Looking for NAS which allows all drives to be removed

[ginjaninja]

We have a QNAP device, problem is the configuration is stored on the HDD in one of the ports. loosing one of the slots and making the solution much less robust for us when we swap drives..

Any ideas how to identify which NASes stores their configuration on internal storage and not the main storage drives..
thanks

 

[BongoHunter]

If you build your own freenas (or similar) then you can install on USB or other internal drive of your choice that's not in the hotswap bays.

Dunno if this is an option for you?

 

[ginjaninja]

thanks for suggestion, but im looking at off the shelf SMB/Enterprise solutions.

 

[Armageus]

We have a QNAP device, problem is the configuration is stored on the HDD in one of the ports. loosing one of the slots and making the solution much less robust for us when we swap drives..

Isn't it stored on a partition on whatever RAID volume you have the QNAP set up as? (that's how Synology NASes work), if so then not sure how it's less robust than internal storage (single point of failure)

 

[ginjaninja]

Isn't it stored on a partition on whatever RAID volume you have the QNAP set up as? (that's how Synology NASes work), if so then not sure how it's less robust than internal storage (single point of failure)

we want to rotate 1 disk between identical appliances on different networks and dont want the functioning of the nas (eg its network config) to be beholdent to the disk..we only want data on the disk...

when we move the disk we dont want the destination nas to have its config change...thats what i mean by less robust..

you are suggesting that nases commonly store their config on disk in removable drive bay (current qnap does for sure)...im looking for models/brands which dont operate like this. anyone know.

 

[bremen1874]

I can't see how you could rotate disks between devices as you describe.

If you pull a drive from a NAS it's going to know its missing and won't be happy.

If you then plug that drive into another NAS I'd expect it to see it as a foreign drive and require some sort of intervention to import it.

I'm probably missing something, but it seems like a really strange scenario.

 

[Rroff]

I can't see how you could rotate disks between devices as you describe.

If you pull a drive from a NAS it's going to know its missing and won't be happy.

If you then plug that drive into another NAS I'd expect it to see it as a foreign drive and require some sort of intervention to import it.

I'm probably missing something, but it seems like a really strange scenario.

Plus an annoying "feature" of most off the shelf consumer NAS - they don't like drives (internally) that haven't been in the device before and will normally prompt you to format and mount the drive before you can do anything with it. (to import you'd have yo use a USB drive/dongle or eSATA).

 

[bledd]

You're doing it wrong.

You could use a usb 3 drive connected to a NAS and have that backup to the usb 3 drive.

Or just vpn the NAS to each other.

Or cloudsync folders

Echoing what @bremen1874 says also.

 

[ginjaninja]

noted about usb 3 quickport/caddy attached directly to backup server ..that probably is the better way to go with a single drive.....but i am still interested to know what nases dont store their os/config on one of the drives.

Its not so strange to want to physcially ship data between sites not over the internet when the amounts of TB are high.
yes you have to unmount and mount the disks thats understood...but i dont want the underlying nas management interfaces/ip to changes when moving disks. looking for a nas that stores data on the disks and os / config internally ...

 

[Rroff]

noted about usb 3 quickport/caddy attached directly to backup server ..that probably is the better way to go with a single drive.....but i am still interested to know what nases dont store their os/config on one of the drives.

Its not so strange to want to physcially ship data between sites not over the internet when the amounts of TB are high.
yes you have to unmount and mount the disks thats understood...but i dont want the underlying nas management interfaces/ip to changes when moving disks. looking for a nas that stores data on the disks and os / config internally ...

I think you are falling down a crack between the use cases for off the shelf consumer NAS like the QNAP and Synology range and enterprise level implementations.

 

[Habakkuk]

Have a look at the newer WD ones - I know the most recent model of the Live Duos lets you remove both drives - but only the one with the status display on the front, NOT the blank ones with a rgb light.

 

[ginjaninja]

I think you are falling down a crack between the use cases for off the shelf consumer NAS like the QNAP and Synology range and enterprise level implementations.

so i probably need to stick to rackmounted nases? ive been advised previously that Qnap 19"Rack NAS TS-453BU-8G 4-Bay fits the bill but was nervous because my previous soho 4 port qnap definitely was not good enough.
theres nothing in the literature that confirms whether or not the os config is stored on one of the drives on either the "enterprise" models or the soho models..

Have a look at the newer WD ones - I know the most recent model of the Live Duos lets you remove both drives - but only the one with the status display on the front, NOT the blank ones with a rgb light.

thanks will take a look

 

[Armageus]

How much data are you talking about?

Usb3.0 drive, tape or rdx cartridges is surely a better option than importing drives into another nas?

 

[ginjaninja]

4TB per night

i probably will go with an esata/usb3.1 gen 2 dock but was looking for feedback on nases which dont store configuration on the data disks as NAS is the incumbent design and i need to evidence/argue preferred option.
Drive dock vs Nas which doesnt store config on disks.

 

[Habakkuk]

They have a terrible tendency to call different models over many years the same name.

thanks will take a look