Lacie Network Space Max with 4TB disk (GPT support?)

[picov]

Hi,
I've read some old (2017) thread about this topic but I've not found the final answer.

I've just tried to replace my 2TB seagate original disks with two 4TB WD Red Plus drives but my Network Space Max boot with flashing red/blue.

I've tried the restore procedute with LaCie Network Assistant: the restore app find the device, the led is becoming blue but after a while it still flash to red/blue.

Does there is currently a way to update the bootloader to support larger drive and install fvdw-sl ?

[fvdw]

Suggest you read this topic.
https://plugout.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3086
Please note that firmware is loaded from disk.If you replace disk you need to install firmware on the new disk

[picov]

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Doing some searches I'm aware that there is an uboot version dated 2020 for my Network Space Max.
http://lacie-nas.org/doku.php?id=uboot#install_from_a_lacie_stock_u-boot

As you can see, the linked FTP site with precompiled items list this:
u-boot-netspace_max_v2-2011.12-00260-ga24d58e.bin
u-boot-netspace_max_v2-2011.12-00260-ga24d58e.kwb
u-boot-netspace_max_v2-2020.07-rc5-00057-gfce0bb3e2bd8.bin
u-boot-netspace_max_v2-2020.07-rc5-00057-gfce0bb3e2bd8.kwb

Does your installer use the most recent version of uboot available for my device ?
Do you know if with an updated (GPT ready) uboot the Network Space Max can use 4TB drive even with latest LaCie Capsule 2.2.12.3 ?

[fvdw]

There is no need to update uboot. The uboot loads from flash memory and uboot loads the lacie firmware or fvdw-sl firmware which must be present on the harddisk. As far as I know the uboot version on ns2 max should be able to handle disks with gpt type partition table. To verify that you could use the uboot console of the fvdw-sl console and on marvell prompt give command

Code: Select all

printenv

This will list all environment variables uboot uses, one of them should contain gpt

[picov]

Ok, but I've tried to swap the original 2TB drives with two brand new 4TB disks using the restore procedure (that is supposed to create all necessary partitions and firmware setup) but it not worked (after a while the NAS start blinking red/blue indefinitely and the web management interface could not be reached).
For this reason I've hypothesized of a problem about GPT.

Thank you.

[fvdw]

How exactly did you perform the lacie restore function?
Afik the restore function can repair a disk problem but not install firmware. This because, at least on a single disk ns2, there is no firmware backup in flash memory.When you replace both disks with empty ones the lacie firmware must come from flash memory. I don't know if a ns2 max deviates from ns2 on this point. But I expect not.

[picov]

From the app LaCie Network Assistant I've used the Recovery Mode.
I've supposed that this command could make the initial drive partitioning and firmware installation.

If this is not the case I've no idea how an user can do the initial setup of a NetworkSpaceMax with two brand new disks.

[fvdw]

I am not an expert of lacie software. But afaik the assistent can only ralk to ns2 with has running firmware. So you must have used the assistant recovery while still old disks in place. Or not?.

As said on a ns2 you cannot install firmware from internal flashvon a new disk. Maybe on ns2 max this is different but guess not. You can replace one disk with the second still in place and recover the raid array if you have set it up as raid but thats all I think.

You can install fvdw-sl firmware in new disks using fvdw-sl console. It can connect via ethernet to your nas without need to have firmware on the disks

[picov]

No, I've removed both the old disks and replaced with the 4TB disks and then I've used the recovery mode for the initial setup but this didn't work (the app say that the NAS was discovered and say to wait and not power off the device but after 10-15 minutes the error message appears).

I've not tried to swap one disk at a time.
However if there is no way to load the original firmware into new disks I'm wondering what an user can do if both disks fails.

[fvdw]

However if there is no way to load the original firmware into new disks I'm wondering what an user can do if both disks fails.

You should ask Lacie ;)
But lacie offers no solution for that to my knowledge.
For your info fvdw-sl firmware can be installed on a new disk.
But apparently you prefer lacie firmware. No problem that's fine, but I will stop discussion from my side here on what lacie offers or what its software can do and how to install it on new disks.
Ps you could hookup to the serial port to see what the device is doing when powering up.

Ps2. Ns2 max seems to support gpt. There are some posts in this forum of users using disk > 2 TB on a ns2 max