NASLite Network Attached Storage

I upgraded my main NAS box from 2.04 to 2.06 about a month ago. At the same time I also upgrade the RAM from 512MB to 2GB. The NAS contains 1 2TB array (Adaptec/HP 2610 6x400Gb Seagate drive). It's 80% full.

After the upgrade, whenever I clicked a video file from the NAS, it'll take longer to play (sometimes about 20-30 seconds longer). I "guess" it's because it needs to fill the RAM before it start transmitting.

Anyway, I don't like it. So I decided to change the RAM from 2GB to 256MB (1 stick). And this is is where the problem started.

It took 12+ hours to boot and the array won't mount. Once boot, in option 3, it'll show the array and not mounted. The format options is there (Trust me, I am not ready to lost my 1.6TB data). I did the check and repair disk-0 filesystem. It'll took 24+ hours to check (I left it alone) and the next day it'll shows the check and repair disk-0 filesystem main windows with no error message.

I reboot and still the same problem. NASlite will take 12+ hours to boot and the array won't mount. I did these a few times. The next thing I do was when I boot, I went into the RAID card utitilies - check array. It showed Verify/Build options at 54%.. So I left it alone.. 12 hours later.. it stucked at 91%. I reboot and went back into the RAID card utilities - it showed Verify/Build at 21%. It'll went to 89% and stuck... I reboot and same thing happened. Looks like it stuck in a indefinite loops

If I cancelled the RAID card utilities and let the box boot. It'll take 12+ hours for NASlite to boot and the array won't mount. I almost give up and start cleaning up my backup NAS box to prepare it as primary.

Last night, I used my XP box and telnet the main NAS. I choose options 3, check and repair disk-0 filesystem and let it run for the whole night (all my previous troubleshoot was directly connecting the monitor to the box). This afternoon, in the telnet windows from my XP box, I saw an error message - low memory or memory error (I am not sure). This is the 1st time I saw ANY error. I turned it off, added another 256MB stick and voila... it BOOTS and MOUNTED THE ARRAY!!!!

Questions:
1. Does RAM requirements go up as the ARRAY/Storage go bigger (My backup box have 4 disks - total 800GB and boots fine with 256MB RAM, both box are identical - MB and CPU wise)? Why it won't boot on 256MB but boot on 512MB?
2. Why the error message won't show up if it's directly connectyed to a monitor? Is that probably because it'll turn the monitor off after 20minutes and erase the message?

Anyway, I am just happy my NAS is online again and most important is I don't lose any data!

The disk check will bonk if you have to small an amount of RAM, in your case 256MB. 512MB seems to be the sweet spot in my box, maybe it is the same with yours.

This is advice late in the coming but if your NL box is working and the performance is good enough that it meets yours and your families needs, THEN DON"T F#@K WITH IT!!!!!! If you get a configuration that just works well out of the box then leave it alone, you are luckier than you know. There is allot of hardware that is not compliant or only partially so and issues arise. I have moved my drives from box to box to box more than a care to count getting to the point I am now. I have good performance and rock stable reliability.

Mike

no funny stuff in the syslog?

No. Syslog is clean.. no error message

It's running good now.. as usual.. but for about 1 week I thought I gonna loss all.

But I still like to know why.. coz I found the whole issue is wierd...

[quote="dimension"]no funny stuff in the syslog?[/quote]

My bet is bad cable, connection, heat or some other thing along those lines. I'd jiggle the cables and make sure ram and all is well set in the slots. Watch the system temp and make sure it's under control. With heat resistance goes up and performance goes down. Enough of that and your box will lock up, potentially causing data corruption or loss. Make sure all the parts are happy so naslite can do it's thing.