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QNAP

QuTS hero 5.0.x

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Configuring a RAID Enclosure as an External Storage Device

Important:
  • The Mode switch on the RAID enclosure must be set to Software Control mode. For details, see the enclosure's hardware user guide.

  • The RAID enclosure must not contain any existing RAID groups.

Warning:

To prevent errors or data loss, do not change the enclosure Mode switch from Software Control to any other mode while the enclosure is connected to the NAS.

  1. Open Storage & Snapshots.
  2. Click External Storage Devices, and then select External Storage Device Management.

    The External Storage Device Management window opens.

  3. Click Configure.

    The External RAID Device Configuration Wizard opens.

  4. Click Next.
  5. Select two or more disks.
    Warning:
    • All data on the selected disks will be deleted.

    • All unselected disks will be automatically assigned as spare disks, and cannot be used until the RAID group has been deleted.

  6. Select a RAID type.

    QuTS hero displays all available RAID types and automatically selects the most optimized RAID type.

    Number of disks

    Supported RAID Types

    Default RAID Type

    Two

    JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1

    RAID 1

    Three

    JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 5

    RAID 5

    Four

    JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 5, RAID 10

    RAID 5

    Tip:

    Use the default RAID type if you are unsure of which option to choose.

  7. Click Next.
  8. Select Create External Storage Space.
  9. Click Create.

    A confirmation message appears.

  10. Click OK.
  11. Go to Storage & Snapshots > Storage > External Storage.
  12. Select the uninitialized partition on the RAID enclosure.
    Tip:

    Double-click on the RAID enclosure to see all of its partitions.

  13. Click Actions, and then select Format.

    The Format Partition window opens.

  14. Select a file system.

    File System

    Recommended Operating Systems and Devices

    NTFS

    Windows

    HFS+

    macOS

    FAT32

    Windows, macOS, NAS devices, most cameras, mobile phones, video game consoles, tablets

    Important:

    The maximum file size is 4 GB.

    exFAT

    Windows, macOS, some cameras, mobile phones, video game consoles, tablets

    Important:

    Verify that your device is compatible with exFAT before selecting this option.

    EXT3

    Linux, NAS devices

    EXT4

    Linux, NAS devices

  15. Specify a disk label.

    The label must consist of 1 to 16 characters from any of the following groups:

    • Letters: A to Z, a to z

    • Numbers: 0 to 9

    • Special characters: Hyphen "-"

  16. Optional: Enable encryption.
    1. Select an encryption type.

      Select one of the following options:

      • AES 128 bits

      • AES 192 bits

      • AES 256 bits

    2. Specify an encryption password.

      The password must consist of 8 to 16 characters from any of the following groups:

      • Letters: A to Z, a to z

      • Numbers: 0 to 9

      • All special characters (excluding spaces)

    3. Confirm the encryption password.
    4. Optional: Select Save encryption key.

      Select this option to save a local copy of the encryption key on the NAS. This enables QuTS hero to automatically unlock and mount the encrypted volume when the NAS starts up. If the encryption key is not saved, you must specify the encryption password each time the NAS restarts.

      Warning:
      • Saving the encryption key on the NAS can result in unauthorized data access if unauthorized personnel are able to physically access the NAS.

      • If you forget the encryption password, the volume will become inaccessible and all data will be lost.

  17. Click Format.

    A warning message appears.

  18. Click OK.

QuTS hero formats the RAID group on the external RAID enclosure as an external disk. You can view and manage it at Storage & Snapshots > Storage > External Storage.