NETGEAR READYNAS NV+ RND4425v1 Mounting instructions

350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
December 2011
202-10926-02
ReadyNAS RAIDiator 4.1
Software Manual
Models:
Duo
NV+
1100

2
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
© 2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated
into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
Technical Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, get support online, or
for more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the Support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/984
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change
without notice. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective
holders. © 2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Statement of Conditions
To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes
to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur
due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein.

3
Contents
Chapter 1 Get Started
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Additional Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Get Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
About RAIDar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
About FrontView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Chapter 2 Manage Storage Space
Basic Disk Configuration Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
RAID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
X-RAID and Flex-RAID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Manage Your Storage Space with X-RAID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Add a Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Increase Storage Space By Replacing All Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Manage Your Storage Space with Flex-RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Change to Flex-RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Create a Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Add a Disk to a Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Replace a Disk in a Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Use USB Storage Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Manage a USB Storage Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Automatically Copy a USB Device’s Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Chapter 3 Secure Files
Select a Security Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Select a Security Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Set Up a Domain Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Manage Users and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Manage Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Customize Private Home Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Manage Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Import and Export Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Change and Recover the Admin Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

4
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
Chapter 4 Store Files
Basic Share Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Data Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
File-Sharing Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Access Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Manage File-Sharing Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Create a Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Create a Share with the User or Domain Security Mode . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Create a Share with the Share Security Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Manage Share Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Manage Share Access with the User or Domain Security Mode . . . . . .48
Manage Share Access with the Share Security Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Set Options for a Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Hide a Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Use the Recycle Bin on CIFS Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Cache Files Locally Using CIFS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Enable Syncing Using NFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Set Permissions for New Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Broaden Rename and Delete Privileges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Reset Ownership and Permissions On Any Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Access a Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Access a Share from a Windows Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Access a Share from a Mac OS X Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Access a Share From a UNIX or Linux Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Access a Share Using FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Access a Share Using a Web Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Access a Share Using ReadyNAS Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Chapter 5 Stream Multimedia Files
Stream Multimedia Files for iTunes with Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Set Up iTunes Streaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Use Smart Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Select Which Music Files to Stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Change the Server Name and Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Change How to Scan Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Stream Multimedia Files for TiVo and Xbox with ReadyDLNA. . . . . . . . . .74
Share Photos With ReadyNAS Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Get Started with ReadyNAS Photos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Create Photo Albums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
View and Share Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Set Up Discovery Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

5
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
Chapter 6 Back Up Files
Back Up a Mac to a ReadyNAS System with Time Machine . . . . . . . . . . .79
Back Up a ReadyNAS System Remotely with ReadyNAS Vault . . . . . . . .80
Back Up to or from a ReadyNAS System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Create a Backup Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Assign Backup Jobs to the Backup Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Edit a Backup Job. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Recover Backed-up Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Use Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Chapter 7 Other Services
Create and Access a Local Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Set Up a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Chapter 8 Manage the ReadyNAS System
Set the Time and Time Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Set the Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Send Alerts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Change The Account Used to Send Email Alerts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Change Who Receives Alerts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Determine When to Send Alerts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Turn the ReadyNAS System On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Turn the ReadyNAS System Off Now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Restart the ReadyNAS System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Turn the ReadyNAS System On and Off Using a Schedule. . . . . . . . . .97
Turn Off the ReadyNAS System Automatically to Prevent Damage . . .98
Back Up and Restore Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Manage Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Manage Installed Add-Ons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Install an Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Improve Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Set Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Set TCP/IP Address Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Set Your ReadyNAS System to Work as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . .102
Change Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Set Ethernet Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Enable WINS Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Enable Jumbo Packet Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
View Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Appendix A Notification of Compliance
Index

6
1
1. Get Started
This manual describes how to use RAIDiator 4.1 firmware for the ReadyNAS Duo, ReadyNAS
NV+, and 1100 storage systems.
This chapter includes the following topics:
• System Requirements
• Additional Documentation
• Get Started
• About RAIDar
• About FrontView

Get Started
7
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
System Requirements
You can use RAIDiator 4.1.8 to manage any ReadyNAS Duo or ReadyNAS NV+ on your
local network. To use RAIDiator, you need the following:
• A computer with Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux
operating system
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0+, Apple Safari, 2.0+, Mozilla Firefox 2.0+, Opera 9.5+,
or Google Chrome 10+ browser
Additional Documentation
For detailed information about configuring, managing, and using your ReadyNAS Duo, NV+,
or 1100 storage system, see the hardware manual for your system. Manuals are available at
http://www.readynas.com/documentation.
NETGEAR maintains a community website that supports ReadyNAS products. Visit
http://readynas.com for reviews, tutorials, a comparison chart, software updates,
documentation, an active user forum, and much more.
Get Started
This section describes the steps to get your ReadyNAS storage system up and running.
To get started with your ReadyNAS system:
1. Before you start your ReadyNAS system, set it up according to the instructions in the
hardware manual for your system.
Manuals are available at http://www.readynas.com/documentation.
2. If your ReadyNAS system does not have any disks, install at least one.
You must use disks listed on the ReadyNAS Hardware Compatibility List, which is
available at http://www.readynas.com/hard_disk_hcl.
For more information about how to install disks, see the hardware manual for your
system.
3. Turn on your ReadyNAS system.
4. Download the version of RAIDar for your computer.
You can download RAIDar at http://www.readynas.com/downloads.
5. Launch the installer and follow the onscreen instructions to install RAIDar.
6. Launch RAIDar.
7. Highlight your ReadyNAS system and click the Setup button.
Your browser opens and displays a dialog box asking you to enter the user name and
password for the ReadyNAS system.

Get Started
8
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
8. Enter the default user name and password and click the Next button.
Following are the default credentials:
• User name. admin
• Password. netgear1
They are both case-sensitive.
FrontView displays in Setup Wizard mode. The first screen displays basic information
about your ReadyNAS system.
9. In each screen, enter your information, click the Apply button, and click the Next button.
If you do not click the Apply button before you click the Next button, the changes are not
saved.
The Setup Wizard has these screens:
• Clock. Make sure the time and time zone are correct. For more information, see Set
the Time and Time Zone on page 93.
• Contacts. The ReadyNAS system can send email messages to administrators about
important events, such as when a disk is failing. Enter up to three email addresses for
the people you want to receive these messages, and then enter information for an
email account that can send these messages. The account from which the email
messages are sent does not need to be the same as one of the administrative email
addresses. For more information, see Send Alerts on page 94.
• Ethernet. Most of this information is standard and does not need to be changed in
most environments. For more information, see Set Network Settings on page 101.
• Global Settings. Change the name for the ReadyNAS system and its DNS settings.
You might want to change the name to something more descriptive. The DNS settings
are standard and do not need to be changed in most environments. For more
information, see Set Network Settings on page 101.
• Admin Password. You can change the password you need to enter before you can
use FrontView and choose a security question to answer if you want to recover that
password. If you forget the password, visit a special website, answer the security
question and provide the email address entered here. If you enter both correctly, a
new password is emailed to the email address. For more information, see Change
and Recover the Admin Password on page 38.
• Security Mode. This screen displays only if you have a ReadyNAS NV+ or 1100. You
can choose how to protect the files on your shares. NETGEAR recommends selecting
user mode, which lets you create a user account for each person who can access the
shares, and then set a user name and password for each. NETGEAR does not
recommend using share mode because it does not work with recent versions of Mac
OS X or Windows. NETGEAR does not recommend domain mode because it
requires a WIndows server or Active Directory server on your local network. For more
information, see Select a Security Mode on page 27.
• Accounts. Create user accounts for the people who access your ReadyNAS system.
For more information, see Manage Users and Groups on page 29.

Get Started
9
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
• Standard File Protocols. Choose the protocols used to make the files available to
users. For more information, see Store Files on page 39.
• Streaming Services. If you want to stream multimedia files from your ReadyNAS
system to other devices on your network, choose how to do it. For more information,
see Stream Multimedia Files on page 69.
• Installed Addons. Choose whether to use ReadyNAS Photos and ReadyNAS
Remote. ReadyNAS Photos lets you share your photographs with others. ReadyNAS
Remote lets you access your files from a computer that is not on the local network.
For more information about add-ons, see Manage Add-Ons on page 99. For more
information about ReadyNAS Photos, see Share Photos With ReadyNAS Photos on
page 75. For more information about ReadyNAS Remote, see Access a Share Using
ReadyNAS Remote on page 66.
• Share List and Add Shares. Create the shares that contain the files you want others
to access. Your system comes with two shares already created: media and backup.
For more information, see Store Files on page 39.
• USB Printers. If you connect a printer to the USB port of your ReadyNAS system,
you can configure it here. For more information, see Set Up a Printer on page 90.
At any time, you can exit the Setup Wizard by clicking the Switch to Advanced Control
button. You can set the options included in these screens later.
10. (Optional) Click the Register Product button and follow the prompts to register your
ReadyNAS system.
You must register your storage system before you can use NETGEAR telephone support.

Get Started
10
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
About RAIDar
RAIDar is a software application that you use to discover ReadyNAS storage systems on
your network. RAIDar displays several icons to help you determine the status of your system
and buttons along the bottom perform actions on the systems, as shown in the following
figure.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Figure 1. RAIDar icons
1. Overall status
2. Volume status
3. Disk status
4. UPS status
5. Fan status
6. Temperature
Hover your pointer over a status light for more detailed information about that component. For
example, hover the pointer over the temperature status light for the exact temperature, and
hover it over the volume status light for the total size of the volume.

Get Started
11
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
The following table provides a description of each LED icon.
Table 1. RAIDar LED icon descriptions
Icon LED icon Description
Overall status The system is operating normally.
The system is failing or needs attention.
The system is performing a lengthy procedure such as installing an update.
Volume status The volume is operating normally.
The volume is failing or needs attention.
(Blinking) The volume is syncing.
The volume is on life support because it experienced multiple disk failures. The
volume’s data might be lost. Contact NETGEAR technical support for help.
If the volume went into life support mode because you accidentally removed
more functional disks, NETGEAR technical support might be able to help you
recover the data.
Disk status No disk is installed in the corresponding bay.
The disk is operating normally.
The disk is failing or needs attention.
(Blinking) The disk is syncing.
The disk is a spare. If another disk fails, the ReadyNAS system uses this disk as
a replacement.
UPS status No UPS device is available.
This UPS device is operating normally.
This UPS device is failing and needs attention.
Fan status The fan is operating normally.
The fan is failing and needs attention.
Temperature The temperature is within acceptable limits.
The temperature is at a dangerous level.

Get Started
12
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
The buttons along the bottom of the RAIDar screen perform the following actions on the
highlighted ReadyNAS system:
• Setup. Launches FrontView for the selected system. FrontView opens in a browser
window and lets you change the settings for your ReadyNAS system.
• Browse. Displays the shares available on the highlighted system. This button is available
only in the Windows version of RAIDar.
• Rescan. Updates the list of ReadyNAS systems on the network and the status of each
one.
• Locate. Blinks the LEDs on the highlighted system. This is useful if you have multiple
ReadyNAS storage systems and you need to determine which RAIDar entry corresponds
to which system.
• About. Displays information about RAIDar.
• Help. Displays help about RAIDar.
• Exit. Closes RAIDar.
About FrontView
FrontView is the web-based management interface for your ReadyNAS system. FrontView
makes it easy to create shares to store files, create user accounts, choose who can access
your files, create backup jobs to protect your files, and more.
FrontView displays in your web browser, so you can use it on any computer or device that
supports the following browsers:
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0+
• Apple Safari 2.0+
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0+
• Opera 9.5+
• Google Chrome 10+
When you first launch FrontView, it opens in Setup Wizard mode, which steps you through
the process of setting up your ReadyNAS system. When you finish the Setup Wizard, or
when you click the Switch to Advanced Control button, FrontView uses Advanced Control
mode, which displays more options and lets you choose which settings to edit.

Get Started
13
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
The following figure shows FrontView in Advanced Control mode.
1
2 3
Figure 2. ReadyNAS FrontView main menu in Advanced Control mode
1. Main menu
2. Status bar
3. Apply button
The status bar displays the current time and the status of the ReadyNAS system’s
components. It uses the same status lights as RAIDar, as described in About RAIDar on
page 10. Hover your pointer over a status light to display more information about that
component, such as the size of a disk or the presence of a UPS connection. Click the current
time to change the time or set the time zone.
After you set up your ReadyNAS system, if you need to change your settings, use FrontView.

Get Started
14
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
To use FrontView:
1. Launch RAIDar.
For more information about RAIDar, see Get Started on page 7.
2. Highlight your ReadyNAS system and click the Setup button.
A dialog box displays prompting you to log in to your system.
3. Provide your credentials.
Following are the default credentials:
• User Name. admin
• Password. netgear1
You should have changed your password when you used the Setup Wizard. This is an
important step in safeguarding your data. If you changed your password, enter the
password you created instead of the default password.
4. From the FrontView main menu, select an item to view and edit its options.
If you do not see the main menu, click the Switch to Advanced Control button.
5. When you are done editing the options, click the Apply button.
Your changes are not saved if you do not click the Apply button.

15
2
2. Manage Storage Space
This chapter describes how to manage the disks in your ReadyNAS system, including how to
increase the amount of storage space and how to choose between X-RAID and Flex-RAID. You
can also attach a USB storage device to your ReadyNAS system to increase storage space.
This chapter includes the following topics:
• Basic Disk Configuration Concepts
• Manage Your Storage Space with X-RAID
• Manage Your Storage Space with Flex-RAID
• Use USB Storage Devices

Manage Storage Space
16
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
Basic Disk Configuration Concepts
To get the most out of your ReadyNAS storage system, it is helpful to understand some disk
configuration concepts. Understanding these concepts is the first step to making good
decisions about how to configure, manage, and use your ReadyNAS storage system.
You can configure your storage system’s hard disks in a variety of ways. The most common
way to configure disks is using one of the many RAID technologies.
RAID
RAID is short for redundant array of independent disks. RAID is a storage technology that
balances data protection, system performance, and storage space by determining how the
storage system distributes data. Many different ways of distributing data have been
standardized into various RAID levels. Each RAID level offers a trade-off between data
protection, system performance, and storage space. For example, one RAID level might
improve data protection but reduce storage space. Another RAID level might increase
storage space but reduce system performance.
Your ReadyNAS storage system supports X-RAID®, a proprietary single-volume RAID
architecture that is easy to administer, and Flex-RAID, which allows you to format your disks
in a variety of industry-standard RAID levels.
Volumes
In the most general sense, volumes are data storage devices. Your computer treats an
internal hard drive as a volume. It also treats a portable USB thumb drive as a volume.
Volumes can be either physical or logical. Usually, the term physical volume refers to a hard
disk drive. When this term is used in this way, a two-bay storage system can have up to two
physical volumes (hard disk drives), a four-bay storage system can have up to four physical
volumes, and a six-bay storage system can have up to six physical volumes.
The term logical volume refers to the way that you divide, or partition, your storage space, for
example:
• Each logical volume can correspond to a hard disk drive.
• A logical volume can be made up of more than one hard disk drive.
In this manual, the term volume refers to a logical volume and the terms hard disk drive and
disk refer to a physical volume.

Manage Storage Space
17
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
X-RAID and Flex-RAID
Your ReadyNAS system gives you two ways to choose which type of RAID technology to
use: X-RAID and Flex-RAID.
• X-RAID. NETGEAR’s proprietary single-volume architecture that automatically chooses
which type of RAID set is best depending on the number of disks in your ReadyNAS
system. X-RAID chooses to protect your data against disk failure whenever possible. If
your ReadyNAS system contains two or more disks and a disk fails, no files are lost and
users can continue to access the ReadyNAS system as normal. When you add a disk to
your ReadyNAS system, it is formatted in the background while users continue to access
your unit.
• Flex-RAID. Offers more flexibility because it lets you choose how many volumes to
create, which type they should be, and whether to use a disk as a hot spare. (If another
disk fails, the hot spare automatically replaces it.) With Flex-RAID, adding a disk to a
volume takes more work than with X-RAID because you need to take your system offline
as you manually back up your data, add the disk, and restore your data.
Manage Your Storage Space with X-RAID
X-RAID is the default disk management system for ReadyNAS NV+ and ReadyNAS Duo. It
chooses which type of RAID set is best for you depending on the number of disks in your
ReadyNAS system, protecting your data against disk failure whenever possible.
With one disk installed, X-RAID uses all its capacity for storage. But if the disk fails, you lose
all your files.
WIth two or more disks installed, you are protected against disk failure. With just two disks,
the disks are mirrored: Each disk holds a complete copy of your data. With three or four
disks, one disk’s worth of capacity contains information that is used to recover your files in
case of disk failure, and the rest of the capacity is available for storing. The capacity of a
ReadyNAS system with X-RAID is determined by the number of disks installed, as follows:
• If your system has two disks, you have one disk’s worth of storage space.
• If your system has three disks, you have two disks’ worth of storage space.
• If your system has four disks, you have three disks’ worth of storage space.
When you add a disk, your ReadyNAS system automatically formats it in the background and
adds it to the X-RAID volume while users continue to access the unit normally. If you have at
least two disks installed, when a disk fails, the administrator receives an email message to
replace the disk as soon as possible. Meanwhile, users can continue to access the
ReadyNAS system.
If all the disk bays in your ReadyNAS system are filled, you can still expand your storage
space. Just replace all the disks with larger ones, one at a time.

Manage Storage Space
18
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
Add a Disk
You can add a disk to your ReadyNAS system to protect yourself against disk failure or to
increase your storage space. If you add a second disk to your unit, the disks are mirrored. If
you add a third or fourth disk, one disk’s worth of capacity is used for storing disk recovery
information.
To add a disk:
1. Find a disk that is compatible with your ReadyNAS system.
A list of compatible disks is at http://www.readynas.com/hard_disk_hcl.
For best performance, use disks that are the same make, model, and size. If you use
disks of different sizes, your ReadyNAS system treats the disks as though they were all
the same size as the smallest disk. For example, if you have four disks, where three are 1
TB and one is 500 GB, it treats all the disks as if they were 500 GB and gives you only 1.5
TB of space for files.
2. Follow the instructions in your hardware manual to add a disk.
Your ReadyNAS system sends one email message to the administrator when it starts
formatting the new disk and another email message when it finishes formatting.
Depending on the size of the disks and the number of files on your system, this process
might take several hours, but you can continue to use your system as normal.
Increase Storage Space By Replacing All Disks
If all the disk bays in your ReadyNAS system are filled, you can expand your storage space
by replacing all the disks with larger ones. To avoid losing data, replace the disks one at a
time. Because replacing one disk can take several hours, the entire process can take a day
or more; however, you do not lose any files and you can use your system without interruption
during the entire process.
To increase storage space by replacing all disks:
1. Find disks that are compatible with your ReadyNAS system.
A list of compatible disks is at http://www.readynas.com/hard_disk_hcl.
For best performance, use disks that are the same make, model, and size. If you use
disks of different sizes, your system treats the disks as though they were all the same size
as the smallest disk.For example, if you have four disks, where three are 1 TB and one is
500 GB, it treats all the disks as if they were 500 GB and gives you only 1.5 TB of space
for files.
2. Follow the instructions in your hardware manual to replace a disk.
Your system sends an email message to the administrator when it starts formatting the
new disk and another email message when it finishes formatting.
3. When the disk is formatted, replace the next disk, until they are all replaced.
When the last disk is formatted, your system is available with the larger capacity.

Manage Storage Space
19
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
Manage Your Storage Space with Flex-RAID
Flex-RAID lets you choose how many volumes to create, which RAID level to use, and
whether to use a disk as a hot spare. If another disk fails, the hot spare automatically
replaces it. Flex-RAID supports three industry-standard RAID levels:
• RAID 0. Uses all the space on the disks to store data, but it does not protect against disk
failure. It provides the best write performance of all the RAID levels because it stripes
data across all disks and it can write to all disks in parallel. If one disk fails, you lose all
the data. You can create a RAID 0 volume with one or more disks. Its capacity is the size
of the smallest disk in the volume multiplied by the number of disks in the volume. For
example, a four-disk RAID 0 volume yields the capacity of all four disks, assuming they
are identical in size.
• RAID 1. Offers the most protection against disk failure, because each disk in the volume
contains a full copy of the volume’s data. The data in a RAID 1 is protected as long as just
one disk is OK. Its capacity is the size of the smallest disk in the volume.
• RAID 5. Balances capacity and performance while protecting your data. RAID 5 stripes
data across three or more disks and stores parity information about each disk. If one disk
fails, RAID 5 technology uses the parity information about the remaining disks to
reconstruct the data that was on the failed disk, and the volume continues to serve data
without interruption, although it might be slower. When you replace the failed, the
reconstructed data is written to the new disk. The capacity of a RAID 5 volume is the
smallest disk in the volume multiplied by one less than the number of disks in the volume.
For example, a four-disk RAID 5 volume provides the capacity of three disks, assuming
all four disks are identical in size.
Change to Flex-RAID
Your ReadyNAS system uses X-RAID by default. To change to Flex-RAID, perform a factory
reset and choose Flex-RAID with RAIDar. Be aware that a factory reset erases all the data
and settings on your ReadyNAS system and that the process might take several hours.
To change to Flex-RAID:
1. Back up all the data and settings you want to save from your ReadyNAS system.
For information about backing up files, see Back Up Files on page 78. For information
about backing up settings, see Back Up and Restore Settings on page 98.
2. Launch RAIDar.
You will use it later to change between the two modes.
3. Perform a factory reset reboot.
For more information about how to perform a factory reset reboot, see the hardware
manual for your system.
4. In RAIDar, watch for Setup to display in your ReadyNAS system’s Info column.
It might take a few minutes for Setup to display in RAIDar.

Manage Storage Space
20
ReadyNAS Duo, NV+, and 1100
5. Highlight your system and click the Setup button.
The ReadyNAS Volume Setup screen displays.
6. Select the Flex-RAID radio button.
If you do not pick a format within 10 minutes, your system reboots in the same mode that
it was previously using.
7. From the Select the desired RAID level drop-down list, select a RAID level.
If you select Auto, your ReadyNAS system automatically selects a RAID level based on
the number of disks that are installed in your system, as follows:
Number of installed disks RAID level automatically selected
1 RAID 1
2
3 RAID 5
4
8. Click the Next button.
You are prompted to confirm the volume creation command.
9. Confirm the command.
The volume is formatted. This can take quite a while, depending on the size of your hard
disk drives.
10. (Optional) Restore any backed-up data and settings.
For more information about restoring files, see Recover Backed-up Data on page 85. For
more information about restoring settings, see Back Up and Restore Settings on page 98.
Create a Volume
You can create up to four data volumes. Each disk can have up to two data partitions.
To create a volume:
1. From the FrontView main menu, select Volumes > Volume Settings.
2. If it is not already selected, click the Add Volumes tab.
3. Select the check box to the left of each disk that you want to include in the RAID set.
4. From the Select RAID level drop-down list, select a RAID level.