Your LaCie 5big NAS Pro optimizes disk performance and capacity using LaCie SimplyRAID. No matter the capacity of your disk(s), LaCie SimplyRAID will prepare the LaCie 5big NAS Pro storage for immediate use as well as future expansion. LaCie SimplyRAID accommodates your storage needs, allowing you to:
While LaCie recommends the benefits of LaCie SimplyRAID, the Dashboard RAID page also gives you the option to manually configure RAID.
This box shows you the current RAID scheme for your LaCie NAS, as well as the number of disks involved in the scheme.
This box lets you know whether the array is healthy, degraded, or synchronizing.
See RAID Status: Expand, Replace, and Reset for instructions on expanding your array and replacing disks.
The multicolor bar below the disks provides a fast reference on how LaCie SimplyRAID distributes the LaCie 5big NAS Pro storage.
Factors that determine available data capacity include:
Examples:
Refer to the table below for an overview of the different RAID modes, and see the descriptions for details. Note that this information is summarized in the RAID Setup Wizard on the Dashboard.
RAID Mode | Minimum Hard Drives | Data Capacity | Protection | Performance | Factory Default |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SimplyRAID | 2 | Optimized | Yes | ||
RAID 0 | 2 | 100% | – | ||
RAID 1 | 2 | 50% | – | ||
RAID 5 | 3 | 60% - 75% (estimate varies by disk configuration) | – | ||
RAID 6 | 4 | 60% (estimate varies by disk configuration) | – |
RAID configurations will use equal disk capacties among the pool of hard drives to protect data. Rather then lose hard disk capacity overhead in mixed disk environments, SimplyRAID will preserve the extra space to use when new disks are added to the enclosure. Unlike standard RAID models, you can easily expand the array without losing data. For example, two 1TB disks will create a RAID 1 array without any disk capacity overhead. However, one 1TB disk paired with one 2TB disk can only create 1TB of protection since data cannot surpass the storage capacity of the smallest disk. SimplyRAID will calculate the overhead and prepare it for future disk expansion.
RAID 0 (also called Spanning mode in some LaCie devices), is the fastest RAID mode. In a RAID 0 array, the available capacities of each disk are added together so that one logical volume mounts on the computer. It offers the best performance but no protection in the case that a disk fails.
RAID 1 is a secure RAID mode that is available if the LaCie 5big NAS Pro has only two disks installed. RAID 1 provides data safety since all data is written to each disk at the same time. In the event of a single disk failure, data remains available on the other disk. Due to the time it takes to write the data twice, performance is slightly reduced. RAID 1 is a good choice when safety is more important than speed. However, RAID 1 also reduces the available disk space by 50% due to the need to write each bit of data on each hard drive.
In RAID 5, data is striped across all disks (minimum of three) and a parity block for each data block (P in the illustration below) is written on the same stripe. If one physical disk fails, the data from the failed disk can be rebuilt onto a replacement disk. No data is lost in the case of a single disk failure, but if a second disk fails before data can be rebuilt to a replacement hard drive, all data in the array will be lost.
In RAID 6, data is striped across all disks (minimum of four) and two parity blocks for each data block (p and q in the illustration below) are written on the same stripe. If one physical disk fails, the data from the failed disk can be rebuilt onto a replacement disk. This RAID mode can support up to two disk failures with no data loss. RAID 6 provides for faster rebuilding of data from a failed disk.
RAID 1+Spare(s), RAID 5+Spare(s), and RAID 6+Spare
RAID Mode | Maximum Spare(s) |
---|---|
RAID 1 | 3 |
RAID 5 | 2 |
RAID 6 | 1 |
In a RAID 1 configuration, the same data is written across all hard disks in the array. With RAID 5 and RAID 6, data is available from the parity blocks. In both cases, a RAID+Spare array gives you a “hot-spare” that is ready to rebuild the system should a disk fail. If a hard disk in the RAID array fails, the data is immediately copied or rebuilt onto the hot spare disk. The clear advantage for a RAID array with a spare is that you do not have to wait for a replacement disk.
When the failed disk is replaced, the replacement becomes the new hot spare. No data is lost in the case of a single disk failure, but if a second disk fails before the system can rebuild data to the hot spare, all data in the array will be lost. It is possible to create an array with more than one spare.
See RAID Setup Wizard for instructions on creating a spare hard drive (Only available with Standard mode. LaCie SimplyRAID optimizes disk space for you.)
Follow the directions to run the RAID Setup Wizard. You may select:
Your options to select the level of RAID are predicated upon the number of disks in your array. For example, a three-disk configuration allows you to select from RAID 0, RAID 1, or RAID 5. A four- or five-disk configuration offers RAID 0, RAID 5, or RAID 6.
Adding a spare: If you intend to create an array with a spare drive, you must leave at least one hard drive bay free. For example, a four-disk RAID 6 array with spare would require that you create the RAID 6 with the first four disks (from left to right) before moving to the next section to add the fifth hard disk as the spare.
Before adding a spare hard drive, you must follow the instructions above (Standard (Manual)) to create the array. When creating the array, please leave a minimum of one hard drive bay free for the spare. You may follow the directions below with RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 6 arrays.
Rebuilding a protected RAID array can take many hours, depending on the capacity of the hard disks and your LaCie NAS's available resources (concurrent tasks such as backups or torrent downloads will slow rebuilding). Changing to an unprotected RAID mode (e.g. RAID 0) takes less than five minutes. Note that data is accessible during rebuilding.
The RAID Status box will inform you of changes to your array that may require action on your part. Follow the instructions below to:
Unprotected RAID Arrays and Swapping/Expanding Hard Disks:
Protected RAID Arrays and Swapping/Expanding Hard Disks: If your array is protected (e.g. RAID 1), you can remove a hard disk while the product is turned on without damaging the array and losing data, a process also referred to as “hot-swapping”. In most instances, LaCie recommends hot-swapping when replacing or expanding hard disks in the LaCie NAS. For example, if you swap or insert unclean hard drives (with data) from another LaCie NAS (e.g. a LaCie 2big NAS to a LaCie 5big NAS Pro), you may experience problems when first booting your current LaCie NAS.
When replacing or expanding hard drives in a protected RAID array:
LaCie SimplyRAID allows you to expand your total storage capacity by removing hard disks (one at a time) and replacing them with larger capacity hard disks. It is not possible to replace existing hard disks with lower capacity hard disks. Please note that data stored on the new disk will be deleted.
The instructions below pertain to storage expansion in a LaCie 5big NAS Pro chassis with available or empty drive slots. If you are exchanging an existing hard disk in your array for a hard disk of greater capacity, please follow the instructions in Replace a failed or missing disk.
For instructions on how to exchange an existing hard drive in your protected RAID array for a larger capacity hard disk, please see the instructions for the LaCie 2big NAS: Expand Disk Capacity.
For instructions on how to expand your protected RAID array once you have added a new hard disk to an available or empty drive slot, please see RAID Setup Wizard. Select the Manual+Spare link and you will have the option to use the new disk as a Spare or to add the storage to the array.
Please make certain to select the radio button for your RAID array under the heading Without data loss (Step 6).
If you have configured your RAID as Standard (Manual as opposed to SimplyRAID), the new disk must have equal or greater capacity than the disk it is replacing.
The Dashboard will become unavailable for a brief period of time as the system configures the RAID. On protected RAID arrays, you may continue to access files stored on your LaCie NAS during the RAID synchronization.
If a hard drive in the array fails and you do not have a replacement disk, you can use the Reset button to reconfigure the RAID. The Reset button will optimize the RAID configuration using the remaining disks. LaCie recommends that you back up your files since all data will be deleted while creating the new RAID array.