Author Topic: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB  (Read 8224 times)

cgthay

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Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« on: September 28, 2009, 10:00:12 PM »
   

Hi I have bought my LS-QL 500GB for quite sometime already and I found out that the hard disk space is actually going to be used up.

 

I plan to get another 3 500GB hard disk and use raid 5.

 

Qns1: Will my data in the original harddisk be lose if i insert another 3 new harddisk and change to raid 5?

Qns2: How should I go about inserting the 3 new harddisk?

Insert all 3 togather and use the web interface to configure the raid settings or other method?

 

hope to get some advice before purchasing the harddisk.

Message Edited by cgthay on 09-28-2009 10:01 PM

tsammyc

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2009, 03:18:37 AM »
   

I assume you have the LS-QL single hard drive version (which is not sold in the US). By default Raid isn't turned on for a single drive. So when you insert and format a 2nd drive, it will be recognised as another share. Similarly for the 3rd and 4th drive. To change the raid mode to raid 5, you will have to "restructure the array". If you do this, you will lose all your data. So best to back it up to a USB drive before you start.

 

Remember if you add 3 500GB drives, you won't be able to expand any further beyond 1.3GB or so. What I did instead was buy and install a 1.5TB drive in Slot 2 and format it (it puts the Buffalo OS on the drive when you do this). After this, I removed the 500GB drive from Slot 1 and replaced it with the 1.5TB drive from slot 2 and rebooted to make sure it would work. I then put in another 1.5TB drive in slot 2, formatted it and then restructured the array to Raid 1. I then had 1.5TB of mirrored storage for a few dollars more than buying 3 500GB drives and two empty slots for further upgrade. You can re-use the 500GB drive in a workstation. In my case, I've just left it unused so that if I have any problems with the hardware, I can just plug in the original 500GB drive to restart the machine and/or return it to buffalo in original condition for warranty repair.

 

Message Edited by tsammyc on 09-29-2009 03:20 AM
Message Edited by tsammyc on 09-29-2009 03:20 AM

Shatinwater

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2009, 01:22:04 PM »
   

I did similar way to upgrade my QUAD 2T to 6T.

However, after the four disks were swapped, I can't access the box anymore after 36 hr of RAID 5 format and 24 hr or data move.

 

Now the Linkstation Quad box flashing with 6 time red power light (which means hard disk problem).

If I put the original 4 500G disks back in, the NAS box functions with no problem.

B.T.W. I have the firmware updated from 1.05 to 1.10, then to 1.11 and makes no difference.

 

I know the 1.5 TB disks are working disk, I think the NAS' OS wrote something to the disks to indicate they are non Buffalo replace disks and refuses to work from there.

 

Any suggestion to have it fix so that I can copy the data I move into the RAID-5 disks back ?

 


PCPiranha

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2009, 02:48:22 PM »
"Now the Linkstation Quad box flashing with 6 time red power light (which means hard disk problem)"This could also mean that the boot image is lost.  You could try the TFTP method to get the firmware on the unit.  Understand that we don't support this, so we cannot promise to get this working for you.

Shatinwater

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2009, 06:47:17 PM »
   

I just TFTP boot each drive at a time or all four drives together.

 

After TFTP booted, I have blue power led now, but the 4 drives led turned green, each drive led flash once, then all off, and the sequence repleate again.

 

I did cycle the power, and the power led went back to red flashing.

 

What can I do once the NAS tftp booted ?  I can't scan the device with Navigator.

Is the linux boot image copied to the drives yet after TFTP boot ?

 

Thanks !


PCPiranha

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2009, 07:20:07 PM »
After it boots off of TFTP you need to flash the firmware.  If the NASNAVI doesn't see the device then you probably have firewalls blocking access.  Also make sure that you arre hardwired to the unit.

cgthay

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2009, 08:44:10 PM »
   

wow thanks for the suggestion.

just to ask, lets say you are currently on a raid 1 and u decided to add in another 2 more drives to make it raid 5. will tat be a easy process?

 

I would like to purchase 4x 1.5T harddisk but it will cost me a bomb. so i can only afford to purchase it 1 at a time. thus i would like to know how to go abt doing a incremental upgrade.

eg. raid 0 -> raid 1 -> raid ? -> raid 5

 

thanks in advance.

Message Edited by cgthay on 09-29-2009 08:44 PM

tsammyc

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Re: Adding additional hard disk for LS-QL 500GB
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2009, 02:05:18 AM »
   

Shatinwater wrote:

I did similar way to upgrade my QUAD 2T to 6T.

However, after the four disks were swapped, I can't access the box anymore after 36 hr of RAID 5 format and 24 hr or data move.

 

Now the Linkstation Quad box flashing with 6 time red power light (which means hard disk problem).

If I put the original 4 500G disks back in, the NAS box functions with no problem.

B.T.W. I have the firmware updated from 1.05 to 1.10, then to 1.11 and makes no difference.

 

I know the 1.5 TB disks are working disk, I think the NAS' OS wrote something to the disks to indicate they are non Buffalo replace disks and refuses to work from there.

 

Any suggestion to have it fix so that I can copy the data I move into the RAID-5 disks back ?

 


So it worked for some time after your RAID 5 format as you were able to initiate transfer of data to it. What I would do would be to connect each drive to a PC or USB cabinet and low level format it with Norton to wipe out whatever Buffalo wrote on it. After that put them back into the QUAD and do the 36hr of RAID 5 format again. Once it is running again with the 6T of drives do a few tests and let it run for a few days before moving all the data back on. When you move the data, move a portion at a time rather than the whole lot.