Anyone have a Snap 520? Upgraded it?

[kukumlima]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and own a Snap 520 with 3TB raw capacity. It's running GOS 4.4.

I;d like to bump the drives to at least a 4TB raw capacity. I've been searching the forums, but haven't found much information on my model.

I've tried chatting with Overland about this, and they just keep telling me that it's not possible, or that "it's not supported"...

Does anyone have any experience with what i want to do on a 520 unit?

TIA!

[schnappi]

Originally Posted by kukumlima

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and own a Snap 520 with 3TB raw capacity. It's running GOS 4.4.

I;d like to bump the drives to at least a 4TB raw capacity. I've been searching the forums, but haven't found much information on my model.

I've tried chatting with Overland about this, and they just keep telling me that it's not possible, or that "it's not supported"...

Does anyone have any experience with what i want to do on a 520 unit?

TIA!

Storage Overland say: Only a drive-change to the same sice...

My Snap Server 520 was sold as a 1TB machine.

Now it is a 4TB machine. The trick is to change to big drives during a fresh OS install. So I've got automaticly new CMOS contens.

Btw. I tried to use 2 TB drives but that doesn't work.
This drive did not work in a 110, 410, 510 and 520.

The problem seem to be: to much cylinders on drives bigger than 1000Gig.
The guardian OS can manage 64Tb but the BIOS can only manage delimited cylinders.
I can boot with a 2TB drive (WD) but the system only took 900 GB for raid0. And no more other raids.

[kukumlima]

Hi schnappi!

How did you do a fresh OS installation?

Did you have access to the OS images through Overland support service agreement?

Or did you upgrade the drives one by one leaving drive one in place to start with?

Any more information would be appreciated.

I don't have the original OS install disks. My 520 disks do not include the OS and Overland says I can only get it if I have a service agreement with them for $745 US/yr.!

I was hoping to use the OS that is already on the drives now. It is a fresh OS install from Overland and the 520 has never been used otherwise.

Thank you for your help!

[bitor]

schnappi:

Great information, but can you go in to details and explain the procedure for this upgrade for others to flow?

bitor

Originally Posted by schnappi

Storage Overland say: Only a drive-change to the same sice...

My Snap Server 520 was sold as a 1TB machine.

Now it is a 4TB machine. The trick is to change to big drives during a fresh OS install. So I've got automaticly new CMOS contens.

Btw. I tried to use 2 TB drives but that doesn't work.
This drive did not work in a 110, 410, 510 and 520.

The problem seem to be: to much cylinders on drives bigger than 1000Gig.
The guardian OS can manage 64Tb but the BIOS can only manage delimited cylinders.
I can boot with a 2TB drive (WD) but the system only took 900 GB for raid0. And no more other raids.

[schnappi]

Originally Posted by bitor

schnappi:
Great information, but can you go in to details and explain the procedure for this upgrade for others to flow?
bitor

Yes of course. (I was on a bussinesstrip, sorry about the delay.)

To get 1 TB drives running you need serial access to the unit:
A realy null modem cable (with hardware flow control) and a serial access program like putty. Settings are: 115200 / 8 / none / 1 / rts/cts

You first start the putty-like-programm and then the Snapserver with only one bootable (old) drive in the first (left) slot.
On the screen you see the Snap Server booting. Press <F4> for the CMOS-menue.
There you choose optimal defaults, but before you press 'write into CMOS and boot' you put in your 1000Gig drive into slot 2.
After booting you have a running 1000 gig drive.
Now put in 1000 gig drives into slot 3 and 4. After sycronisation of all theese drives shutdown the server and put drive 2 into slot 1 and the 4th gig drive into slot 2. After the booting process you have a 4TB machine.
Yeppeeh!

(Sorry my English is a 'happy bavarian stammer English" as my teacher sayed 30 years ago ..)

[kukumlima]

Thanks for the info, Schnappi!

Are you running RAID5 in yours?

What brand/model drives did you use? Do you think it matters? I was going to try Seagate 1TB or Hitachi 1TB drives probably.

Any other things we should be aware of when trying this procedure?

How long have you been running it with the upgrade? Any problems to report?

Thanks again.

[bruski]

Has anyone else with a 520 attempted Schnappi's procedure and succeeded? My unit currently has 2 TB (4 500 GB RAID 5) and before purchasing 1 TB drives for an upgrade I was hoping to get secondary confirmation that the rather straightforward procedure Schnappi laid out does work for others.

[blue68f100]

For max capacity you will need the latest OS, v5. This updates the BIOS for larger HD support. So this may be needed before installing the 2T drives so they will be reconized. I know of one who has the 520 but does not have enough 2T to expand it. Seagate, Hitachi, and Samsong are the ones that work unless your going to buy enterprise class drives. The Hatichi use more power and run a little hotter than the others. Just make sure you test the HD's when you get them. I got 5 2T HD last week and 2 of the 5 were bad. These were Seagates but all are having problems with these high capacity HD. But the price was right $69.99, but boy does it take a long time to format and scan.

[bruski]

Unfortunately we are running GuardianOS 4.2.054 SP3, but I only plan on using 1 TB drives and my understand was that 4.2 would recognize those. We currently have Hitachi 500GB drives, so I was going to stick with Hitachi as they are priced nicely ($55 at Newegg.) If you have a better drive suggestion in the same price range that would be great.

[Phoenix32]

Yes, done it (with 2TB drives and my own procedure)...

http://support.overlandstorage.com/j...earchPage=true

Can't say for 1TB drives... Never tried...

[bruski]

Originally Posted by Phoenix32

Yes, done it (with 2TB drives and my own procedure)...

http://support.overlandstorage.com/j...earchPage=true

Can't say for 1TB drives... Never tried...

Does your procedure differ from Schnappi's? Do you have it documented somewhere in these forums?

Thanks for the link to the Overland position on this, but yes, I already know they say it won't work, don't do it. Which is contrary to what others here (including yourself) have said.

[blue68f100]

With v5 OS you do not need to go through that.

Remove all HD's except #1
Boot snap
install new HD in to slot 2
wait for OS to be copied over. the drive activity lights will tell you if it reconizes the drives and copies the OS over.
Shut down and move drive 2 to 1 position.
Boot with new drive in 1,
then install the remaining HD's.

Since this will break the array, you need to backup any data and delete the raid array.

[bruski]

Originally Posted by blue68f100

With v5 OS you do not need to go through that.

Remove all HD's except #1
Boot snap
install new HD in to slot 2
wait for OS to be copied over. the drive activity lights will tell you if it reconizes the drives and copies the OS over.
Shut down and move drive 2 to 1 position.
Boot with new drive in 1,
then install the remaining HD's.

Since this will break the array, you need to backup any data and delete the raid array.

Too bad I'm on GOS 4.2. No plans to pay Overland for support at this point.

[Phoenix32]

Originally Posted by bruski

Does your procedure differ from Schnappi's? Do you have it documented somewhere in these forums?

My procedure is the one I came up with on my own way back when and it is documented all over the place here on the forum (sorry, I am not going to go look up links).

Originally Posted by bruski

Thanks for the link to the Overland position on this, but yes, I already know they say it won't work, don't do it. Which is contrary to what others here (including yourself) have said.

Um, NO! I do not believe I have ever said on this forum that you could use 2TB drives without GOS v5+, and if I did, I was drunk that day.... So I will have to say PROVE IT....

Now I have said that Adaptec told us they (the Snap 520 and 410) could not be upgraded, which was a lie, because they can and I myself have done it. But nowhere in there did I ever give a GOS version.

The base Linux version for GOS 4 does not support 2TB drives from my understanding from my software guru buddies. Thus, it appears the statement from Overland on this issue is true, and I have never said otherwise. Now have I tried it? No. But I am confident my software guru guys didn't lie to me and have no reason to question them on it. Besides, I would think anyone who was going for 8TB would want the newest GOS anywise. JMO

Now, with that said, the information does not discuss 1TB drives (or 1.5TB). And since I have not tried either 1TB or 1.5TB drive on a unit with below GOS v5, and I have not discussed it with any of my software guru buddies, I cannot say what is required for them. If you have a unit with GOS 4 and have the drives or want to spend the money on the drives to find out, feel free to do so and let us all know. Me? I don't have the money to go out and buy a set of drives to answer a question, sorry. I do not have any 1.5TB drives to test with and I only have one set of 1TB drives and they already have GOS 5.2.067 on them. I doubt I will buy any drives below 2TB in the future either. Again, sorry....


And yes, I get a little teste when people try to put words in my mouth that I don't believe. Just my nature. I helped with what I could and believe to be facts. If that is not good enough, I am sorry...

[toddmiles]

Hey - I have a Snap 520 with one S50 JBOD and we are about out of space so we purchased a second S50 JBOD and filled it up with 2 TB drives.

We run on a 520 with GOS 5.1.046 and HW 08.01.00

When I try to create my RIAD set it shows Unknown for usable space and it says disk is too small to add as a member of the RAID set.

Any thoughts? Thanks

[kearmith]

I just ordered a 1 years services with OVERLAND to get the last OS ( I need it to run my SNAP with domain controler under 2008 R2 Windows server edition)

I'm gonna try the way to get 8to (4x2) I will let you know.

I don't want to try with 3x 3to because that size of hard drive is not enough reliable

[kearmith]

Originally Posted by Phoenix32

My procedure is the one I came up with on my own way back when and it is documented all over the place here on the forum (sorry, I am not going to go look up links)....

Please, can you show me the link or send it to me by PM, because I have to do this and I looking for some help because my skill is moderate

[kearmith]

Hi,

I know that I'm alone here, but just in case someone find that forum and look for some information about internal upgrade of SNAP 520:

The first think is: you have to get a minimum of GOS 5.2 or earlier. I buy it with one year service at overland. To purchasing the GOS 6.5.023 your can also resolve two issue:

1- Capacity to get an upgrade at 8tb or 12 tb internal (need GOS 6.5.023)

2- Running your SNAP520 (mayby other Overland model) with Windows server 2008 R2 as domain controler and DHCP server.

How to do:

1- Transfert all of your data somewhere, the snap need to be empty to do the job

2- Upgrade GOS

3- kill the RAID, desactivate Snapshot, Desactivate emergency recovery

4- Shut down the SNAP

5- In front of your SNAP, left to right you see the drive 1-2-3-4; pull out the disk 2-3-4

6- Boot the snap, let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

7- Shut it down

8- Fill the bay #2 with a 2tb (3tb) drive

9- Boot the Snap and let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

10- Shut it down. Then remove the drive in the bay #1. take the drive out from the
bay #2 and put it into the bay #1

11- Boot the Sanp, let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

12- Shut down the Snap, fill bay #2-#3-#4 with 2tb (3tb) drive

13- Boot the snap, mount the RAID let it run for 1 day (need to synchronise).

14- ENJOY your 8tb (12tb) 1u rack-mount server at low cost


*****The 3 tb are not enough reliable right now to use into a server*****

*****I recommand to use a minimum of Black Label WD or equivalent in seegate, toshiba, Hitachi. I remember you, your running a data server you don't want to lose your data to save a couple of box*****

[ZazaBB]

Originally Posted by kearmith

Hi,

I know that I'm alone here, but just in case someone find that forum and look for some information about internal upgrade of SNAP 520:

The first think is: you have to get a minimum of GOS 5.2 or earlier. I buy it with one year service at overland. To purchasing the GOS 6.5.023 your can also resolve two issue:

1- Capacity to get an upgrade at 8tb or 12 tb internal (need GOS 6.5.023)

2- Running your SNAP520 (mayby other Overland model) with Windows server 2008 R2 as domain controler and DHCP server.

How to do:

1- Transfert all of your data somewhere, the snap need to be empty to do the job

2- Upgrade GOS

3- kill the RAID, desactivate Snapshot, Desactivate emergency recovery

4- Shut down the SNAP

5- In front of your SNAP, left to right you see the drive 1-2-3-4; pull out the disk 2-3-4

6- Boot the snap, let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

7- Shut it down

8- Fill the bay #2 with a 2tb (3tb) drive

9- Boot the Snap and let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

10- Shut it down. Then remove the drive in the #1. take the drive out from the
bay #2 and put it into the bay #1

11- Boot the Sanp, let it run 30 minutes (60 to be sur)

12- Shut down the Snap, fill bay #2-#3-#4 with 2tb (3tb) drive

13- Boot the snap, mount the RAID let it run for 1 day (need to synchronise).

14- ENJOY your 8tb (12tb) 1u rack-mount server at low cost


*****The 3 tb are not enough reliable right now to use into a server*****

*****I recommand to use a minimum of Black Label WD or equivalent in seegate, toshiba, Hitachi. I remember you, your running a data server you don't want to lose your data to save a couple of box*****

Hi - Not alone and a very good step by step guide.

Thanks for the road map!

[Phoenix32]

Sorry, I never replied because myself and others have documented a number of times the procedure.

I admit I only skimmed it (so not in detail), but looks pretty much same as what most of us use. In other words, it should work....

[kearmith]

Sorry,

I have made a "moderate" research into the forum. I have found a way for internal 4 tb upgrade. But no confirmation for 8 or 12 tb, (never find it )

Just for fun, probably don't have time to test it, but log out the forum and try to use research engin to find anwser to this question

Anyway, thank you very much for the forum and information

I was understand (with the information here) that it was possible so I have try it and it work well

[kearmith]

Hi,

I think for running 4 tb, you need to process to GOS 5.2

In this way; if yo can, go to 6.5 and run it at 8 tb (with appropriate jumper on individual drive (slow down speed rate transfet at 3 or 1.5 gb/sec instead of 6 ))