DSM 7.2 NVMe Storage Pools

Synology
1

Was wondering if anyone testing out 7.2 RC has been able to successfully setup an NVMe Storage Pool?

I’ve got a compatible Synology (DS1621xs+) with two Samsung 500GB NVMe drives, but I only can create them as a Cache Drive, not a Storage Pool. Do they have to be Synology branded NVMe drives?

Cheers

2

So it’s locked down to only synology NVMe drives :confused:

3

Bugger, I’ll have to grab a couple then.

4

It would be great if they opened it up to larger capacity nvme drives, but they historically don’t like allowing larger drives from anyone other than themselves to be on the list.

5

Take it for what it’s worth, but someone posted on Reddit that he claims a Synology employee told him they would be opening it up to some other drives and not just locking it down to Synology drives. If not critical, I would wait until the official 7.2 release before spending the extra money. There is a chance (although its is small) that your drive makes it on the list if they do allow non-synology NVMe.

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6

I could see it being opened up. We’ll see.

7

I think it was said a lot. Could you help me to understand what can and cannot be done.

It is clear to me, that with Synology NVMe I can do anything:

  • Read cache (one or two devices)
  • Write cache (two devices)
  • Storage pool

What can I do right now with other brands? All but storage?

8

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s the other way around: you can only use 3rd-party M.2 NVMe drives for DSM caching, not as a storage pool. But I think that having a cache is more valuable, even if you have an all-SATA-SSD RAID instead of HDDs. For a fast & active storage pool, I’d probably go for something like the rackmount Thunderbolt DAS OWC Flex 1U4, which can house up to 16 M.2 NVMe drives using four OWC U.2 Shuttles, and set it up as RAID5 with SoftRAID. (It would be separate from the Synology NAS, of course, but if you’re using it for production like video or audio, you might actually want to keep it separate, and only use the NAS for project archival.)

(There is, however, the option to add single or dual 10GbE NICs via PCIe to the Flex 1U4, but I don’t know how you would set this up in a network environment. Would such a device be able to work as a rudimentary standalone NAS?)

9

My goal is to have caching read and write.
I will get available one device 256GB this week and was thinking to get another one (later as the prices now are very attractive) if write cache will be allowed. If not, then I will stash some cache for Synology.
Synology 800GB for $280 vs any better one 4TB for $200

256GB for $20

10

Yes you are correct! Any third party NVMe M.2 drive can be used for anything but creating a storage pool on (so read or read/write cache)

Note: there are some M.2 SATA drives. Do not buy these as these will not work. They have to be M.2 NVMe SSD’s.

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