Move TOS from HDD to Nvme on F2-423

[SB82]

Greetings, new Terramaster owner here.

I own a F2-423, this has been updated to TOS 5.0, I have 2x6tb drives in Traid, and then an nvme acting as a hypercache. TOS has been installed on the 6tb drives.

I grow tired of listening to the hdd whir away whilst it should be inactive, so I want to instead install tos onto an nvme, but without incurring any data loss or having to backup/restore data.

Would it be possible to;
Remove all drives
Install a new nvme
Install and setup tos on nvme
Reinsert my 2x6tb drives

and continue to run tos off the nvme without any issues, or having to update the bios to change the boot option?

Any help much appreciated.

[Gremlin]

Just a stab in the dark; Regardless of what you do with NVME, TOS will still be installed on the HDDs (a mirror copy on each). It used to be the case that NAS would boot from the first HDD it found with a bootable partition. That would be HDD1 normally. Not sure how nvme would sit in that hierarchy.

Still keeping Hypercache? If not, I think you need to follow a specific procedure to disassociate cache from assigned volume before removing it. (Don't use it so just something I think I read.)

[SB82]

Hi, yes I think that would be an issue with tos still appearing on the 2x6tb drives. I'm hoping one the TM staff can advise if that is the case. Otherwise I'm going to have to wipe and start all over again, which I'd rather avoid if possible.

Re: existing nvme and hypercache, yes it was my intention to disable that before attempting the process above. I'll edit my post to make that clear.

Thanks.

[Gremlin]

I'll edit my post to make that clear.

Let me know when you figure out that trick on this forum

[Gremlin]

{L_BUTTON_AT}SB82

You may have read this, but anyway: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3305

[Revamp]

Hello everyone,

As a new owner of the F4 423 model and after reading and searching this forum it seems you can setup your two NVMe PCIe to install TOS on them.

I was wondering if you guys could confirm a few things?
I have a a few questions to get my head clear of what sizes of NVMe PCIe and RAM to purchase next.

Knowing you can install the TOS on the NVMe, I was thinking of buying 2 x 1T NVMe PCIe SSD 2280 strips.

I am running 4 bays with 1T drives in each and like @SB82 I just want to store data on the HDdrives and take advantage of the speed of the SSD.

1. Can you allocate one NVMe slot (Bank) as a single drive pool and place a single volume on it for TOS only?

2. Can you allocate the remaining slot (Bank) as a single drive pool and place a single volume on it for Hypercache and if so is this a good idea or a bad one?

3. Do you or can you place a slim heat sink on the NVMe controller to keep it stable within the confines of the TM slide on case?

4. If the above is possible what RAM size would I need to purchase to accommodate this type of config - 8 / 12 / 16GB etc ?

Any advise most appreciated..

[crisisacting]

1. Can you allocate one NVMe slot (Bank) as a single drive pool and place a single volume on it for TOS only?

Initialize your unit with just a single NVMe drive & you can achieve that.

2. Can you allocate the remaining slot (Bank) as a single drive pool and place a single volume on it for Hypercache and if so is this a good idea or a bad one?

After initialization above, add this second NVMe drive & do not add it to any pool; choose the hypercache option within the current TOS 5.1.67 & select this added NVMe drive.

The 423 series is only addressing each NVMe slots at Gen3 ×1, so there's little point of using a leading/bleeding edge drive when said drive won't be able to achieve its advertised/theoretical read/write speeds since the two available SoC options are limiting it to a theoretical max of 985 MBps on each slot; it'd be better to purchase a higher rated TBW capable Gen3/4 drive, especially for hypercache.

3. Do you or can you place a slim heat sink on the NVMe controller to keep it stable within the confines of the TM slide on case?

Employees have recommended this in other threads.

The space between the outer metal casing and the motherboard is sparse, so finding a suitable passive option may be difficult (maybe others have found solutions that work).

4. If the above is possible what RAM size would I need to purchase to accommodate this type of config - 8 / 12 / 16GB et cetera?

If your use case/intentions are to run a combination of many applications, docker sessions and/or virtual machines, having more available RAM to these would be ideal since you could run many of them or dedicate more resources to them.

If you're using the NAS simply for backup & data storage, the included capacity may suffice; it is after all something you can increase in the future should it require more.

[crisisacting]

After initialization above, add this second NVMe drive & do not add it to any pool; choose the hypercache option within the current TOS 5.1.67 & select this added NVMe drive.

Forgot to state that you'll need to select whichever volume/pool that you deem would require the cache, most likely those 4 drives in the removable bays in a single pool, if that's how you configure them.

[Revamp]

[at=crisisacting post_id=29293 time=1693159989 user_id=4632][/at]

Wow what a fantastic response, instructions and with all the thirst quenching details too.. Thank you soooo very much..

• So I did it....

• What an excellent result..

• built my own heatsink, my results are below if anyone wants to read..

After initialization above, add this second NVMe drive & do not add it to any pool; choose the hypercache option within the current TOS 5.1.67 & select this added NVMe drive.

Thank you for steering me and avoiding a disaster else that would have been a headache for a Noobie like me....

The 423 series is only addressing each NVMe slots at Gen3 ×1, so there's little point of using a leading/bleeding edge drive when said drive won't be able to achieve its advertised/theoretical read/write speeds since the two available SoC options are limiting it to a theoretical max of 985 MBps on each slot; it'd be better to purchase a higher rated TBW capable Gen3/4 drive, especially for hypercache.

• Very interesting (SoC options) read.. I have bought two normal NVMe on the compatible list (500GB - 970 EVO Plus) at a very reasonable cost that are not the bleed edge Tech as you advised. (€70.00 for both a a no brainer).

• I will go the other way for hypercache cache as you suggested later a good SSD Drive for the equivalent of for hypercache if I understood you correctly?

I'll do this again in a rebuild so hence the two 500GB SSD as I can then set them both as a pool Raid 1 (Mirror) later when I change this configuration, For now though this a start for me.

• I noted something else from the above article.. It seems to indicate the the processor can only handle 16GB, I don’t understand why the model specs suggest a max of 32GB when the architecture states it only supports 16GB.

I think the Max I will purchase next is a 16GB RAM. I know the RAM is a dedicated item and I have no problem with this so I’l make my way to the store and place that in my basket.

• You read my mind.. I plan to make best use of this personal cloud as below.

• 1. App.. Surveillance footage.

• 2. App.. Home Assistance.

• 3. App.. VPN.

• 4. App.. Wordpress. Errr.. maybe later host my own vey small basic website ( Yes maybe much later.. ).

• 5. BU.. Time Machine.

• 6. TRAID HDD.. General Data.

So extra RAM needed as above..

Employees have recommended this in other threads.

The space between the outer metal casing and the motherboard is sparse, so finding a suitable passive option may be difficult (maybe others have found solutions that work)

Yes… you are spot on, after measuring up there is a thin wafer of headroom above the controller chip for any heatsink (1.9mm) for both so I decided to engineer mill and turn up my own heatsink fin, you will not be able to get anything to suit on the general market place.

• I do not want to alter or effect the existing models architecture in any way and I don't want to remove the sound dampening patch stuck on the on the inner side of the unit cover (1.4mm thick), this is what also reduces the head room for a heatsink else there would be 3.3mm of headroom.

So I turned up two 6mm wide pillars to extend the chassis existing rear mounts on top of the MB that are next to the vertical slot (rear two mounting posts) and sandwich mounted the MB with the mill machined aluminum fin on top of these pillars, fixed with two countersunk screws to keep the screw head below the heatsink fin to maintain the 1.9mm thickness and hold it in place.

• The pillers are just the same as standard brass MB mounts on any tower unit, except I turned mine up.

Finally a dab of heat transfer paste on each of the controller chips only, finalises the contact to the heatsink fin. The heat will also be dispersed via the MB pillar mounts to the chassis and the fans will cool that.

• My results..

• 1. No more navigation wait and disc run up lag (disc spin wake up).

• 2. An excellent very fluid OS response and navigation.

• 3. NVMe controller temperature stays at a rock solid 35dc even at data transfer test (3 x back to back transfer test runs (12GB copies)).

• 4. Great max BUS process area for all my intended apps.

In essence all the effort is well worth it.

Forgot to state that you'll need to select whichever volume/pool that you deem would require the cache, most likely those 4 drives in the removable bays in a single pool, if that's how you configure them.

Excellent… Thank you for the clarity..

[crisisacting]

970 EVO Plus

That NVMe drive has a rating for 300 TBW, which is somewhere in the middle of what's available; it should suffice since you've already bought it & Samsung seems to be ok/good with warranty service, should you require it.

• I noted something else from the above article.. It seems to indicate the the processor can only handle 16GB, I don’t understand why the model specs suggest a max of 32GB when the architecture states it only supports 16GB.

I think the Max I will purchase next is a 16GB RAM. I know the RAM is a dedicated item and I have no problem with this so I’l make my way to the store and place that in my basket.

So that's actually a suggested limit that an OEM can implement on their product, which has not been on Terra-Master devices.

The SoC is capable of addressing much more due to its architecture; the limitation would be what's actually commercially available.

2×32 GB DDR4 SODIMM kits are out there, however 2×64 GB DDR4 SODIMM kits don't seem to be.