in that if you insert a new larger HDD, the DNS-320 will format the new HDD to match the size of the original HDD.

I can't speak to the USB HDD functionality, that's something you'll have to either test yourself (if you have an external enclosure available) or wait for someone else with a DNS-320 to chime into this thread.

[movisman]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the response. I figured that may be the case, i'll have to get all the data off using one of the methods you described earlier then.

I have tried the USB connected to the NAS approach this afternoon - I can write files to it via my Windows laptop, unfortunately it is copying via the wifi connection (NAS > PC > NAS/USB) and is pretty slow.

I can't see any facility to be able to directly copy the contents of the internal drive to the drive connected with USB - the local backup function can't see the USB drive, and FTP doesn't let you copy to it. I've tried the USB drive in FAT32 and NTFS and it gives the same result. Perhaps another one for the firmware wishlist, unless someone else knows a way it can be done!!

Thanks

[t121anf]

can you not use the ajax explorer to copy to the usb drive?

[movisman]

Hmmm, the USB drive doesn't show up in Ajax Explorer? For me, it behaves just like the Web File Server and doesn't show the USB drive at all.