Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

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Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

Hi

I did search but couldnt find an answer so heres the issue.

QNAP TS-419U II (firmware v4.3.3.0628)
4 x 6Tb drives (Western Digital RED)

As you might have guessed cant expand the RAID 5 as its says cant go above 16Tb... it wont even use the space it has, i am stuck at what was in the system before, not pleased to say the least (as we just replaced all drives for 6Tb each).

According to this link:
https://helpdesk.qnap.com/index.php?/Kn ... b-size-why

It seems to say as the past RAID was created in Firmware v3.x, no matter what i do i wont be able to go past 16Tb, it seems to say, destroy the RAID then re-create. So has anyone done this on an older QNAP NAS with firmware v4, i dont want to be stuck with drives that wont work (as we just bought them).

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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

No matter what firmware you create(d) your volumes, old CAT1 (ARM) devices like yours are bound to below 16TB

So the only thing you can do with 4x6TB is running RAID10 or 6 , otherwise you will not be able to create a working volume (or expand an existing one)
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

This was the reason i wanted to create this thread... i knew something like this was going to happen....

Why is that information not in the above linked FAQ from QNAP?

Do newer ARM devices have the same issue? if not what year did the 16TB limit stop being an "issue"?
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

that FAQ is missing the hint that this is true only for CAT2 devices (former SMB)

Your NAS is a CAT1 (former Soho/Home) device

Newer ARM devices are also considered CAT2 (and have no 16TB limitation for new volumes)

check here for the NAS categories
https://www.qnap.com/en/support/con_sho ... one&cid=11
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

The device that is planned to replace this will be an Intel, i assume there are no issues with those from the outset? (with regards 16Tb limit).

Are there any issues expanding volumes that are below 16Tb to above this (on new devices)?
Also are there any issues expanding volumes above 16Tb to higher values?
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

Intel devices have no issues with expansion (depending on the bays keep an eye on the inode size)

migration will not be an option though, as the old drives would be stuck on legacy (and not capable of expansion)
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

I assume when you say "migration" as in remove the drives from the old ARM in to the Intel and it find the "RAID array" and use it?

We would plan to back all data up, remove the old drives, install in the new NAS and re-create a new RAID from scratch, then copy the data back.
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

if you start from scratch on the new unit, all is good
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by Don »

The issue is 32 bit architecture vs 64 bit architecture. If it runs a 64 bit firmware then the 16TB limitation is not an issue.
Use the forum search feature before posting.

Use RAID and external backups. RAID will protect you from disk failure, keep your system running, and data accessible while the disk is replaced, and the RAID rebuilt. Backups will allow you to recover data that is lost or corrupted, or from system failure. One does not replace the other.

NAS: TVS-882BR | F/W: 5.0.1.2346 | 40GB | 2 x 1TB M.2 SATA RAID 1 (System/VMs) | 3 x 1TB M.2 NMVe QM2-4P-384A RAID 5 (cache) | 5 x 14TB Exos HDD RAID 6 (Data) | 1 x Blu-ray
NAS: TVS-h674 | F/W: 5.0.1.2376 | 16GB | 3 x 18TB RAID 5
Apps: DNSMasq, PLEX, iDrive, QVPN, QLMS, MP3fs, HBS3, Entware, DLstation, VS, +
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

Don wrote:The issue is 32 bit architecture vs 64 bit architecture. If it runs a 64 bit firmware then the 16TB limitation is not an issue.
Hi

So coupling this response with the above, i assume ANY hardware (AMD or Intel) need to be 64bit AND be running firmware v4.x or later?

Ive checked some of the low end AMD SMB units and they appear to be A15 cores which are 64bit, so i am assuming they are all 64bit as indicated above?
Last edited by SFX Group on Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

as said ..all AMD units will work (thus are running 64bit OS)
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by Don »

64 bit...intel, arm, AMD, whatever
Use the forum search feature before posting.

Use RAID and external backups. RAID will protect you from disk failure, keep your system running, and data accessible while the disk is replaced, and the RAID rebuilt. Backups will allow you to recover data that is lost or corrupted, or from system failure. One does not replace the other.

NAS: TVS-882BR | F/W: 5.0.1.2346 | 40GB | 2 x 1TB M.2 SATA RAID 1 (System/VMs) | 3 x 1TB M.2 NMVe QM2-4P-384A RAID 5 (cache) | 5 x 14TB Exos HDD RAID 6 (Data) | 1 x Blu-ray
NAS: TVS-h674 | F/W: 5.0.1.2376 | 16GB | 3 x 18TB RAID 5
Apps: DNSMasq, PLEX, iDrive, QVPN, QLMS, MP3fs, HBS3, Entware, DLstation, VS, +
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

Thanks all for the input...
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by SFX Group »

UPDATE (to close this off), we have moved to a new NAS now, it all went well (was slow but all ok), here's what we did....

OLD = TS419U II (4 x 6TB RAID5 (10.5Tb (ish) usable), with space it couldn't use due to the format issue)
: 192.168.1.?
NEW = TS-h1277XU-RP (AMD running QTS)
: 172.16.0.? new subnet with the firewall routing between them

- Installed 2 x 0.5Tb SSD for the OS (RAID1) (Static volume)
- Installed 4 x 4Tb RAID5 (7.1Tb (ish) usable) (Static volume)
- Created all the required settings (users, shares, QSYNC + folders) all manually on the new system
- Manually copy data for QSYNC folder and update all Windows PC to see this new QSYNC
- Connect the old NAS share to the new with HybridMount in the new NAS (this allows for maximum copy speed with out double loading the data through a PC as its going from the OLD to the NEW NAS directly
- Turn off the old NAS
- In the new use the "replace drive" feature to remove each 4Tb drive and replace it with the 6TB one from the OLD NAS, this took about 2-3 days as each drive was about 9-13 hours to do
- As the new volume is STATIC under "replace drive" the EXPAND appears to then use the new space between the old 4Tb drives and the 6Tb installed, as the new volume is RAID 6 we got 10.7 which was about the same)
- We can now add more 6Tb drives as required to increase the volume size OR we may purchase larger drives, as the 6Tb are old(ish)
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Re: Anyone created a RAID above 16Tb on firmware 4.x?

Post by dolbyman »

you will find quts (zfs) will NOT let you add more drives, as that is not supported, always start zfs with all disks from start
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