Upgrading my DS412 to a DS920 but I don’t have the extra dough yet for new drives. Can I simply remove the 4 drives from the old NAS and install them in the new NAS without losing any data?
There’s an online guide here:
Even if it does work, you really should do a back-up first. It’s the first thing the guide says, or I suspect anyone would recommend.
Do you need new drives? If you have WD Red, typically they should be good for 6 to 10 years. I replaced one of four in 6 years. I was recommended to set up daily external backups of my core data (I use a cheap 8tb SATA), so if you have to buy a cheap SATA, it is not a waste of money as you can use it for those backups.
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I did a similar upgrade between two Synology NAS cabinets a year ago. It was free from problems but I suggest you start like I did with a support ticket to Synology telling them the details of your upgrade path. Then they will provide you with the most appropriate how-to-document to follow.
And then, enjoy the performance boost!
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Thanks guys. These 4 WD Red drives are still rock solid after 5 years. Hoping to keep them as backups when I get the cash together for new and larger ones. These are 3TBs and I am saving up for 6TBs. 24TBs should be more than enough, but I said the same about 12TBs 5 years ago!
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I recommend having a thorough backup approach for you digital assets. Even though RAID provides data redundancy, catastrophic failures have resulted in the loss of multiple drives.
I backup my data externally. I have a nightly job that writes changes to an external drive. Also, I periodically do a full backup to a different external drive and store that in my safe. I rotate drives so I have copies that leapfrog each other, in case of data corruption. I do this last backup as a simple file copy so that I’m not dependent on the backup software to restore data.
If I had the bandwidth, I’d consider a cloud-based backup; but my internet connection is too slow.
If you had the bandwidth, what would you use for cloud-based backup? I have seen good reviews of iDrive.
Synology has their own cloud storage platform for backups and such.
Redundant drives are NOT a backup. Not ever.
If you don’t have three copies of your data in three different places then you don’t have your data safe.
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I am not an IT person and it had to be explained to me that RAID is not a backup.
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Yeesh, these cloud storage services are expensive if you have a lot of TBs 
RAID 10 with hot swappable drives is a pretty good working solution with automatic backup. We use a Synology 5 bay unit for main storage running RAID 10 and another 5 bay in another building also running RAID 10. Then that box backs up to an external set of spinners. You lose half of the storage to redundancy using 10 but it is worth it for us. I have swapped out a crashed drive several times and the RAID array rebuilds itself on the fly.
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I use QNAP, much the same, and swapping out a dud drive is effectively automatic. I have a TS473 with SSD. I still have my old TS451 with WD Red and with upgrades using the old one for NAS-to-NAS backups is a recommended option.
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I usually use the “enterprise” class drives if possible. I have forgotten if they are gold or maybe black. It’s been a while since I have had one go down.
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I haven’t done the research since it is not an option for me. Cloud backups are great because they are off site, which is important in case of theft, fire, or other catastrophes. I have invested a lot of time in ripping my library, and I don’t want to have to do that again!
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All RAID solutions are vulnerable to a failure in the NAS. When a NAS dies (electrical surge or whatever), it can corrupt the drives. RAID 10 is great redundancy as long as the NAS is working properly–I use it on my storage. But it does not protect against more extreme failures. That’s why backups to other drives (not in the NAS) is important. Getting a copy in a protected location or offsite is also key.
Although I usually get a ticking off from @elk when I talk about power supplies, because I use lots of different types, my NAS is powered by a uninterruptible power supply, along with my Mac Mini desktop and Innuos music server.
I’m currently using this one:
I had a music server that crashed and died following a power loss as the SQL database corrupted. It needed a factory reinstall except the factory had also crashed and died. I think it was connected to a Power Plant at the time, but loss of power is loss of power, unless it’s connected to a battery supply. I’ve used UPS’s for many years on anything computery.
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Please post about power supplies as much as you would like, but PM me if you believe there is an issue with your doing so; you appear confused. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
I totally agree with the use of a UPS for computer system. An unscheduled shutdown on any computer system has potential for corrupting the file system. Prior to buying my Dectet and my P12 regenerator, I used the UPSs to power my stereo, thinking that power is power. Boy was that a mistake! So much improvement from removing these from the audio gear.
Thanks @elk. Naim’s first server used an SQL database designed by a third party (two blokes in Acton) and a power loss was known to result in occasional crashes requiring a RTB reinstallation of the software. Just my luck, it happened to me twice and the second time was fatal as they has abandoned Naim and Acton. Naim by then had designed entirely new server software in-house.
So perhaps PS Audio should advise whether the Octave Server is better off running via a UPS, as they draw hardly any current and most have internal power regulation (the Innuos I use has a mains filter and internal linear power supplies). UPS all have surge protection, which is the other killer.
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Even if you choose to serve your files from an audiophile source, I recommend keeping a master copy on a NAS or other storage system that is protected by a UPS. Then, if your audio device has a failure, your previous files are not lost.