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I'm looking to build a NAS box and putting ML on it.

I currently have two drives that are configured as RAID one that I am pulling out of a NAS box.

I have one drive that I'd like to add to the two already RAID drives, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

And is it even possible to have one drive with data on it and then create a RAID with another diver without it removing/formatting the data that is currently on the main drive?

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  • It's definitely possible to go from a single-drive setup to a multi-drive RAID-1 array. Going to a parity-based system like RAID-5 is more involved. I know the linux md raid system can convert a RAID-1 to a RAID-5 system. I'm not sure what underpins the apple raid system, though. – Fake Name Dec 26 '12 at 22:28
  • Oh, and remember, RAID is not backup. – Fake Name Dec 26 '12 at 22:28
  • @FakeName I currently have a D-Link 321 with 2 1TB drives in them set up as RAID 1. If I pull those out and put them into the new mac pro NAS, will the OS pick up that they are already RAID'ed together? And can I add my 1 3TB drive to the current RAID with the 2 1TB drives provided that the OS picks up on it? – ultraloveninja Dec 27 '12 at 18:03
  • I'm honestly not sure. I have a decent amount of experience mucking about with linux RAID setups, but I'm completely unfamiliar with how the software-RAID system works on a mac. I could help you get those hard drives to work on a linux box, but on a mac you're on your own. – Fake Name Dec 28 '12 at 0:15
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My initial reaction from how you staged your question: building a NAS from the ground up is a complex set of interrelated dependencies in both hardware, software and connectivity. You might be better off purchasing a ready-made or self-contained NAS unit.

You need to ask what you expect from a NAS: lots of storage or redundancy. The two-drive RAID you mention could be configured a couple of ways, and you may not be able to read the volume without the original RAID controller from the NAS.

Your inquiry into starting with one drive then adding additional drives sounds like some JBOD (just a bunch of disks) setups. JBOD only offers los of storage, but no redundancy.

RAID and NAS can both be elements of a storage solution, but in and of themselves, the two acronyms can also spell HEADACHE.

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  • I already have a D-Link 321, but the max that it can handle is 2TB, which I've reached. I ordered a 3TB drive and much to my dismay, the 321 could not format it. So, as it stands now, I have 2 1TB drives that I have in the 321 and 1 3TB that I plan on using within the NAS. I'm putting the OS on a SSD so that way it's separated from the rest of the storage. I'm going to be using my Mac pro as the NAS box since I don't really use it anymore. So, yeah more for storage but I want have it as RAID incase one of the drives fail. – ultraloveninja Dec 27 '12 at 17:58

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