Help with TVS-h1288X initial setup

[dolbyman]

Hey Bob..are you proposing SATA SSDs as the system drives ? (I guess easy "swappability" could be a compelling reason to use those instead of internal M2).

One way to ease the risk of two NVMe's failing could be the QNAP SSD Antiwear Leveling (QSAL)


Also... (as I don't have any apple products) TB is still discouraged..right? ...Just because earlier this year TB to 10GbaseT converters were on the scarse side.

[bobhof]

I become exhausted with these posts. No one does any research. No matter how much I post.
Get two cheap SSD's. Make that your QuTS OS. That is storage pool 1. Make Storage Pool 2 your 8 drives. Got those M.2 NVM'es ? You can "play with this " as your cache, or just use them as Storage Pool 3 as a dedicated RAID 0 volume.

Bob

Hi Bob. Sorry for exhausting you. I actually have done quite a lot of research. But Different places suggested different solutions. For example, I watched a nascompares setup video on YouTube where the guy suggested that it would be just as good to install the system on the spinning drives since the ssd cache would accelerate the system files as well. I was unsure about the best setup for my particular case (what is the better use of my NVMEs) and so I posted here. Thank you for your answer but it ignores my OP where I said I can't afford more SSDs right now.

[Bob Zelin]

Hi -
sorry for the delay (damn installations !).
I install systems like this every day for professional video editors. If you look at any of the QNAP documentation, for any QuTS "h" product - it clearly shows to use two of the drive slots for the QuTS operating system. Of course, I would never sacrifice these slots, as I need tons of storage space - be it a 6 bay, or a 24 bay - so I use the SSD's on the desktop models for the QuTS, and for an enterprise model I use a QM2-2P-384 card with two NVMe drives for the QuTS. On the new series of QNAPs, like the TS-h1886XU-RP 12 bay rack mount (and soon, there will be an entire series of these) - they give you SIX SSD slots in the back - so no more QM2 cards - just pop in 2 SSD's in slots 1 and 2, and make that your QuTS installation. Then use all the drive bays for your video media.

Yes, you certainly can open up a TVS-h1288X or TVS-h1688X, and install 2 NVMe drives, and make that your QuTS, but I am lazy, and if there is a failure, it's much easier to pop out a front mounted SSD than to open up the QNAP and change the internal NVMe.

Yes - no thunderbolt to QNAP connections directly. I don't care what they advertise. They **. (am I allowed to say that word on this forum ?).

I really dont' care what NAS Compares (Robby) says - I dont' even care what QNAP says. No one installs more professional video QNAP systems than me. The way I suggest is the way that works 100% of the time. And don't tell methat you cannot afford 2 500 Gig SSD's for your TVS-h1288X. They are $89 each. Don't go out for dinner this weekend, and buy these 2 SSD's.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _sata.html

Bob Zelin

[bobhof]

Okay. So I (rob) am wrong, nascompares (robby) is also wrong, and you (bob) are right . So two robs don't make a right?

Jokes aside, thanks for your detailed response. I really did stretch to buy this NAS, plus the drives and NVMEs so I'm really hesitant to spend more. Plus I am South African so things cost more here and $180 is much more than dinner money. But I have 2x NVMEs (I had one already and I have ordered a second one) so I can put the OS on those.

I am connecting via thunderbolt. I just thought that was the easiest and fastest way. I've already purchased the card and had it shipped from the US so I can't really return it. Would you mind explaining or just pointing me to a thread explaining why thunderbolt is not good? What is it they ** about?

Rob

[Kunzite]

One way to ease the risk of two NVMe's failing could be the QNAP SSD Antiwear Leveling (QSAL)

Actually, QSAL doesn't work with 2 SSDs - but only with RAID5 RAID 5, 6, 50, 60, TP.
Thinking about it, with RAID 1 you will always write the same amount on both SSDs, no way QSAL could possibly work.

And, I don't see this mentioned, once you create a system volume you can't change that - you'd need to start from scratch (e.g. if you want to move it from M.2s to 2.5" or the other way around).
Some apps can be moved around, though.

[bobhof]

Hi Kunzite. Thanks. I was aware that you have to choose the system volume at the beginning. I was just unsure about the best use of my NVME storage - system vs cache. Seems like a waste to use 2x 1TB NVME drives just for the system, but I think the advice I have gotten here is sound: put the system on the NVMEs since I can always add 2.5" SSDs as cache later if I need it. I have 2x 1TB NVME drives. Is it possible to set them up as RAID 1 then put the system on 250GB (is that enough?) and then assign the remaining space for cache?

[Kunzite]

Not possible, sorry. You can either use them for storage (the system pool is storage) or cache.

Is there nothing you can do with some 500GB of fast storage?

[bobhof]

Thanks. Yeah, I guess I can put my current final cut project files on there for fast access. I don't plan to install many apps, I'll just be uploading to Dropbox and maybe doing some transcoding of video on the NAS. How much space do you recommend I reserve for the system?

[dolbyman]

Thinking about it, with RAID 1 you will always write the same amount on both SSDs, no way QSAL could possibly work.

Well with other RAID types you also write to all disks at the same time...so the RAID wear leveling technique would still be a mystery (they sadly do not disclose what they actually do...some extra overprovisioning etc)

[freshiz]

Hi Kunzite. Thanks. I was aware that you have to choose the system volume at the beginning. I was just unsure about the best use of my NVME storage - system vs cache. Seems like a waste to use 2x 1TB NVME drives just for the system, but I think the advice I have gotten here is sound: put the system on the NVMEs since I can always add 2.5" SSDs as cache later if I need it. I have 2x 1TB NVME drives. Is it possible to set them up as RAID 1 then put the system on 250GB (is that enough?) and then assign the remaining space for cache?

I can add from experience. Cache does nothing for video files and QNAP TB3 is buggy. Start listing that TB3 card for sale and just take the hit on the loss and go 10G. Will save you headache in the long run and put some cash back in your pocket.

[bobhof]

Thanks Freshiz. Guess I should have popped on here before I spent the money

[freshiz]

Thanks Freshiz. Guess I should have popped on here before I spent the money

I only know because I've been down the same path. Luckily I was getting the TB3 as more of a perk than a need.

[bobhof]

Hi Guys. So my drives arrived and everything is set up and I'm transferring my data to the NAS. So happy to be cleaning up and sorting out my storage mess. For now, I am connecting via TB, but I may buy an adapter and move to gigabit later as recommended. I'm going to fill up these 8x 16TB drives pretty quickly, and I have a bunch of 8TB drives lying around, so I'll probably get a TL-D800C usb expansion enclosure in the future. My question is this: on the TVS-H1288x page it says I can only connect 1 TL-D800C for expansion. If I keep the TB card, will that allow me to connect 2 more TL-D800c's?

[bobhof]

Hi Guys. So my drives arrived and everything is set up and I'm transferring my data to the NAS. So happy to be cleaning up and sorting out my storage mess. For now, I am connecting via TB, but I may buy an adapter and move to gigabit later as recommended. I'm going to fill up these 8x 16TB drives pretty quickly, and I have a bunch of 8TB drives lying around, so I'll probably get a TL-D800C usb expansion enclosure in the future. My question is this: on the TVS-H1288x page it says I can only connect 1 TL-D800C for expansion. If I keep the TB card, will that allow me to connect 2 more TL-D800c's?

Does anyone know the answer to this?

[dolbyman]

No idea..best to contact support for this