The Flexible Disk Array -- TerraMaster TRAID

More about TOS 5 new features and improvements. Note: this forum is not for bug report! If you want to report bug, please go to the correct forum.
User avatar
TMroy
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 2578
Joined: 10 Mar 2020, 14:04
China

The Flexible Disk Array -- TerraMaster TRAID

Post by TMroy »

With the increase in the amount of data, most users need to expand the RAID capacity in the near future after the RAID is formed. Since traditional RAIDs are limited by the smallest hard drive in the RAID, a lot of hard drive space is wasted, whether replacing larger capacity drives or adding more drives. TerraMaster TRAID found a way out for you.

What is TRAID?
TRAID is the abbreviation of TerraMaster RAID. TRAID is a flexible disk array management tool developed by TerraMaster. It has features such as the automatic combination of disk space, hard disk failure redundancy protection, and automatic capacity expansion. All these features do not require manual configuration by the user, and the system will automatically complete the configuration according to the properties of the hard disk. TRAID provides users with an optimized, flexible and elastic disk array management solution, especially suitable for new users who are not proficient in how to configure a disk array.

Notice:
Once you have selected TRAID as your array type, you cannot convert TRAID to a traditional array type unless you delete and recreate the array. If you want to manage the array type manually, it is recommended that you use the traditional type when building your array, such as Single, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, etc.


Higher disk space utilization
In the digital age, the amount of our data is increasing rapidly, and the capacity of hard disks is also increasing rapidly at a rate of almost doubling every 3 years. When we purchase larger capacity hard drives, we also hope that the old hard drives can continue to play a role, but the traditional array mode cannot meet this demand. With TRAID flexible management strategy, you can continuously add hard disks to your array to expand the storage capacity, even if the hard disk capacity is quite different.

Suppose you need to combine 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB, 10TB 5 hard drives with different capacities to form a disk array with redundancy protection. In traditional RAID mode (RAID 5), you only get 5TB of usable space. And with TRAID's elastic strategy, you can get 23TB of usable space.
TARID_Trand_en.jpg
How the traditional RAID works
Trand_en.jpg
Trand_en.jpg (22.2 KiB) Viewed 5803 times


How TRAID works
TerraMaster uses the Linux disk management tool to subtly divide the hard disk space of different capacities into smaller partitions, and then combine the redundancy strategy to recombine the partitions. Once the TRAID is formed, users can still replace larger capacity hard disks or add more hard disks to expand the storage space of the array according to their needs. Compared with traditional arrays, in addition to redundancy protection, TRAID can significantly improve the utilization efficiency of disk space. At the same time, compared with traditional arrays, TRAID arrays have higher efficiency when expanding capacity.
TRAID_2_en.jpg
How to expand the storage space of TRAID?
After the TRAID is formed, you can expand the storage space through the following 2 methods.

1. Replace the hard drive with a larger capacity
Note: Replace only one hard drive at a time, and make sure that the newly added hard drive meets the requirements.
Operation method: Keep the TNAS powered on, remove one of the drives, and insert a larger capacity drive, go to Control Panel > Storage Management > Storage Pool > Edit, and select "Repair". After the array is repaired, use the same method to replace other hard drives.

2. Increase the number of hard drives
Operation method: Keep the TNAS powered on, insert a new hard drive, go to Control Panel > Storage Management > Storage Pool > Edit, and select “Expand”. Make sure that the newly added hard drive meets the requirements and you have enough spare disks slots.

Hard disk failure redundancy protection
TRAID can provide you with redundant protection against a hard disk failure, allowing a maximum of one hard disk to fail. Ensure your data is not lost in the event of a hard drive failure in the array.
Note: You only need one hard disk to create a TRAID array, but TRAID of one hard disk cannot provide redundancy protection. If redundancy protection is required, you need at least 2 hard disks.
To contact our team, please send email to following addresses, remember to replace (at) with @:
Support team: support(at)terra-master.com (for technical support only)
Service team: service(at)terra-master.com (for purchasing, return, replacement, RMA service)
User avatar
Meeni
Posts: 6
Joined: 11 Mar 2021, 05:00

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by Meeni »

This sounds interesting, but I need clarification about risk mitigation and exposure:

If the TNAS box itself were to fail, can I move the drives to a standard Linux PC and read them when they are thus formatted?
User avatar
TMroy
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 2578
Joined: 10 Mar 2020, 14:04
China

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by TMroy »

{L_BUTTON_AT}Meeni

No, even with the traditional RAID, you are not able to do so, you need a chassis to maintain the RAID configuration before you can read it on a standard Linux PC.
To contact our team, please send email to following addresses, remember to replace (at) with @:
Support team: support(at)terra-master.com (for technical support only)
Service team: service(at)terra-master.com (for purchasing, return, replacement, RMA service)
claudiocarli
Posts: 20
Joined: 28 Feb 2020, 17:31

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by claudiocarli »

Is it possible to create a TRAID with disks that contain data without losing the existing data?
I would like to install TOS 5 on my F5-422 replacing the currently present TOS 4.2 and use the currently present disks without losing their content.
It is possible?
Thank you very much!
User avatar
TMroy
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 2578
Joined: 10 Mar 2020, 14:04
China

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by TMroy »

It is not possible. Your RAID needs to be rebuilt which will erase your data.
To contact our team, please send email to following addresses, remember to replace (at) with @:
Support team: support(at)terra-master.com (for technical support only)
Service team: service(at)terra-master.com (for purchasing, return, replacement, RMA service)
claudiocarli
Posts: 20
Joined: 28 Feb 2020, 17:31

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by claudiocarli »

TMroy wrote: 12 Jul 2022, 08:41 It is not possible. Your RAID needs to be rebuilt which will erase your data.
Ok. Thanks TMroy.
Could this strategy be fine to install TOS 5, create a TRAID and dump all the contents of the current (single) disks into the new TRAID?
1. Purchase 2 new hd 8Tb
2. Remove all the current disks from the nas and install the 2 new ones
3. Install TOS 5 and create the TRAID
4. Insert one of the old disks via USB and copy the contents to the TRAID
5. Add the old disk to the TRAID (do I have to format it first?)
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other old disk, copying its contents to the TRAID
User avatar
TMroy
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 2578
Joined: 10 Mar 2020, 14:04
China

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by TMroy »

Yes, you can do like this.
To contact our team, please send email to following addresses, remember to replace (at) with @:
Support team: support(at)terra-master.com (for technical support only)
Service team: service(at)terra-master.com (for purchasing, return, replacement, RMA service)
User avatar
sts41
Posts: 20
Joined: 26 May 2022, 21:29

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by sts41 »

So TRAID is only available with TOS 5, correct?

Once brave enough to update to TOS 5, is there a migration path from RAID 5 to TRAID, or does it require a complete rebuild?

Thanks for the help.
User avatar
TMRyan
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 817
Joined: 01 Dec 2020, 11:50

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by TMRyan »

Yes, the array needs to be completely rebuilt.
To contact our team, please send email to following addresses, remember to replace (at) with @
Technical team: support(at)terra-master.com (for technical support)
Service team: service(at)terra-master.com (for purchasing, return, replacement)
claudiocarli
Posts: 20
Joined: 28 Feb 2020, 17:31

Re: The Flexible Disk Array -- TRAID

Post by claudiocarli »

Hello, I have a problem in creating the TRAID and I don't understand what is the correct procedure to follow.
I put two blank drives in my F5-422, one 8Tb and one 10T.
So I installed TOS 5.0 and did the update.
As soon as I install the TOS it shows me a storage pool consisting of a single disk (the 8Tb one) and if I go to modify it, it allows me to convert it to a RAID 1 by adding the 10Tb disk.
If, on the other hand, I create a new pool, it proposes the creation of a TRAID but formed by the 10Tb disk only. If I create it and then I create a volume on it I no longer have the possibility to go into modification of the pool to add new disks to the TRAID, expand the space etc. etc. In order to get back the possibility of expanding the TRAID I have to eliminate the volumes.
What is the correct procedure for creating the TRAID and expanding it later?
Thank you very much
Post Reply