Upgrading Drives or Expanding

[Enquiries]

Hello Gentleman -

I recently lost my DS1515+ to the Synology Gods but thankfully was able to swap and move the drives into a new 1522+ which is running amazingly well. I am am getting down to my last few terabytes left on it and I'm curious your thoughts.. Should I expand the drives into an expander or should I replace the drives slowly to larger ones. I have read that when upgrading drives that you have to do 2 at a time? That's not an issue if that's the case but wondering if that is true. I am kind of limited on space to be able to use an expansion case so that's why I'm leaning towards upgrading the drives. Not to mention the drives that I did swap into the 1522+ are running well but getting old. I appreciate your thoughts in advance and as always wish you both well!

Thanks,
Rob

[ed]

Glad to hear that your new DS1522+ is running smoothly!

Given your current situation and the space limitations for an expansion case, it sounds like upgrading the drives is your best option. Here are a few thoughts on your options:

1. Upgrading the Drives:
Drive Upgrade Process: When upgrading drives in a RAID setup, the typical recommendation is to upgrade one drive at a time, allowing the system to rebuild and balance after each upgrade. If you're using SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID), you can upgrade one drive at a time. The process would be as follows:
Replace one drive with a larger one.
Let the system rebuild and finish the process.
Once that’s done, replace the second drive.
Capacity Increase: Since you’re running out of space, upgrading your current drives to larger ones will increase your total capacity. This is a gradual process, which allows you to retain the existing data without having to replace everything at once.
Drive Health: Since the drives you're currently using are getting old, this upgrade could also help you avoid the risk of failure in the near future, ensuring your data is safe.
2. Expansion Case Option:
If you were to consider adding an expansion case later, be sure to check your available space for it and your NAS’s expansion support. However, since you're already leaning toward upgrading the drives, it seems like the more straightforward solution.
Space Limitations: If space is an issue, this would require a bit more planning and possibly some additional cooling solutions depending on the drive setup.
3. Considerations for Replacing Drives:
Since you have 24TB in your DS1515+ (likely with RAID1, SHR, or RAID5), upgrading to something like 16TB or 18TB drives could give you a significant boost without overwhelming your existing setup. The exact drive sizes depend on your future data needs.
Drive Compatibility: Ensure the drives you're upgrading to are compatible with the DS1522+ and fit within your RAID setup (or SHR).
Given your space constraints and the age of your current drives, upgrading them slowly to larger capacities seems like the most efficient and flexible option.