Knowledge Center

HDD/SSD

The HDD/SSD page allows you to monitor and manage the drives installed in your Synology NAS, and to take corresponding actions when needed.

Note:

  • We recommend using drives that are compatible with your Synology NAS and are on the Synology Products Compatibility List. Using drives not on the list may affect system stability and result in data loss.

Drive Information and Status

You can view the information and status of installed drives.

To inspect a drive:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and do either of the following:
    • Click the expand icon to display detailed drive information, including location, drive status, allocation role, temperature, and firmware version.
    • Click the Health Info button to view relevant statistics, such as power-on time and drive temperature.

To understand drive statuses:

Drive status provides information about the condition of the drive itself.

  • : This drive is in good condition.
  • : This drive has encountered one or more critical issues.
  • : The drive is busy processing one or more actions.
  • : The drive is deactivated.

For detailed information and suggested actions, refer to the following table:

Drive Status Details

Healthy

This drive is in good condition, or its warning has been suppressed or disabled.
Critical

This drive has encountered one or more of the following critical issues:

  • Critical errors
  • Read-only mode
  • Reaching the limit of SSD's endurance

We recommend replacing the drive immediately.
System Partition Failed

This drive's system partition has become inaccessible and in need of repair.

To resolve this issue, go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD and click the Repair System Partition button.

Detected

The system has detected data from a storage pool on this drive.

To access the detected data, go to Storage Manager > Storage to locate the corresponding Available Pool and use the Online Assemble feature to assemble it.

Incompatible

This drive is not compatible with your Synology NAS model.

We recommend replacing the drive immediately with a compatible drive to resume the normal operation of your Synology NAS.

Unverified

This drive has not been tested to be compatible with or did not pass the compatibility tests for your Synology NAS model. Using this drive may affect system stability.

We recommend replacing the drive with a compatible drive.

Unrecognized

The system cannot recognize or use this drive.

Replace the drive immediately with a compatible drive to resume normal operation.

Migrated

The system detected data from a storage pool on this drive, but the drive has not been tested to be compatible with your Synology NAS model.

Back up your data and replace the drive immediately with a compatible drive to prevent data loss.

Firmware Update Required

This drive has encountered one or more issues that can be resolved with a firmware update.

Check the Firmware Update section for more information.

Deactivated

This drive has been deactivated.

Check the Drive Deactivation and Activation section for more information.

To understand allocation roles:

Allocation Role shows how and whether a drive has been assigned.

Allocation Role Details

-

This drive is not in use and has not yet been assigned a role.

Storage Pool ID

This drive has been assigned to a storage pool.

Available Pool ID

This drive belongs to a storage pool that can be assembled through the Online Assemble feature.

SSD Cache Group ID

This drive has been assigned to an SSD cache group.

Hot Spare

This drive has been assigned as a hot spare drive.

System

This drive is a system drive installed in a system drive slot. Only available on the HD6500 model.

Note:

  • To view log messages related to your drives, go to Log Center.

Manage Available Drives

After inserting one or more drives into your Synology NAS, the system will guide you on how to use them. As long as you have inserted the required number of drives and they meet the requirements for the desired action, you can use them to create, manage, or repair a storage pool or SSD cache.

To manage the available drives in your Synology NAS:

  1. Insert one or more drives into your Synology NAS.
  2. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Manage Available Drives or simply click the link in the desktop notification.
  3. Choose how you want to use your available drives by selecting an action.
  4. Follow the wizard to finish.

Note:

  • The options available for selection may vary depending on the type of drive, the status of storage pools or SSD caches, and the features supported by storage pools.

Drive Tests and Analytics

The following tests and analytics can be performed on the installed drives if your drive model and Synology NAS model support those features.

To run a S.M.A.R.T. test:

The S.M.A.R.T. test examines and reports the drive status and condition, alerting you of possible drive failure.

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click the Health Info button.
  3. Go to the S.M.A.R.T. tab.
    This tab will not appear if the drive model does not support this test.
  4. Select the Quick Test or the Extended Test.
  5. Click Start to run the test.

Note:

  • This test is only available on certain drive models.
  • An NVMe SSD has its own monitoring mechanism. It does not support the S.M.A.R.T. test or bad sector warning.
  • The time required for running a S.M.A.R.T. test varies according to system usage and drive capacity.
  • Previous test results are shown in Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Health Info > History.
  • System performance may be affected temporarily during the test.

To run an IronWolf Health test:

Seagate IronWolf Health Management relies on additional drive telemetry data that contain more information than the S.M.A.R.T. test.

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a Seagate drive and click the Health Info button.
  3. Go to the IronWolf Health tab. This tab will not appear if the drive model, drive capacity, or Synology NAS model does not support this test.
  4. Click Start to run the test.
  5. Click Yes to proceed.

After the test is complete, you can check the Test Result section to view the latest result:

Output Code Definition and Suggestion

100

Abnormally high operating temperature has been detected. Make sure that the rear ventilation ports are not blocked, and try to lower the ambient temperature. If the temperature is still high, go to Control Panel > Hardware & Power > Fan Speed Mode to change the fan operation to a higher speed.

101

Connection issues on your Synology NAS and drive interface have been detected. Make sure that the drive is properly installed in the chassis or drive tray, and that the tray is properly installed in your Synology NAS. If this issue persists, refer to this article for troubleshooting steps.

102

Excessive physical shock to the drive has been detected. Make sure your drive and Synology NAS are placed on a stable surface. If this issue persists, refer to this article for troubleshooting steps.

105

Excessive vibration has been detected. Make sure your Synology NAS is placed on a stable surface. If this issue persists, refer to this article for troubleshooting steps.

106

Excessive host resets have been detected. Make sure the drive is properly installed in the chassis or drive tray. We recommend you to perform a power cycle. If this issue persists, refer to this article for troubleshooting steps.

200, 201, 202, and 203

 We recommend running the S.M.A.R.T. Extended Test on the drive to check its health. If this issue persists, please contact the drive reseller or manufacturer.

Note:

  • This test is only available on drives of certain models and sizes. To find out which models support IronWolf Health Management, refer to this article.
  • This test is only available on specific Synology NAS models released before the 22-series.
  • The time required for performing the IronWolf Health test may vary, depending on system usage.
  • System performance may be affected temporarily during the test.
  • Previous test results are shown in Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Health Info > History.

To run a performance test:

You can run a performance test to test the read/write sequential throughput, random IOPS, and latency of a drive. Note that this test is only available on Synology NAS models with two or more bays.

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click Action > Benchmark.
  3. In the window that appears, click Run Test Now to start the performance test. There are two test types:
    • A basic test is performed when the selected drive is in a RAID configuration, such as a storage pool or SSD cache group. This test does not affect existing data on the drive.
    • An extended test has better accuracy and is performed when the selected drive is not in a RAID configuration, such as one that has not been assigned or is a hot spare. Note that this test does not guarantee data integrity, so make sure there are no important data stored on the drive.
  4. Confirm that you want to run the test and click Yes.
  5. Enter the password of your DSM account and click Submit.

After the test is complete, you can return to the Benchmark window to view the results.

Note:

  • The time required to complete this test may vary depending on the system usage.
  • To ensure system availability, you cannot perform this test on more than three drives at a time or when there is only one drive in your Synology NAS. Also, when drive utilization exceeds 5%, the system will ask you to confirm again before proceeding with the performance test to ensure test accuracy.
  • To compare the latest test result with a previous one, click Select in the Compared test field and select the desired log.
  • The presented figures may vary, depending on the system load and configuration. The figures should only serve as references for estimating drive functionality and are not comparable among different drive models or DSM versions.
  • This test does not support read/write throughput figures for M.2 SSDs to prevent the M.2 SSDs' forced read/write functions from overheating the system.

Drive Test Scheduling and Management

The S.M.A.R.T. test and the IronWolf Health test can be scheduled to run automatically on drives. Note that these tests are only supported on certain models.

To schedule a test:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Test Scheduler.
  2. Click Create to create a new test schedule.
  3. Go to the General tab to configure the following settings:
    • Task type: The task type that can be scheduled will be shown. If the drives installed in your Synology NAS support both the S.M.A.R.T. and IronWolf Health tests, then the options S.M.A.R.T., IronWolf Health, and All will be provided for you to select one or both test types.
    • Task name: Enter a name for the task.
    • For the S.M.A.R.T. test:
      • S.M.A.R.T. Test Type: Choose to perform the Quick Test or the Extended Test.
      • S.M.A.R.T. Test Range: Choose to run a S.M.A.R.T. test on all the supported drives or on certain drives.
    • For the IronWolf Health test: Select Test all supported drives or Test selected drives to run the test on all the supported drives or on certain drives, respectively.
  4. Go to the Schedule tab to configure the following settings:
    • Date: Specify the date for performing the test, which can be scheduled to run on certain days of the week (e.g., daily, on weekends, or on weekdays) or on a specific date (e.g., 2019/11/21).
    • Time: Specify the test frequency and the first and last run time of the test.
  5. Click OK to finish.

After you have set the test schedule, the test status and the next run time will be shown in Storage Manager > Overview > Task Schedule.

To manage a scheduled test:

After a test has been created and scheduled, it will appear in Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Test Scheduler. You can select a test and click the following buttons to manage it:

  • Edit: Click the button to edit the test schedule.
  • Delete: Click the button to delete the test.
  • Run: Click the button to run the test immediately.

To enable drive bad sector warning:

Enabling the drive bad sector warning can alert you when bad sectors on the drive are detected, allowing you to take corresponding actions instantly. This option is available on certain models only.

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Advanced.
  2. Select the Enable bad sector warning checkbox.
  3. Click Apply.

Note:

  • Bad sectors are a relatively common phenomenon and only trigger a warning when their number increases to a certain amount. It is only a cause for concern if there is a sharp increase in the bad sector count, which may indicate that the drive is failing.

To enable SSD estimated endurance notification:

The SSD endurance notification alerts you when the estimated life expectancy of an SSD reaches a specified value, allowing you to take corresponding actions instantly.

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Advanced.
  2. Go to the SSD Estimated Endurance Notification section and select Enable estimated endurance notification:
    • For Synology SSDs: Enter a value between 1 and 3 in the Endurance (months) field.
    • For other SSDs: Enter a value between 1 and 5 in the Endurance (%) field.
  3. Click Apply.

Note:

  • SSD Estimated Endurance Notification is supported only on certain SSDs.
  • Even if you disable the estimated endurance notification, the system will still send you a notification in the following situations to ensure data safety:
    • For Synology SSDs: The estimated endurance reaches the limit.
    • For other SSDs: The estimated endurance drops below 1%.
  • The estimated endurance of an SSD is generated from its own S.M.A.R.T. information. If the SSD does not support the corresponding S.M.A.R.T. attribute, this feature will not be supported.
  • The estimated endurance of a Synology SSD is based on its recent I/O workload. Depending on how the I/O workload changes over time, the value of a Synology SSD's estimated endurance may be extended or shortened. For a newly mounted Synology SSD, the system may need at least 24 hours to estimate the endurance.

Secure Erase

You can perform Secure Erase if you want to erase all the data on a specific drive. However, note that Secure Erase will permanently remove all the data stored on the drive. Make sure the selected drive is not in use and its data have been backed up before performing Secure Erase.

To perform Secure Erase:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click Action > Secure Erase.
  3. Select the checkbox to confirm that you understand the risk and click OK.
  4. Enter the password of your DSM account and click Submit.

Note:

  • Secure Erase cannot be performed on drives installed in expansion units.
  • The selected drive will be temporarily locked during Secure Erase and will be unlocked automatically once the operation completes.
  • If Secure Erase is stopped improperly during the operation, you can re-execute it directly by going to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD. If a drive needs to be removed and used elsewhere while it is still being locked, restart the system to unlock the drive.

Drive Deactivation and Activation

A drive that is assigned to a storage pool can be deactivated when needed, thereby removing the drive from the associated storage pool, volume, and system partition.

To deactivate a drive:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click Action > Deactivate Drive.
  3. Select the checkbox to confirm that you want to proceed and click OK.
  4. Enter the password of your DSM account and click Submit.

Note:

  • Only the drives that have been assigned to storage pools can be deactivated.
  • After a drive has been deactivated, the status of its corresponding LED drive indicator will change to "alert."
  • The drives of a storage pool cannot be deactivated if the storage pool reaches its maximum fault tolerance. This is because deactivating any drive will cause the storage pool to crash.

To activate a drive:

Do any of the following to activate a deactivated drive:

  • Remove the drive from the drive slot and wait a few seconds before inserting it back in the drive slot again.
  • Restart the system.

LED Drive Indicator Status

If you want to remove a drive from your Synology NAS, you can use the Locate Drive feature to temporarily switch the drive indicator's color. This allows you to instantly identify which drive slot a drive is located in, thereby preventing you from removing the wrong drive by mistake.

To locate which drive slot a drive is inserted in:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click Locate Drive.
  3. Select how long you want the drive indicator to switch color.
  4. Click Locate to switch the drive indicator's color.

Note:

  • The indicator status mentioned here does not apply to drives installed via M.2 SSD adapter cards. This is because such adapter cards are not designed with a corresponding indicator status.

Write Cache

Enabling the write cache support optimizes the system performance of your Synology NAS. To ensure data protection while the write cache support is enabled, usage of a UPS device is strongly recommended. We also suggest shutting down the system properly every time after use. Disabling the write cache will reduce the risk of data loss caused by abnormal power outages. This feature is enabled by default.

To enable the write cache support:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a drive and click Action > Configure Write Cache.
  3. Select the Enable write cache checkbox.
  4. Click Apply.

Firmware Update

Firmware updates ensure the compatibility and continued use of the Synology drives installed in your Synology NAS. If the firmware status of one or more drives is Update required, proceed with the update.

To update the firmware of a Synology drive:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD.
  2. Select a Synology drive and click Action > Firmware Update.
  3. Click Update.

Note:

  • If the Synology drives that need to be updated are in use (e.g., assigned to a storage pool or as hot spares), a system restart is required to safely stop all services and prevent application errors.
  • To update the drive firmware in a high-availability cluster, use the active server to perform the update for both servers.

Drive Database

The drive database contains information on drive temperature, S.M.A.R.T. attributes, compatibility list, firmware updates of Synology drives, and more. The system updates the database automatically and periodically. However, you can also click Update Now to immediately update the database, or click Manual Update to update the database by uploading the Synology HDD/SSD Offline Update Pack.

To update the drive database:

  1. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Advanced.
  2. Go to the Drive Database section and click Update Now.

To update the drive database by upload:

  1. Go to Synology's Download Center to download the Synology HDD/SSD Offline Update Pack:
    1. Select the product category and the corresponding model you use.
    2. Go to the Operating System tab.
    3. Scroll down to the Update Modules section to download the update pack.
  2. Go to Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Settings > Advanced.
  3. Go to the Drive Database section and click Manual Update.
  4. Click Browse and select the update pack you downloaded.
  5. Click Update.

Note:

  • The database will be automatically updated when a new drive is inserted in your Synology NAS.
  • Updating the database ensures the compatibility information is up-to-date. This will not affect drive performance.
  • Manually update the database when:
    • S.M.A.R.T. attributes are unidentified.
    • You suspect there is a problem with the drive temperature detection mechanism.
    • The system is unable to recognize a drive already on the Synology Products Compatibility List.
    • The system cannot connect to the Synology server.
    • Synology Technical Support recommends that you do so.
  • To update the drive database for a high-availability cluster consisting of two different Synology NAS models, simply upload the update pack to the active server. This will also update the database on the passive server.
Drive Information and Status
Manage Available Drives
Drive Tests and Analytics
Drive Test Scheduling and Management
Secure Erase
Drive Deactivation and Activation
LED Drive Indicator Status
Write Cache
Firmware Update
Drive Database