Configuration options of the Conceptronic CH3SNAS

The CH3SNAS uses the Linux ext2 file system, and thus cannot preserve data which was written to the hard disks (e.g. using Microsoft Windows) before these are inserted into the CH3SNAS: reformatting will normally be necessary for both a new and a used hard disk. Lets assume the drives have storage capacities of respectively C1 and, if a 2nd drive is present, C2 Gigabytes. The CH3SNAS supports a number of different ways in which to format individual hard disk partitions using the built-in web interface:

  • Standard – each drive can be accessed as a different volume (results in a volume of size C1 and, if present, C2)
  • JBOD – Just-a-Bunch of Disks, allowing both drives to be accessed as a single large volume (of size C1+C2)
  • RAID 0 – files are “striped” over both drives, thus potentially giving higher performance (resulting in a single volume of size 2*min(C1,C2))
  • RAID 1 – files are automatically mirrored at the sector level on both drives, thus allowing data recovery if either drive fails. RAID 1 results in a single volume of size min(C1,C2). Note that this occupies 2*min(C1,C2) of total disk space.

Configurations 2, 3, and 4 require a dual-drive system. A RAID 0 or 1 volume can be no larger than the smallest of the two drives, but can optionally be configured to be smaller than min(C1,C2). Any remaining space on both drives becomes accessible as a single JBOD volume.

Consequently, a dual-drive system can support up to 6 alternative configuration options:

  • Two Standard volumes
  • A single large JBOD volume
  • A single RAID 0 volume (if both drives have the same size, and no JBOD volume is needed)
  • A single smaller RAID 1 volume (if both drives have the same size, and no JBOD volume is needed)
  • A RAID 0 volume and a JBOD volume
  • A RAID 1 volume and a JBOD volume (see screen shot)

  • It may be possible to create other working configurations (such as RAID 0 + RAID 1 + JBOD), but these cannot be created using the built-in configuration interface and will probably not have been tested.

    Under Windows, volumes can be assigned user-selectable drive letters (such as R: for a RAID).

4 thoughts on “Configuration options of the Conceptronic CH3SNAS”

  1. Hallo Uli,

    Die DNS 323 firmware lauft sehr gut.
    Ich habe aber jetzt ein kleines (!) Problem.
    Seit heute wird angegeben das mein Raid 1 degraded ist (2x 1,5 TB).
    Jetzt wird unter Raid configuration angeben das ich Auto-Rebuild Configuration machen kan. Habe aber mein HD noch nicht ersetzt.
    Meine Frage ist jetzt. Der HD der genau dort, unter auto rebuild configuration, angegeben wird, ist das der Gute oder Schlechte HD….oder lese ich das falsch?

    Die Frage ist darum weil ich (noch) kein Backup habe von meine Daten (ca. 1,2 TB) und wenn ich den falschen HD auswechsele sind warscheinlich alle meine Daten futsch.

    Danke für deine Antwort!
    Gruss,
    Fastbob2000

    1. Hi,

      sorry but the language here is english, so i’d like to keep it that way.

      The NAS should show the serial number of the drive which should be replaced. Compare that to the number on the drives and you see which one needs to be replaced. Replace it or try to rebuild the RAID without replacing.
      Currently you still have the option to switch off the NAS, pulle the “good” HDD and do a Backup using an external casing. Just as an idea as you don’t have a backup.

      Cheers,
      Uli

  2. Hi,

    since one mounth i’m having a strange problem with my CH3NAS. The LAN connection is lost each time I restart the NAS. On the windows explorer (windows XP) i can’t connect through the net unit Z:/CH3NAS… neither through the Microsoft Windows Net/Workgroup, where I can see all my PCs (with same workgroup) connected on my LAN but not the NAS.
    My temporary solution is to use the NAS web page. I log in through IE and rebuild the network access. After doing it I recover the connection to the NAS, but only on the PC that connected to NAS web page.

    I need some help here because I really don’t understand what’s happening here and how to sort out this matter! On this NAS i have all my Company data!

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    Ignasi

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