Synology DS216J coming, can I start with one disk and expand to a bigger size later

raidsynology

I'd like to start with a 3TB disk I have and add a second 3TB disk later (couple of months). I should end up with 1 6TB volume (no redundancy – I backup elsewhere anything important).

  • What are the correct RAID modes and what are their pros/cons?
  • Can I set it up once and then just add the second disk with no data loss?

If data loss is unavoidable when expanding to the second disk then it's annoying, but not a real problem (I'll move everything out, reformat and copy everything back, it will take ages).

Thanks!

Best Answer

A RAID is not a backup. A RAID provides disk redundancy.

If you don't want redundancy (I highly recommend redundancy and don't understand why anyone wouldn't implement disk redundancy) then you don't use a RAID.

For the DS216j, the only "correct" RAID mode would be a RAID 1 (mirrored disks), or a RAID 0 (no redundancy) since the 216j only has 2 hard drive bays. Synology has a good chart outlining the different types of RAIDs here.

When you setup your Synology with the 1 disk, it will be impossible to setup any sort of RAID anyway, because you'll only have 1 disk.

Regarding your second question, yes, you can expand your volume at a later date when you add the 2nd hard drive. Just choose RAID 0. But again, I would strongly encourage you to reconsider, and go with a RAID 1.

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