[SOLVED] moving 2 HDDs from a desktop PC to a NAS

[velocci]

Hi all, if I were to have a windows 10 desktop machine with two hardrives in it, both with the same data (ie: simulating a raid 1), then later on I get a Synology and QNAP nas, is there a way to move both of the hardrives to the NAS without losing the data? If I put one hardrive into the NAS, format it, then move the data from the first HDD to the HDD in the NAS, then when I go to put the other HDD into the NAS, I can copy the data from the first HDD to the 2nd HDD. That wold work. but then if I want to set both of those hardrives to raid 1, it will want to format the drives, losing my data. Is there a way to do raid 1 without losing the data?

 

[RealBeast]

Hi all, if I were to have a windows 10 desktop machine with two hardrives in it, both with the same data (ie: simulating a raid 1), then later on I get a Synology and QNAP nas, is there a way to move both of the hardrives to the NAS without losing the data? If I put one hardrive into the NAS, format it, then move the data from the first HDD to the HDD in the NAS, then when I go to put the other HDD into the NAS, I can copy the data from the first HDD to the 2nd HDD. That wold work. but then if I want to set both of those hardrives to raid 1, it will want to format the drives, losing my data. Is there a way to do raid 1 without losing the data?

I'll say no, as they use different formatting schemes. It's hard enough to move a RAID array from say an Adaptec 8405 to 8805 without issues.

 

[USAFRet]

The Syn or QNAP WILL reformat the drive(s) completely. No question. Even without any RAID in the NAS.
(I have a 4 bay QNAP)
Even if doing them one at a time.


And after you have the 2 drives in there, and want to make it a RAID 1...it will reformat them again to create the RAID array.
It won't just make a RAID 1 out of a drive with existing data and adding a new one.

This data needs to be in some other place. Copy it in only after the NAS is fully set up how you want it.

 

[velocci]

that's what I thought. thanks guys

 

[velocci]

When transferring a file to a raid 1 volume, is the transfer speed half?

 

[USAFRet]

When transferring a file to a raid 1 volume, is the transfer speed half?

No.
But this depends a lot on the hardware associated.

 

[velocci]

the hardware would be a Synology or QNAP nas being written to. so if I'm transfering a file from a win10 machine to this NAS with raid 1, when the data gets to the NAS, it copies the data to both hardrives at the same time as opposed to one hardrive at a time?

 

[USAFRet]

the hardware would be a Synology or QNAP nas being written to. so if I'm transfering a file from a win10 machine to this NAS with raid 1, when the data gets to the NAS, it copies the data to both hardrives at the same time as opposed to one hardrive at a time?

Right.
But this is also going across the LAN, at "speed" significantly less than raw drive or RAID speed.

In my QNAP, I have a 480GB SSD OS and shared drive space, and a 3 drive JBOD of 8TB HDD's....24TB.

Writing from any of the client PCs to either the SSD or the HDD JBOD array takes exactly the same time;
The gigabit LAN interface is the slow device in the chain.

RAID 1 vs individual drives will make zero difference in write speed.


But, even in a RAID 1 array on two drives in the same system as another drive....write speed is not 'half'.
It would be pretty much the same. Maybe a tiny bit slower, depending on the RAID hardware and overhead.

 

[velocci]

ok thanks.

 

[SamirD]

Nas units are usually linux based and are typically linux partition types so they're going to format your drives.

Now, a way to work around this is to attach your drive externally via usb--they will recognize the drives just as is.

 

[velocci]

but then i would have to keep it that way, no?

 

[USAFRet]

but then i would have to keep it that way, no?

If you want to use them as just external USB drives, sure.

If you want to put them into a Linux based NAS, they will require reformatting.
If you wish to put those in a RAID 1, both of them will require full formatting at the same time.

 

[velocci]

ok thanks