What To Do When Expansion Doesn’t Start
By dbott | June 4, 2011
The Netgear ReadyNAS network attached storage device is designed to allow for easy upgrade and expansion. The ReadyNAS can be configured to operate in a number of different RAID modes:
- X-RAID (Duo, NV+ and earlier models)
- X-RAID2 (Ultra and Pro models)
- X-RAID2 with dual-redundancy (6-bay models only and must start with at least 4 drives installed)
- Flex-RAID 0
- Flex-RAID 1
- Flex-RAID 5
- Flex-RAID 6 (6-bay models only and must start with at least 4 drives installed)
- Flex-RAID 10 (requires RAIDiator 4.2.16+)
In order to expand your volume automatically, you must have configured your ReadyNAS for one of the X-RAID modes. If you are running any of the Flex-RAID modes, you will not be able to expand your volume without backing up & restoring your data*.
*Notes: starting with RAIDiator 4.2.16 (for x86-based ReadyNAS devices only) volume expansion is now supported in Flex-RAID mode.
See this demonstration of X-RAID2 in action: http://www.readynas.com/?cat=53
What to do in the event that expansion does not start after upgrading your disks
There are a few options that can prevent X-RAID from expanding automatically:
- journaling is disabled
- spin-down is enabled
- snapshots are active and scheduled
Login to Frontview and check to see if any apply and temporarily change the setting to what is listed below.
- Frontview > System > Performance > Enable Journaling
- Frontview > System > Power > Disable disk spin-down
- Frontview > Volumes > Volume Settings > Snapshot > Delete any active snapshots & turn off snapshot schedule
After changing the settings go into Frontview > System > Shutdown > Check and Fix Quotas on next boot and expansion should begin.
If you’re still having difficulties, please see this very thorough how-to by mdgm over at the ReadyNAS forums: http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=42113
Topics: ReadyNAS, Tech | No Comments »
A Real Solution for HarperCollins
By dbott | March 30, 2011
In my real life, I’m an IT manager for our local public library system. Normally, I use this blog to publish tech-related articles for some of the digital toys I use at home and work, but today I’m going deviate from my normal geek ramblings.
Earlier this month, HarperCollins (a major publisher) decided to change the licensing model used by libraries when purchasing ebooks from OverDrive (an ebook lending service for libraries). Prior to this change, libraries could purchase titles from OverDrive and allow their patrons to borrow the material for the desired lending period (1 week, 2 weeks, etc.). Once a library purchased a title they owned it forever, however, they could only circulate the number of copies purchased. In other words, if a library only had one copy of an ebook, only one patron could borrow it at a time. As of March 7, 2011, HarperCollins decided to change the licensing terms and force their ebooks to self-destruct after 26 circulations. Their reasoning was that regular books wear out and they needed to come up with a new business model:
We have serious concerns that our previous e-book policy, selling e-books to libraries in perpetuity, if left unchanged, would undermine the emerging e-book eco-system, hurt the growing e-book channel, place additional pressure on physical bookstores, and in the end lead to a decrease in book sales and royalties paid to authors.
This change outraged the library community and has led to wide-spread boycotting of ebooks published by HarperCollins (just search Twitter for #hcod to get an idea). Libraries promote reading and literacy, provide free advertising and promotion, as well as collectively spend over a billion dollars in the US buying materials every year – all of which benefit the publishers. And how do they reward us? By charging MORE* for ebooks than for print books and then having the audacity to “kill” it after 26 circulations. Intentionally forcing the destruction of ebooks (or any material, for that matter) is wrong. There is absolutely no reason to ever artificially limit an ebook. As it stands, HarperCollins draconian digital book-burning policies will force libraries to make a choice: buy the same titles over and over and over every few years and forego purchasing new titles or only buy new titles. To make matters worse, libraries don’t actually own the ebooks — they are licensed to them and lose the first sale doctrine.
HarperCollins has not learned the lessons of the last decade from the music industry. Their leaders lack the vision that Steve Jobs was able to harness and turn into iTunes (with well-over 10 billion downloads – http://gigaom.com/apple/10-billion-itunes-song-downloads-could-equal-10k-for-one-lucky-customer/).
HarperCollins can continue down this path of self-destruction, but I’m sure their authors are already thinking about jumping this sinking ship. No sales, no authors, no HarperCollins.
A Solution:
- Add a new option to “Borrow it now” **
(using “maximum access”-style licensing arrangement that allows unlimited downloads at .99 per download). - Add an option to “Buy it now” (both ebook & print, if desired).
- Include links in the front and back of the ebook to allow patrons to purchase items from the publisher.
Monetize OverDrive
Revenue Sharing – A Win-win-win-win (and win) Solution
Revenues could be divided up to allow all parties to be winners (publishers, authors, provider (i.e. OverDrive), library (and most importantly, me). For example:
- 30% Publisher
- 30% Author
- 15% Service Provider (i.e. OverDrive)
- 15% Library
- 10% Me!
Remove the DRM, integrate my idea above, lower the price and place a few links at the front & back of the ebook to allow patrons to purchase items from the publisher. Publishers will get more sales, more authors will make money and libraries will be able to expand their collections to serve our communities.
** Note: “Borrow it now” is trademarked, patent-pending and copyrighted technology developed by yours truly and may only be licensed for 26 uses.
More Reading
Cory Doctorow on DRM: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/25/harpercollins-to-lib.html
Neil Gaiman on piracy: http://kindlewriters.com/2011/02/12/ebook-promotion-neil-gaiman-says-piracy-is-really-marketing/
in 2009, Apple passed 10 billion downloads and dumped DRM in: http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=14773
So did Sony. They partnered with Freegal to offer libraries DRM-free downloads of the entire Sony Music catalog: http://www.freegalmusic.com/users/sndlogin
* Need proof that publishers are gouging libraries for ebooks? Here’s a recent study on the economics of publishing ebooks from the New York Times. In the NYT example, our library is actually paying closer to $30.00 for the ebook, not $12.99! Publishers are making 4x the profit on ebooks compared to print!
New York Times - click to enlarge
Topics: Ramblings | 1 Comment »
CPU Specs of the ReadyNAS
By dbott | December 3, 2010
Don’t take this as gospel, but I believe the CPU specs are as follows:
Sparc Line
Duo – sparc-based IT3107
NV+ – sparc-based IT3107
Ultra Line
Ultra2 – 1.8 GHz Atom D425 (single core) [Update: Starting May 2011 Ultra2 will ship with 1.5 GHz CPU; performance difference is minimal, if any; price decreased by $100.]
Ultra2 Plus – 1.8 GHz Atom D525 (dual core)
Ultra4 – 1.66 GHz Atom D410 (single core)
Ultra4 Plus – 1.66 GHz Atom D510 (dual core)
Ultra6 – 1.66 GHz Atom D510 (dual core)
Ultra6 Plus – E2160 1.8Ghz CPU (dual core)
Pro Line
First Generation (which will likely be discontinued once current supply has been sold off):
NVX Pioneer Edition – Intel Tolapai SiC @ 1.06 GHz
NVX Business Edition – Intel Tolapai SiC @ 1.06 GHz
Pro Pioneer Edition – E2160 1.8Ghz CPU (dual core)
Pro Business Edition – E2160 1.8Ghz CPU (dual core)
Second Generation:
Pro2 – 1.8 GHz Atom D525 (dual core)
Pro4 – 1.66 GHz Atom D510 (dual core)
Pro6 – E5300 2.6Ghz CPU (dual core)
When the Pro was first announced a few years back, a number of users requested a diskless version of the Pro. Netgear released the “Pioneer Edition” of the Pro (and subsequently, the NVX) with a reduced feature-set (no Active Directory support, no SNMP, no snapshots, etc.) in a diskless chassis to satisfy these users. The problem was that it created some confusion, as some folks bought it thinking that it had the same features as the pre-populated units (aka “Business Edition”).
I’m guessing that Netgear has decided to re-brand the products to avoid confusion. Business users requiring things like AD support, snapshots, rsync-over-ssh, enterprise-class disks, 5-yr warranty, etc. should buy the Pro. Home users not requiring those features should buy the Ultra.
Topics: ReadyNAS, Tech | 2 Comments »
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