Using the maximum 16TB on TS-569

[2cvsrus]

Hi community,
I've been using a TS-412 and a TS-420. I just purchased a used TS-569. From searching this forum, I know that the maximum storage for all these models is 16TB. Some years ago, after a crashed HDD, I installed 3 6TB HDDs in the TS-412 with Raid 5. This resulted in just under 12TB of usable memory. Later I wanted to upgrade by installing another 6TB HDD to increase the memory to the 16TB. The software didn't allow that because of the 16TB limitation - I suppose.

Now my question: Would it be possible to install 4 6TB HDDs to get the full 16TB capacity with Raid 5? In the 3 drive version, Raid 5 reduces the usable capacity by about 1/3rd. So by having 24TB with Raid 5, the resulting capacity should be just under 16TB. Is this thought correct, or am I missing some facts?
In the first step I need to get the TS-569 to work. If it is possible to use the full 16TB, I would also like to upgrade the TS-412 with one more 6TB HDD to reach the full 16TB.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[dolbyman]

Now my question: Would it be possible to install 4 6TB HDDs to get the full 16TB capacity with Raid 5? In the 3 drive version, Raid 5 reduces the usable capacity by about 1/3rd. So by having 24TB with Raid 5, the resulting capacity should be just under 16TB. Is this thought correct, or am I missing some facts?

Resulting space would be
6*3*0.9=16.2TB so that would be 200GB over, I am not sure how much the System RAID's would be taking up, but if you are looking at a hard 16TB limit, this would be too much.

You should have bought a current unit to avoid any issues with volume sizes

[2cvsrus]

Would the system use just 16TB and waste the additional space, or don't allow this configuration at all?

[dolbyman]

On these units new volumes can exceed 16TB (iirc), you just cannot expand afterwards (or upgrade old volumes beyond 16TB)

So when you create a volume over 16TB from scratch, it should work

[2cvsrus]

That is great news. Thanks dolbyman.

[2cvsrus]

Hi Dolbyman,
Thanks again for your successful help on this topic. My Ts-569 worked great ever since. I had installed 4 new 6TB HDs and they were formatted to 15.38TB with Raid 5. Now I tried to upgrade the other QNAPs to the same setup. First the TS-420: I installed 4 new 6TB HDs. After turning the unit on, it didn't start. QNAP Finder showed it needed to upload the firmware, which I did. Once the current firmware was installed, the QNAP went straight into configuring the HDs with Raid 5 - what I wanted anyway. However, it only uses 3 drives for Raid 5 and has the 4th drive as single disk. In the TS-569 when I installed all 4 drives new, it gave me all 4 drives for Raid 5 with a resulting total capacity of 15.38 TB. Currently the TS420 only gives me 10999.71GB with 3 HDs. Did I do something wrong, or are the TS-420 and TS-412 not capable?

Storage Manager.png

[dolbyman]

the x19 units (412 and 412) have a hard 16TB limit (not even when recreated) ..so a 3 disk RAID5 with 6TB sounds correct

2*6*0.9=10.8

With 4 6TB disks in RAID5, the RAID would fail (too large)

[2cvsrus]

From the previous postings I was under the impression that I could reach the 16TB maximum when I newly install the disks, but not when I try to add a disk later. As of your instructions this worked great on the TS-569.
As I understood the TS-412 and TS-420 have the same 16 TB limitations. So I tried to do the same thing on the TS-420, install 4 new disks - unsuccessful. The firmware for the TS-420 is the latest version. Is the hardware or the software on the TS-412 and the TS-420 different in that respect?

[dolbyman]

no..the 569 is an intel atom unit, the 420 and 412 are kirkwood arm units..very different

[2cvsrus]

So no way to get the 15.38 TB with 4 disks on the 420?

[dolbyman]

Well if you want to fiddle with the RAID settings yourself, someone posted a guide to limit the RAID size to allowable limits in the German QNAP forum

https://forum.qnapclub.de/thread/61447- ... s-259-pro/

(just google translate the german parts)

[2cvsrus]

Well, my Unix knowledge might not be sufficient to go that deep into the system and this has the potential of completely messing up the system. So probably not. I might have to accept the situation.
Anyway, thank you so much for spending your time sharing your knowledge with the world. This is so valuable for people like me.
BTW The German forum is a great match - my native language is German. Judging by your posting in the German forum, you seem to be fluent in German as well. For more than 20 years I'm practically your neighbor living in Seattle WA

[dolbyman]

*waves accross border*

I moved to Vancouver in 2009 ... seems like yesterday..time flies

[2cvsrus]

Off topic: Did you also come from Germany like me?

[dolbyman]

Yes..Originally from Düsseldorf