Technology Assessment

NAS Storage Strategy

This document provides professional guidance and preliminary estimates for Ten Acres Agency. Please note: This is an advisory roadmap, not a formal quote.

System Health

99% Full / 12TB

Current Protection

High (2-Drive)

Your system can survive two simultaneous drive failures.

Hardware Model

Synology DS925+

4-Bay Professional Unit

Your Current Configuration

Your system is currently configured for Maximum Safety. You are using roughly half your total drive space for a safety net.

This is likely RAID 10, which is common in creative agencies for two reasons:

  • Performance: It provides high read/write speeds for video editing.
  • Safety Net: If a drive fails, you still have a full secondary layer active.

Because 50% of the drive space is "locked away" for protection, your 24TB of raw disk only yields 12TB of usable storage.

The Space Trade-off

Usable (Active) Locked (Safety)

RAID 10 Strategy: 12TB usable / 12TB locked.

The Three Paths to Expansion

1
Optimization

Software Re-balance

Convert the setup to 1-drive safety (SHR-1). This unlocks 6TB of "stuck" space by reducing the safety net from two drives to one.

  • Lowest initial cost.
  • Maximizes existing 6TB drives.
  • High risk during data transfer.
  • Lower write speeds for video.
  • Requires full system wipe.
New Capacity: 18TB (+6TB)
Est. Hardware: $0 - $840*

Warning: This requires a full wipe. Unless you have a temporary 12TB backup drive, you would need to purchase one (~$840) to secure your data during the reset.

2
Replacement

The "Hot Swap"

Replace existing 6TB drives with larger 12TB to 20TB units one-by-one. The safest and most professional path.

  • Zero downtime for the agency.
  • Massive capacity growth (Up to 40TB).
  • Maintains high-speed performance.
  • Highest upfront hardware cost.
  • Existing 6TB drives are removed.
New Capacity: 24TB - 40TB
Total (Set of 4): From ~$3,360*
Your old 6TB drives can be placed in external USB enclosures to act as portable project storage or high-capacity shuttle drives.
3
Expansion

DX517 Expansion

Plug in an expansion unit to add 5 new bays. This allows you to keep your 6TB drives in service alongside new ones.

  • No hardware goes to waste.
  • Most flexible capacity (60TB+).
  • Creates a larger physical footprint.
  • More hardware points of failure.
Potential Capacity: 60TB+ Usable
Total (Unit+Drives): From ~$4,440*
Effectively merges your current 24TB raw space with new large-capacity drives into one massive agency storage pool.

Budgetary Estimates (AUD)

Individual Component Est. Price (Inc GST)
12TB Standard Drive ~$840 ea.
16TB Synology Plus (Recommended) ~$960 ea.
DX517 Expansion Unit (Unit Only) ~$1,080

Example Package Estimates

  • 4 x 12TB Full Replacement:~$3,360
  • 4 x 16TB Full Replacement:~$3,840
  • Expansion Unit + 4 x 16TB:~$4,920

Important Advice

Rule of Two: You must replace at least two drives before the system can show any storage growth. Replacing one drive at a time will not increase your capacity.

Supply Policy: Hardware supply and installation are provided as a single combined service. We do not provide hardware without a corresponding labour/install quote.

*Note: All prices are budgetary estimates only. Final figures will be provided upon a formal hardware and labour quote.

Recommended Next Steps

To move forward, we recommend Option 2. Upgrading to larger internal drives (16TB+) provides the highest long-term value, keeps your desk clear of extra boxes, and maintains the safety net your agency relies on.

Process Forward

If you would like to proceed with one of these paths, please notify us and we will provide a formal Hardware & Installation Quote for your approval.