Initializing a new HDD in DS215j

[GeneJockey]

I have just purchased my first ever NAS - a DS215j although it has yet to arrive at my door

But I thought I would do a bit of advanced homework and preparation since I have no experience with Linux in general or DSM in particular. I have no problem in experimenting and learning by hands-on, but I want to get off on the right foot when I install the HDD the very first time.

For now I am planning to use only a SINGLE 3TB drive. The second bay will be empty and is for future expansion. Obviously this will not be a RAID setup therefore, and frankly I don't really need that for what I want to do in the near term.

My questions pertain to how to initialize/set up the single HDD in the first place. Will I be able to create on the HD multiple 'partitions' (as in the functional equivalent of windows extended partitions or logical volumes etc). I am just very unsure of what the 'file structure' in DSM 5.1 looks like. I hope I am asking this the right way but I'm sure you get the idea - can I subdivide the 3TB drive into 'functional' sections that can be for different types of uses - a section for media, a section for backups etc.

Since I don't even have the NAS yet I do not expect a step-by-step instruction but perhaps a general answer or better yet, pointing me to a tutorial or similar already established that can answer the questions. I have done some Google searching but so far I am not very clear on what they are telling me...

 

[stevech]

Good deal!

The new NAS, using its startup code in its flash, will discover the uninitialized drive and init it. Then put all the DSM system on it.

You need to look at your home router and choose a "static LAN IP" address for the NAS that won't change and is not in the IP address range used by your router for DHCP. Such as 192.168.1.254 for the NAS, if your LAN IPs are 192.168.1.xxx

You use the web browser interface to the NAS to do this.

You don't create partitions on the NAS with DSM. You create "shares". These are folders on the NAS. You make these folders visible on your LAN to PCs. PCs and Macs and smartphones, tablets can use these shares. Plan carefully.

Next on the agenda is how will you backup the single-drive NAS? Usually, it's an external USB3 drive. Mine is a 2TB 2.5 in. drive, powered by USB3. You do backups with automated/scheduled backups. This is done in DSM with one of 2 or 3 backup tools.

The file system in the NAS is not what you're used to on a PC or Mac. It's all based on the shares, the shared folders you create. In each such folder you create non-share sub-folders. Or people on PCs are given permission to do so. You don't have to create user accounts but if there are family members or employees, it may make sense.

Don't skip the step, above. Do it now, not later. Do it before you get a 2nd drive for the NAS.

I run my 2 bay with 2x 2TB drives. No RAID. We say RAID is not a backup. It protects for drive failure which, IMO, is not your greatest data loss risk, these days.

When you do get a 2nd drive, which need not be the same size as the first, you may choose do do what I do: install it as volume 2, wholly independent of the first drive. Different volume, different file system. Then use the automated Time Backup in DSM (hard to find that tool for a newbie). It'll keep the last n months of file versions on the 2nd drive.

Much more to it, but you can start with this.

 

[GeneJockey]

Stevech,

Many thanks - valuable info for sure. You are right - it is not at all what I am used to on my PC, which is why I was asking in advance of ever getting my hands on it

To one of your points - I have already got an external HD ready to go to back up the NAS. I am using it right now to be the backup external drive of my PC and as soon as the NAS is installed I will re-purpose it to back up that drive. If there is one glaring thing that I have learned from reading this forum it is exactly as you said - do not skimp on backup and RAID is not a backup...

As for the main part of your answers to my questions, may I probe a bit further please. If the drive is considered a single 3 TB volume then clearly the shares are the basic organizational structure on the drive. When shares are set up do they have flexible sizes, i.e. do they just grow as they get populated with files or are there limits and boundaries that can be set up? I think I read something about 'quotas'? If I set up, say 5 shares over the entire volume, what happens when I want to add more shares - do they just dynamically take space that is available? I am used to defining partitions of fixed size so not sure how to specify sizes of the shares. No mater how much I may plan ahead it is clear I will add more shares as time goes on and I start to appreciate all the new functions I have no familiarity with now...

If 'x' number of shares are set up initially of no fixed sizes, can boundaries be put on later? Or does that have to be decided upfront? This is the part that worries me - I don't know what I don't know and I do not want to set this up stupidly and have to wipe it all out later when I learn better what my needs will be.

Thanks again.

 

[stevech]

Shares are not fixed size or partitions.

On a PC/Mac, you can create an empty folder. The tell the OS to share that on the LAN. Other PCs can, permissions aside, use that shared folder to store files, create new folders and files, etc.

Same concept in the NAS shares. You create a shared folder, set the permissions, and PCs, tablets, phones use it.

You have the option to put a cap or quota on the share size to keep someone from going berzerk. But it's a policy, not a disk partition concept.

Have you used the on-line DSM demos on the vendor's web site? You cannot create folders but you can "practice" other things.

Advise: spend a week or two experimenting and learning before going-live and committing to how you organize the NAS. You might wind up wanting to erase, reinit since you were naive at first. I wish I had done that.

 

[GeneJockey]

Excellent advice. I will make sure that I get more familiar before I really populate the NAS with real data I have been availing myself of the online demo and that is indeed helpful.

At the risk of further showing my ignorance, can you tell me what is the difference in Synology/NAS/Linux-speak between disks and volumes and disk groups.

Shares I think I am beginning to better understand, but if the physical drive is the disk, then how are volumes defined/created. And what are disk groups?

Thanks again for your patience.

 

[stevech]

Happy to help.

I told Synology's DSM to create a volume that spans ONE drive. And another volume that spans the OTHER drive.

To me, a volume spanning 2+ drives is too risky. That is often called JBOD.

Volumes are defined using DSM admin web pages.

Disk groups - I've not used. Maybe like JBODs.

 

[GeneJockey]

OK, machine arrived, installed and I am in active 'playing' mode

As I said earlier, do not want RAID, and only a SINGLE HDD for now. When the system initialized I assumed it would give me HDD setup options for 'basic' and for 'SHR' but it did not, and now my disk is formatted/initialized as an SHR volume by default I guess.

Questions:
1. is SHR the same as 'basic' (JBOD?) and I am just confusing the terms?
2. If not, why did it give me no opportunity to select 'basic' at first startup?
3. Is there any reason to convert from SHR to Basic (assuming they actually are different things)?
4. NB: The 'manage' button on Storage Manager is grayed out. Evbenb if I wanted to, how would I convert from SHR back to basic?

Thanks.

 

[stevech]

It's been a long time since I did a setup, but I recall being given a choice of what to do with each drive. And I chose independent volumes, and not SHR.

I studied SHR and concluded it wasn't the low risk that I wanted.

As a new customer, you should get a response by calling their support office in San Jose, CA if that's in a near time zone. I've called them 3 times or so and had good response.
And/or post on the user forum.