Netgear ReadyNAS 1500 - Ethernet port trunking query

[CHiLL]

We have an old Netgear ReadyNAS rack-mounted NAS that I'd like to utilise for backup redundancy. The NAS has two 1GB Gigabit Ethernet adapters...my question is...Can they be trunked to make a 2GB connection? Increasing throughput is my objective and our HP ProCurve switches certainly can trunk ports together, but there is nothing in the settings of the NAS or in the manual to suggest that the device can support a 2GB trunk from the two 1GB ports.

 

If the NAS is not able to trunk the ports...what's the point in two network adapters?

[Michael]

Possibly two networks (different ranges), two VLANs or just redundancy.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it, as it's unlikely your server or the NAS will be able to fill a 1Gbps link consistently.

[CHiLL]

Thanks for the reply. I may have been having a blonde moment. According to this document: http://www.readynas.com/download/documentation/UM/ReadyNAS_Business_SW_12July10.pdf, the 1500 does indeed support NIC teaming, but both NICs have to be active. Whilst I'm in the configuration stage at the moment, I only have one NIC active...which might be the reason why I'm not seeing the option to team!

[Michael]

Thanks for the reply. I may have been having a blonde moment. According to this document: http://www.readynas.com/download/documentation/UM/ReadyNAS_Business_SW_12July10.pdf, the 1500 does indeed support NIC teaming, but both NICs have to be active. Whilst I'm in the configuration stage at the moment, I only have one NIC active...which might be the reason why I'm not seeing the option to team!

 

Ha yes, most likely. It's probably because it doesn't sense a connection or doesn't have an IP for that NIC. I'm guessing you're going for a RAID5 configuration? Or 2 x RAID1 maybe?

[CHiLL]

Ha yes, most likely. It's probably because it doesn't sense a connection or doesn't have an IP for that NIC. I'm guessing you're going for a RAID5 configuration? Or 2 x RAID1 maybe?

Because it has Netgear's RAIDiator (4.2.28) software, I am limited to the options I can have in terms of RAID. By default it has set X-RAID2, which is basically RAID5 from some Googling, so I can lose a drive and still be able to recover the data from the other disks. Currently only three of the four bays are occupied and I have the option to increase the fail-over to two disks failing and I can still recover (can't remember what the setting is called off the top of my head).

[Michael]

If it's two drives that can fail, then that'd be RAID6 - so 4 physical drives.

 

RAID1 = no parity

RAID5 = 1 x parity, 2 x data

RAID6 = 2 x parity, 2 x data

 

Obviously the only issue is you lose more space with RAID6, but have more redundancy (in theory). It still doesn't get round the issue that (like most people), you install multiple brand new drives at the same time, so there's a higher chance they could fail in a small space of time.

[CHiLL]

If it's two drives that can fail, then that'd be RAID6 - so 4 physical drives.

 

RAID1 = no parity

RAID5 = 1 x parity, 2 x data

RAID6 = 2 x parity, 2 x data

 

Obviously the only issue is you lose more space with RAID6, but have more redundancy (in theory). It still doesn't get round the issue that (like most people), you install multiple brand new drives at the same time, so there's a higher chance they could fail in a small space of time.

That's true.

I'm going to keep it at RAID5. We also have a Netgear ReadyNAS 2100, which is extremely similar to the 1500. The idea is that once our VEEAM reverse incremental backups have completed, we can copy the .vbk and .vbm files to each of the ReadyNAS devices. The next day after the backups have completed...delete the existing backup files from ReadyNAS 1500 and copy the new .vbk and .vbm files over. Once that has completed, repeat for the ReadyNAS 2100. That would give us three physical locations for our backups for disaster recovery.

[Michael]

Sounds like a good plan

[FN-GM]

We have an old Netgear ReadyNAS rack-mounted NAS that I'd like to utilise for backup redundancy. The NAS has two 1GB Gigabit Ethernet adapters...my question is...Can they be trunked to make a 2GB connection? Increasing throughput is my objective and our HP ProCurve switches certainly can trunk ports together, but there is nothing in the settings of the NAS or in the manual to suggest that the device can support a 2GB trunk from the two 1GB ports.

 

If the NAS is not able to trunk the ports...what's the point in two network adapters?

 

Doing that wouldn't actually make a 2GB connection. Look at it like a motorway, if you add another lane the speed limit doesn't increase, however you have another lane so more traffic can be handled at a time.

[vimagoes]

Don't think that trunking a couple of 1GB NIC is going to become 2GB. I've got a ReadyNAS 2120 v2 with 2 NICs 1GB each and the most beneficial for your network is configure them as Round Robin and get a load balance on your NAS access. Besides if your NAS can the best option in my opinion is RAID10.