Initial setup of QNAP TVS-872XT with HDDs and M.2 SSD

[scottwww81]

I haven’t installed anything yet on the NAS. I just installed the hardware and placed it on the network. I need to setup the storage.

What options are optimal? The NAS will also store files for other applications.

I thought that it would be RAID 5 for the HDDs, and use the SSDs for cache. But I don’t know what settings will achieve these objectives. Assuming there is more than one way to do this, what is best?

If the SSDs are setup as cache, wouldn’t all the files still be safe in the RAID 5 on the harddrives? Or will the SSDs need to be setup as RAID 1? What settings to use?

The HDDs are all Seagate Exos with 2.5 million hours MTBF. The M.2 SSDs are Samsung 870 EVO, so they will likely not last for nearly as long.

Help a newbie, if you will?

[ChuckPa]

With all drives out of the machine (only the M.2’s installed),
Install QTS on the M.2 and set as RAID-1 (mirror)

To do this, install on the first SSD.

QTS will then let you MIRROR in (ADD DISK) the second SDD
(Storage & Snapshots -> Management of the installation SSD.
You add it to a thick storage RAID mirror)

This screenshot shows the status after creating the RAID-1 mirror

When this is done, shutdown the NAS.
Insert the HDDs

Start up.

Create the RAID-5 array on your HDDs. This becomes CACHEDEV2_DATA

Adjust the volume Inode size above the default 4096 bytes to increase Max capacity if you plan to install bigger drives later. My size is set to 32K or 64K (do not remember)

I have this array configured for a maximum size of 128TB (8 x 16 TB drives)

[scottwww81]

Thanks for the help! Setting up the system to run off the SSDs would be better than setting them up to run as SSD cache?

[ChuckPa]

In my opinion, Yes.

cache will flush things out and then load up the cache only to flush it again.
IMHO, this is extra cycles on the SSD.

I make QTS CACHEDEV1_DATA an SSD. The data is permanent there. it’s not tossed around That which is mostly static (the app code itself) isn’t constantly being cached in and out.

If you want an SSD cache for the main HDD array – that’s another question and yes, setup an SSD cache for the main arrray ONLY (CACHEDEV2_DATA)

It will look like this:

[JQuon126]

Hey Chuck, I’ve been seeing your posts a lot since I too just purchased a qnap 453D and looking for the best setup. Unfortunately, I’ve already setup the HDD raid 5 volume and would have to start from scratch to get QTS on the m.2 I plan to install.

Few questions

1. Do you also install all your dockers on the QTS ssd?
2. For plex, do you use ramdisk for transcoding to minimize the read/write to the drives?
3. I’m planning to install PMS on the QTS tier but not sure how that will impact the longevity of the drives

Thanks in advance

[ChuckPa]

First, regarding having setup your main array on the HDDs as CACHEDEV1 – That’s OK.

Here’s how I did it:

1. Built the initial array as CACHEDEV1 and had it all running on HDDs.
2. I bought the M.2 SSDs almost a year later.
3. The procedure:

• Power down

• Pull the HDDs (makes working on it easier)

• Install the M.2s

• Boot it with just the M.2s installed

• Install QTS on it. (Yes, you will need to configure it again)

• I made the two of the (2x 1TB Samsung 960 Pro) into a RAID volume in Storage & Snapshots (Mirror - RAID 1)

• Power down normally

• Put the HDDs back into the original slots

• Power up

• QTS boots from the SSDs

• QTS then scans and finds the HDD array and adds it a CACHEDEV2_DATA

[ChuckPa]

Qtier -

I don’t use it. Why burn a SSD unnnecessarily?
Make a dedicated SSD cache for the main array and be done
-or-
Put PMS on a SSD and let it use its default location (which is on the SSD)

The SSDs are good for 535 MB/sec (SATA-3 speed). (equiv of 5 Gbits/sec video)

PMS location

Because I have 4 more 2.5" SSD slots:

1. Install another 2.5" SSD in SSD slot 1 – CACHEDEV3_DATA
2. Install PMS there then shut it down.
3. SSH session - at the shell level – move PMS from /share/CACHEDEV2_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer to /share/CACHEDEV3_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer

Now, if you want to be swoopy about it.

1. Create a PlexData shared folder (exact name) before installing the SSDs
2. Restart Plex
3. PMS will create a link there to your PMS install.
4. Use FileStation to go into it and make a ZIP backup.
5. Store that ZIP on the HDD array in a shared folder somewhere
6. Now , no matter where your PMS installation is,
   a. PlexData points to that area.
   b. You can go in there and delete what it created (it’s junk)
   c. Unzip your backup into position.
   d. Start PMS

I made a How-To in the QNAP FAQ on using the PlexData share for Backup/ Restore

Ramdisk - transcoding

I wouldn’t . HDDs are good for 200+ MB/sec in the array (2 Gb/s of video)
You need that much transcoding?

You’ll need a 10 GbE ethernet adapter card before you run out of the HDD/SSD combination. (DirectPlay is your friend here – try to curate the media that way)

Recapping my config:

1. 2x M.2 SSD, RAID 1 - CACHEDEV1 - QTS and apps (default)
2. 8x 8TB HDD, RAID 5 - CACHEDEV2 - Main array
3. 1x 1TB SSD, JBOD - PMS SSD
4. 3x 1TB SSD, RAID 5 - VM storage for my development
5. 1x PCIe 1TB NVMe - Dedicated cache for CACHDEV2 only.

This is how I avoid QTier. I may be old fashioned but I know how it will perform and it is stable.

This is a ‘cold pull’ of a media file from the QNAP

[chuck@lizum Wonder Woman (2017).505]$ dd if=Wonder\ Woman\ \(2017\).mkv  of=/dev/null bs=1M
55346+1 records in
55346+1 records out
58035032218 bytes (58 GB, 54 GiB) copied, 83.2812 s, 697 MB/s

Raw ethernet speed.

[chuck@lizum Wonder Woman (2017).507]$ iperf3 -c 192.168.0.21
Connecting to host 192.168.0.21, port 5201
[  5] local 192.168.0.13 port 34038 connected to 192.168.0.21 port 5201
[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr  Cwnd
[  5]   0.00-1.00   sec  1.09 GBytes  9.37 Gbits/sec    0   1.55 MBytes       
[  5]   1.00-2.00   sec  1.09 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   2.00-3.00   sec  1.10 GBytes  9.42 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   3.00-4.00   sec  1.10 GBytes  9.42 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   4.00-5.00   sec  1.09 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   5.00-6.00   sec  1.10 GBytes  9.42 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   6.00-7.00   sec  1.10 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   7.00-8.00   sec  1.09 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   8.00-9.00   sec  1.10 GBytes  9.42 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
[  5]   9.00-10.00  sec  1.10 GBytes  9.42 Gbits/sec    0   1.70 MBytes       
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bitrate         Retr
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec  11.0 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec    0             sender
[  5]   0.00-10.00  sec  11.0 GBytes  9.41 Gbits/sec                  receiver

iperf Done.
[chuck@lizum Wonder Woman (2017).508]$ 

Can you tell I enjoy abusing the hardware?

[JQuon126]

I’m newer to qnap so this is a lot of information to digest, but definitely appreciate the thorough write up.

After installing the second array (HDD) back into the NAS, will it maintain my data from before it was removed? Or do I need to back and redo things from scratch?

I won’t have room for another SSD for dedicated PMS. Will the lifespan of a 500gb 970 evo m.2s have enough lifespan if I leave the PMS on their. I actually do moderate downloading from sabnzbd which may also reduce lifespan.

How did you point your plex to transcode to the HDD after it’s been installed on a SSD? Are you using the native app or a docker?

[ChuckPa]

1. After installing QTS on the M.2, simply power off and re-insert the HDDs then power on. QTS will detect the complete array and add them as a new CACHEDEV because they already contain all the proper QNAP signatures.

2. The 500GB 970 EVO has a 600 TBW (TerraBytes Written) rating. The 970 Pro 1TB has a 1200 TBW. With this as my main array cache, and with everything I do, it still has 92% lifespan. I would expect about 5 years on those EVOs.

3. I’ve found the Pro rated to be the better choice. I will be upgrading all mine to Pro as they expire. The write endurance is worth the small extra cost. (my fingers not good with tiny screws anymore)

4. Pointing Plex to transcode on the HDD after installing on the SSD? Easy - Settings - Server - Transcoder - Show Advanced

5. I don’t use docker except for 3 appliance apps which are only available in docker form. PMS is best as native IMO – but then again, I’m biased because I’m the QTS package author It has direct HW access without any fuss. It will find Nvidia GPU cards automatically

[JQuon126]

lol at the “QTS author.” I don’t run it in docker now and also prefer the native app.

Okay, I think this is perfect because I thought I had to back up data from the hard drives and then put them back on the array

Should I back up my configs on my dockers, delete them, and then just recreate them after I get QTS on the M.2s?

Oh I forgot to mention, I’ll be mixing and matching the M.2s. I have an existing 960 evo 500gb with about 23tb writes on them. I plan to do as you suggested with raid 1 with a new 970 evo 500gb.

Lol, I feel like you make this seems simpler than it sounds. Since i’m newer to this space, I might break something

[ChuckPa]

I’m learning a bit about docker. The apparent quintessential point about Container Station / Docker on QNAP — Mount the /config to a retained directory in the file system when creating the container. Also mount your media locations, etc as normal.

Hardware configuration really is easy but then again, i have a lot of experience with systems like QNAP.

I have three rules:

1. If it doesn’t work - force it
2. If you can’t force it - pee on it
3. If neither works - it wasn’t worth having in the first place

[JQuon126]

lol chuck, before I pee on anything.

I don’t need to do the following?

back up the data in the array, because it will automatically be recognized when it’s reinserted back?

[ChuckPa]

1. If you want to back it up ( ALWAYS prudent with any configuration change ), do so.

2. Absolutely backup all your container configurations. When QTS is installed on the SSD, there will be no container station. You will need to install – hence you will have no apriori containers defined.

[JQuon126]

Thank you sir. I will report back when everything is completed. I’ve already backed up the container info so when I re-create it I can drop the config files back.

[plex_n00b]

This has been such a helpful thread! I just also bought the 453D and have a slightly different configuration that I’m about to set up. Wanted to get your thoughts as I’m getting started.

1 x TB 870 EVO 2.5 SSD
2 x 3.5 HDDs

To optimize performance, the plan is to start with the SSD, instal QTD and PMS, which I think will make that CACHEDEV1. Then to install the HDDs and set them up as a volume in RAID 1 (this is for the media), which I think will make that CACHEDEV2.

Does this approach make sense? This is my first NAS, so learning as I go here

Thank you!