Can Storage Spaces SATA drives be converted to NAS storage without losing the Data

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John Turi

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Jun 24, 2015
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I have a Windows 10 64 bit system that has 8 hard drives in a storage pool space it is a Mirrored space. I think it is around 40 TB of which only 19 TB usable space because of the mirroring. I am thinking of getting a Synology DS1515+ NAS and using five 8 TB drives in it. I would like to use some of the 8 drives I have the storage space on. Is it possible to convert those drives without losing the data? Or what approach should I use to convert the drives?


Thank You for your suggestions,
John Turi
 
Solution
SuperSoph_WD
Hello again, John!

Well, the Helium technology is introduced in one of our latest product updates of WD Red (NAS/RAID) and WD Purple (Surveillance). Helium, compared to regular air, has smaller molecules and is lighter. It has one seventh of the density of regular air. This brings some good benefits when used in HDDs. Smaller molecules cause less drag when the platters are spinning. This results in less energy needed and less heat generated from the operating drive. The Helium-filled drives are well sealed so the gas can't exit which results in the ability of the drive to operate in more severe environmental conditions. Overall, a helium-sealed drive reduces internal resistance for improved...
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

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Jul 30, 2014
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Hey there, John!

NAS systems use entirely different file system from the one you have in Windows OS. In order to create a storage pool or a RAID array with those drives in the NAS, you'd need to reformat them and configure the array/pool from scratch. The best way to do this would be to find a way to backup your important files and have them safe and sound copied somewhere off-site. Having only one copy of your files is not a backup solution, so make sure your data is protected in several locations (on-site and off-site). Moreover, if you plan to tamper with that storage configuration, you should always make sure you backup the data.
However, you should also keep in mind that regular desktop HDDs are not designed and recommended for NAS environments. I'd suggest you consider buying NAS/RAID-specific HDDs that will be able to withstand the demanding 24/7 environment. These specific drives are tested and designed to deliver on the performance and reliability in such systems. They also incorporate a different firmware from those in traditional desktop HDDs.

Hope this was helpful. Keep me posted if you have more questions!
SuperSoph_WD :)
 
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John Turi

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Very good answer I really appreciate it. I think that I will get all new NAS hard drives then copy the files from the Windows storage space to the NAS hard drives. I would appreciate any input you may have concerning the Helium hard drives. I do have an 8 TB Western Digital drive that I could use as a backup before I start this process. Unfortunately 8 TB isn't large enough for the data on the storage space, but, if I had to I could get a second 8 TB. Also, I am considering Western Digital 8TB Red drives. Do you have any suggestions where I should purchase them?

Thanks Again,

John Turi


 
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SuperSoph_WD

SuperSoph_WD

Glorious
Jul 30, 2014
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Hello again, John!

Well, the Helium technology is introduced in one of our latest product updates of WD Red (NAS/RAID) and WD Purple (Surveillance). Helium, compared to regular air, has smaller molecules and is lighter. It has one seventh of the density of regular air. This brings some good benefits when used in HDDs. Smaller molecules cause less drag when the platters are spinning. This results in less energy needed and less heat generated from the operating drive. The Helium-filled drives are well sealed so the gas can't exit which results in the ability of the drive to operate in more severe environmental conditions. Overall, a helium-sealed drive reduces internal resistance for improved performance, optimized power consumption and offers greater storage capacities.

As for where you can acquire a WD Red from, I'd advise you to check the online resellers available in your country or our WD Store.

Hope I was helpful. Good luck & don't forget to backup!
SuperSoph_WD :)
 
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John Turi

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Jun 24, 2015
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Thank you both I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and advice. Helium is certainly a better alternative for heavy use hard drives and NAS applications.

Yes, I do have copies of freenas, ubuntu, and some of the other NAS software. So, it is possible I will build my own NAS machine.

By the way the application of the NAS machine is as a PLEX media server, which can run a lot of different software and hardware platforms.


Thanks Again,

John Turi
 
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