Appendix C: Dynamicraid Overview; About Dynamicraid - Overland Storage SnapServer Administrator's Manual

Appendix C
You can configure your SnapServer in either DynamicRAID or Traditional RAID mode. The
following section details the benefits of DynamicRAID, as well as providing guidelines to help
you choose the mode that is best for your needs.
DynamicRAID is a powerful feature that simplifies storage management and provides
additional configuration options not available in Traditional RAID. A SnapServer can be
purchased with any amount of initial storage (or number of drives), and more capacity can be
added over time by inserting or replacing drives. Volumes can be added and removed at will,
and all volumes share the same underlying pool of storage.
IMPORTANT: A SnapServer head unit or expansion unit supports only one storage pool created
from its drives and contained within that enclosure. Multiple volumes can be created on that
storage pool.
Topics in DynamicRAID:
•

About DynamicRAID

•
•
• Setting Up DynamicRAID
•
• Additional Information on DynamicRAID Sizing
About DynamicRAID
• To increase the capacity of the storage pool when the SnapServer is fully populated, you
can replace drives, one at a time, with larger-capacity drives. Replacing drives can only
be done when the DynamicRAID is healthy.
• DynamicRAID has two forms – one with single parity (protects your data against a
single drive failure) and one with dual parity (protects your data against two
simultaneous drive failures). The parity model can be changed over time.
• Volumes on DynamicRAID are virtual and may be created almost instantaneously. They
all share the same underlying pool of storage, so there is no need to worry about the size
of the volume when created. At the administrator's discretion, volumes may be
constrained in size so they cannot consume more than a defined limit. This limit can be
adjusted or removed as required.
10400589-001
Should I use DynamicRAID or Traditional RAID?
Features Comparisons: DynamicRAID and Traditional RAID
DynamicRAID Implementation
©2008-14 Overland Storage, Inc.
DynamicRAID Overview
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