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[distrojunky]

Currently I have 2 1.5 TB drives in DNS343.  I'm running out of space and I like to add 2 - 1 TB drives all together and end-up with a raid 1 JBOD volume.  So, does anybody know what will happen if I follow the steps below.
1) power off
2) insert 2 new blank drives
3) startup, and at this point I'm not sure what options I'll be presented.

As a second choice, I'd like it to give me an option to add a second raid pair - volume_2.

Also, does it matter if I add 1 blank volume at a time, will my options be different/better.

Stuff like this is always better if someone has done it already.  I really don't have space to backup the existing 1.5TB of data.

TIA

[JavaLawyer]

From the wording of your post it looks like you are looking to create two JBODs as RAID 1

• JBOD1 = Slot1 + Slot2
• JBOD2 = Slot3 + Slot4
• RAID 1 = JBOD1 + JBOD2

I recently verified with D-Link that the DNS-343 does not support this configuration. Are slots 1 and 2 currently configured in RAID1? In either case, you should be able to add a second independent RAID1 set in slots 3 and 4.

Adding two new HDDs "should" not impact your existing data,  but even so, I've read posts to the contrary where user data is impacted (from user error or unknown mishaps). That being the case, I strongly recommend you find a way to backup your existing data. If your data is important to you, you should find a way to maintain a separate physical backup of your data.

This is the most non-invasive approach I know of that "should" protect your data:

• Power down the DNS-343
• Remove the HDDs from Slot-1 and Slot-2 (using a marker, label the original Slot location on each HDD)
• Place two new un-formatted HDDs in Slot-1 and Slot-2
• Power-up the DNS-343
• Configure the two new HDDs as RAID1
• Power down the DNS-343
• Remove the HDDs from Slot-1 and Slot-2 (using a marker, label the HDDs "Slot-3" and "Slot-4" respectively)
• Restore your HDDs labeled Slot-1 and Slot-2 to their original location
• Move the two new HDDs to Slot-3 and Slot-4
• Restart the DNS-343

Using this procedure, your original HDDs will not be in the DNS-343 when the two new HDDs are formatted, which will afford your data greater protection. Since you do not have a backup of your data, I prefice this procedure with a strong "disclaimer".

[JavaLawyer]

In light of the discussion on this thread, please read the following sticky post: ShareCenter- Data Backup Versus Redundancy

[distrojunky]

Using the process below I was unsuccessful.  After step 10 start-up the new raid set (in 3-4) was the only raid set.  The old raid set is unrecognized and it wants to format it.  I backed out at that point.  Any further suggestions?

• Power down the DNS-343
• Remove the HDDs from Slot-1 and Slot-2 (using a marker, label the original Slot location on each HDD)
• Place two new un-formatted HDDs in Slot-1 and Slot-2
• Power-up the DNS-343
• Configure the two new HDDs as RAID1
• Power down the DNS-343
• Remove the HDDs from Slot-1 and Slot-2 (using a marker, label the HDDs "Slot-3" and "Slot-4" respectively)
• Restore your HDDs labeled Slot-1 and Slot-2 to their original location
• Move the two new HDDs to Slot-3 and Slot-4
• Restart the DNS-343

Using this procedure, your original HDDs will not be in the DNS-343 when the two new HDDs are formatted, which will afford your data greater protection. Since you do not have a backup of your data, I prefice this procedure with a strong "disclaimer".

[distrojunky]

Additional information.

The original volume_1 is not recognized.  If I look at each drive in another computer, each still has the data and the raid definition.  I just don't know why it is not recognized.  I clearly marked the drives (1,2,3,4) and as a test I switched 1 and 2 and it told me that they were switched and how to switch it back.  Help!

[JavaLawyer]

This procedure should work. Try swapping the two RAID sets:

• Move RAID 1/2 -> Slots 3/4
• Move RAID 3/4 -> Slots 1/2

As a safety precaution, remember to shut down if your RAID containing data is not recognized.

[distrojunky]

Thanks JL for the reply but it still only recognizes (as volume_1), the empty raid pair in slots 1/2 now.  It considers my 2 old drives (now in slots 3/4), as new drives to be configured.

I just don't understand why the old drives (raid pair) are not recognized since all I did was take them out then put them back in following the procedure above. I can see the partitions and data on both drives still there using gparted on another computer.

[JavaLawyer]

Did you ever mount the original RAID pair in a PC prior to performing this procedure? If this is the case, the mounting software may have somehow altered the volume. This is the best explanation I can come up with (short of some minor corruption issue in the Volume itself).

The DNS-343 is designed to simply add two HDDs and then format them as an additional RAID 1 without removing the original HDDs, but I would not attempt this unless you have a backup of your data on a separate physical storage device.

[distrojunky]

Did you ever mount the original RAID pair in a PC prior to performing this procedure? If this is the case, the mounting software may have somehow altered the volume. This is the best explanation I can come up with (short of some minor corruption issue in the Volume itself).

The DNS-343 is designed to simply add two HDDs and then format them as an additional RAID 1 without removing the original HDDs, but I would not attempt this unless you have a backup of your data on a separate physical storage device.

No, I did not mount the original RAID pair in a PC before completing the listed procedure.  It was only after walking through the procedure and no RAID pair recognized that I connected each drive to another PC to see what was on them.

I would try the designed technique at this point but I can't get the original HDDs working as the original RAID pair.  What does the DNS343 use to recognize an existing RAID pair.  For that matter, I now have had the new RAID pair out and back in and it was recognized.

Sorry for the intermittent replys but I'm 2 days into a new job, and I've been on the phone most of the day.

[JavaLawyer]

The DNS-343 knows what slot each HDD was originally located and typically complains when HDDs are moved to other slots. There are a few exceptions to this rule, namely the procedure you tried. From my understanding the DNS-343 either captures or creates a unique identifier for each HDD, it's unclear how/where this information is maintained.

Here is a thread describing the process (provided by D-Link engineers) that you already tried http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=12487.0