3.4.2 Setup 3 - U-NAS 2.0 Functionality Tests

Posted by JTSF at Monday, July 15, 2013 Read our previous post

Setup 3 - U-NAS 2.0 Test Results

2. Functionality Tests
Click to enlarge

Test 1. Motherboard failure

The U-NAS license is associated to the motherboard during license activation.
When another motherboard is used along with the activated OS, U-NAS is able to boot and starts all services that was previously configured.
However, you will be prompted for license activation again when you tried to login to the web management console.
This indicates that you can use the NAS in DR (disaster recovery) scenarios but unable to manage it till you purchase another license.

Test 2. 1x HDD failure

Time taken to rebuild the RAID is dependent on storage size.
The larger the size of your storage volume, the longer you got to wait.
Rebuild time is irrelevant to the amount of data on storage volume; The rebuild time will be identical no matter you have 1MB or 1TB of data.
Refer to lower half of this page for more tests details.

Test 3. Storage Scalability

4 simple clicks to add another 2TB to storage volume.
The time taken to expand the storage volume (adding another 2TB HDD) is about 24hrs.
Suits most consumers as we usually upgrade the storage volume disk by disk.

Test 5. Hibernate mode

I couldn't get the NAS to hibernate; I've tried tweaking around the settings but it refused to sleep. *roll eyes*

Test 6. User Experience
U-NAS has several similarities to Synology DSM. Both developed from Linux, they use the same RAID architecture and also deliver identical performance and user interface.

Web management console does not support refreshing. User needs to manually refresh the web page in order to view the latest statistics.
Lack of system temperature monitoring tools ( it has monitoring for HDDs temperature but not system)
Cannot hibernate
iSCSI creation limitation; iSCSI LUN cannot be created on the same Volume Group as Share Folder.
Workaround 1: Create iSCSI LUN on another separate HDD that do not belongs to storage pool
Workaround 2: Plan ahead and create two volume group. 1 for Share folder, 1 for iSCSI LUN
(Refer to Printscreen on: U-NAS Performance Test / RAID 1 / Create iSCSI Step 1)
Limited apps but owns potential for more
Installation of OS is not as idiot proof
Requires many steps to create RAID
The web user interface requires improvement; During disk configuration, there are few instances whereby I omitted to input name / variables. The OS undo the operation and returned to initial state without prompting / warning.
Support is only available on forum and communicated in Chinese
Comes with a detailed user manual which can be found on the Web console desktop. It is most useful during RAID / disk operations.
Has all the features you require in a NAS: network teaming, scheduled startup / shutdown, notifications, system upgrade, user management, external printer support, email, rysnc,
network services: FTP, VPN, DDNS, SAMBA, Bonjour
Reliability of OS is questionable and yet to be tested; I wonder if the OS sends any data to U-NAS servers back in China. I will perform a wireshark on it if I decided to use this OS.
Some log messages are in Chinese
It has a useful system backup tool that allows user to export / backup the OS configuration to a *.tar.gz file.

Help Manual 1	Help Manual 2	Backup

Logs	Error Message in Chinese

U-NAS 2.0 Apps
On U-NAS OS 2.0, it has 6 applications by default.

iTunes Server - tested, works.
Surveillance Camera - supports both USB and IP cameras.
ISO Image - mount ISO file on your NAS and share the file contents directly via network; tested, works.
eXtplorer - allows users access to the files on U-NAS using a web browser. Suspect cloud concept.
MLDonkey Download - web-based management system for users to download files.
BT/PT - BT/PT file sharing downloads.

Though U-NAS does not offers a wide suite of apps like Synology DSM, it does has potential for more. This is possible as the OS is developed from Linux Debian. On U-NAS forum, I've read about XBMC and other apps being requested.

iTune Server