Raid5 DataVolume not expanding

[glo999]

So I have 4 - 8TB HDD installed onto my qnap. Originally it only had 3 and i added 1 more into the NAS. I am trying to expand the DataVol2 since it says despite the storage pool listing 21.80TB, the DataVol2 only has a capacity of 14.11TB with 7.37TB.

How do I add on the extra 7.37TB? It does not give me any option for it anywhere.

Screenshots below to help explain my issue, sadly this forum is archaic and does not allow 1080p pictures to be linked to the forums so sadly you gotta open the links to see.
http://i.imgur.com/nqFKjKl.png
http://i.imgur.com/5cgYsnH.png
http://i.imgur.com/dWfkblG.png

[glo999]

Proof it is also raid5: http://imgur.com/MBkPao4
http://imgur.com/faFDN3K

[glo999]

I've been googling a solution to this for days so hopefully one of you can help me.

[Trexx]

Need more information: QNAP model, QTS version & Build, etc.

[glo999]

Need more information: QNAP model, QTS version & Build, etc.

Model: TVS-682

QTS version: 4.3.3.0262 build 20170727

[glo999]

It makes no sense at all because when I click on my ssd it says the capacity is 219.48GB, when I set it up it only asked to use 147.75GB. This was used between 2 128GB SSD. When I click on DataVol1 it says it has 130.11GB free and when I hit expand volume it says available storage pool capacity is 130.51GB which means I can add the rest of the storage onto DataVol1.

BUT. When I hit expand volume on my 21.80TB storage pool for DataVol2. It only says there is 14.63 TB available in the storage pool capacity. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL. I have deleted some items now and added more space now to DataVol2?????? Like what is this nonsense. Now before when it said that there was 14TB of the 28TB(4 - 8TB drives in raid5 so n - 1); it says there is 14.40TB for the capacity with 9TB of free space.

imgur links to more screenshots of what I am talking about: http://imgur.com/hFZU3vt
http://imgur.com/QQ2eXSN
http://imgur.com/XkVAIM9
http://imgur.com/2Cg6KiK

I'm just gonna have to start from scratch it looks like as qnap as seriously bungled their ability to expand drive space.

[glo999]

Just as I post this I try to resize the disk after deleting some of the files. Before when I clicked on expand volume it only had what its size was - 14.40TB; now it listed 16.25TB??? How does that even make sense that I got more storage space out of my pool after deleting items on the original 14.40TB volume.

http://imgur.com/5TCfPDF

Am I suppose to just input the max amount(that I know it to be which is 21.80TB despite it only listing whatever the current volume is) into the input dialog box when I hit expand volume?

When I do that I get the warning in this screenshot here though: http://imgur.com/Q5js9an

[glo999]

Set to max has never been clickable as an option at any point in the 3 weeks I have tried to set this thing up btw.

[glo999]

My model the TVS-682 is the core i3 version btw not the arm version if that helps.

[Trexx]

From the sounds of it, it may be due to the volume being created with a 4K inode size. See here: http://docs.qnap.com/nas/4.3/cat2/en/vo ... newvolumes

Did you create the volume under 4.2 or 4.3 QTS?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Trexx]

Also I would NOT use you Raid-0 ssd for datavol 1. Either ssd has a problem and your base system folders go bye bye. They also are fairly small and not everything can be configured/moved to datavol2


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[glo999]

Also I would NOT use you Raid-0 ssd for datavol 1. Either ssd has a problem and your base system folders go bye bye. They also are fairly small and not everything can be configured/moved to datavol2


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have DataVol1 being used only for system apps and then all of my data stored on DataVol2 with a shared folder created on that Volume specifically so everything is being pointed to those drives. They are brand new SSD's so this is a minor worry if they die.

[glo999]

From the sounds of it, it may be due to the volume being created with a 4K inode size. See here: http://docs.qnap.com/nas/4.3/cat2/en/vo ... newvolumes

Did you create the volume under 4.2 or 4.3 QTS?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

To be honest, I don't remember if I set it up on 4.2 or 4.3 or whatever the current version is. I know it updates to the latest firmware at some point when I set it up if I start from scratch. The inode size is the default 16k as it always lists it having 63TB of free space possible in the storage pool so I don't think that is the issue.

Would it being a thin volume vs a thick volume be the issue? Everywhere on this forum kept recommending me use a thin volume for better performance and even the help wizard that pops up when making a volume recommends using thin over thick for what I am doing which is mainly using a chunk of it for plex and then the rest for cold storage of photos and junk.

I'm almost tempted to just create one storage of 8-16TB for the plex stuff and then another 16-24TB for cold storage slash protection. This method might be for the best as I could use on the faster 8tb drive as a static volume and then just put the other 3 - 8TB into a raid 5 which would get me the same space pretty much.

I never had these issues when using static volumes... only once I start trying out the thin. This is just a massive headache tbh but it is still better than dealing with my drobo. My drobo 5n2 kept dropping network connection despite it being brand new and came out this year.

[glo999]

Thansk for the help so far anyways.

[Trexx]

From the sounds of it, it may be due to the volume being created with a 4K inode size. See here: http://docs.qnap.com/nas/4.3/cat2/en/vo ... newvolumes

Did you create the volume under 4.2 or 4.3 QTS?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

To be honest, I don't remember if I set it up on 4.2 or 4.3 or whatever the current version is. I know it updates to the latest firmware at some point when I set it up if I start from scratch. The inode size is the default 16k as it always lists it having 63TB of free space possible in the storage pool so I don't think that is the issue.

Would it being a thin volume vs a thick volume be the issue? Everywhere on this forum kept recommending me use a thin volume for better performance and even the help wizard that pops up when making a volume recommends using thin over thick for what I am doing which is mainly using a chunk of it for plex and then the rest for cold storage of photos and junk.

I'm almost tempted to just create one storage of 8-16TB for the plex stuff and then another 16-24TB for cold storage slash protection. This method might be for the best as I could use on the faster 8tb drive as a static volume and then just put the other 3 - 8TB into a raid 5 which would get me the same space pretty much.

I never had these issues when using static volumes... only once I start trying out the thin. This is just a massive headache tbh but it is still better than dealing with my drobo. My drobo 5n2 kept dropping network connection despite it being brand new and came out this year.

Thin volumes have WORSE performance than thick as it has to allocate space on the fly as the system uses it, so I am not sure WHO on the forum has been telling you thin over thick, but they definitely would not represent what most of the veterans here would recommend. You will NEVER see the "Set to Max" option on your Thin volume as it is only supported for THICK volumes. See docs here: http://docs.qnap.com/nas/4.3/cat2/en/volumes.htm

I would say by the sounds of it some of your issues are due to creating the DV2 as a thin volume to start with as the system does behave differently in some cases such as the "set to max". I personally never use THIN as you either have the space you need or your don't. I typically just use 1 THICK volume for my data (not allocating 100% up front), and then can expand the volume as needed. This allow me to experiment with iSCSI LUNS if I like, test functionality, etc.