Many users have asked questions about Hikvision DVR RAID configurations, such as which DVRs support RAID setup, what are the requirements for hard drives in Hikvision disk arrays, what do “normal”, “offline”, and “degraded” array statuses mean, what should be done when an array is degraded, how to calculate available hard drive capacity after setting up RAID, and whether adding a new hard drive to a RAID5 setup will affect previously recorded footage. This article answers these questions in detail and hopes to help users.
Basic Requirements for Disk Array Setup in Hikvision DVRs:
1.RAID Setup Must Be in Quota Mode: RAID functionality cannot be configured in Disk Group Mode; it must be in Quota Mode.
2.Other Series Requirements: For DVRs in the N-I and N-K series (excluding the 76XXN-K1 series), the DVR’s main control version must be V4.1.60 or above. The following additional requirements must be met when configuring RAID:
a.All single disk capacities must be at least 4TB.
b.The number of disks in each array cannot exceed half of the total number of disks.
Extension: NVRs with large channel numbers (e.g., 128, 256 channels) and SuperBrain series products with a main control version of V4.1.60 or above also have these requirements.
Which Hikvision DVRs Support RAID Setup?
NVR: 86/96N-I, 96000N-IN-F, 96000N-H, 96000N-E series.
XVR: DS-7300/8000/8100/9000HQH(S)-SH, 9000HQH-XT series.
What Are the Requirements for Hard Drives in a Disk Array?
To ensure long-term, reliable, and stable operation of the disk array, it is recommended to use enterprise-grade hard drives for array creation and configuration.
Does a Disk Array Require Hot Spare Drives?
To ensure the success of array reconstruction and system stability, it is recommended to set up a hot spare drive to automatically begin reconstruction if the array experiences an issue.
What Is the Difference Between One-Click Configuration and Manual RAID Configuration?
One-Click Configuration: The default RAID type created is RAID5.
Manual Creation: Supports multiple RAID types such as RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, RAID6, and RAID10. You can choose the type based on your needs.
What Do “Normal”, “Offline”, and “Degraded” Array Statuses Mean?
Normal: The array has not lost any physical disks, and the status is normal.
Offline: The number of lost physical disks exceeds the allowed limit for that type of array, and the status is offline.
Degraded: The status is between normal and offline, indicating the array is operating under degraded conditions.
What Should You Do If the Array Goes Offline?
Replace the faulty physical disk with a normal one and re-create the array. Please note, previous footage will be lost.
What Should You Do If the Array Is Degraded?
When an array is degraded, you can use the array rebuild function to restore it to a normal state.
The auto-rebuild function requires the DVR to have a hot spare drive. If there is no hot spare, you need to manually select the remaining disks for the rebuild. Rebuilding does not affect the previous footage.
How to Calculate the Available Capacity of Hard Drives After RAID Setup?
After one-click array configuration, RAID5 is typically used by default.
If the device is set to RAID5, the available hard drive capacity must be calculated by first confirming how many hard drives are used and their size. You need to calculate based on the smallest drive size.
Assuming the smallest capacity is M and there are N disks:
Without a hot spare, the theoretical capacity is (N-1)*M.
With a hot spare, the theoretical capacity is (N-1-Y)*M, where Y is the number of hot spare drives.
Example: If the smallest disk is 2TB and you have 5 disks in a RAID5 setup with no hot spare, the theoretical capacity is (5-1)*2 = 8TB.
If there is 1 hot spare, the theoretical capacity is (5-1-1)*2 = 6TB, but since 2TB drives usually have around 1.8TB usable capacity, the actual usable capacity will be slightly less than 6TB.
[Extension] Ignoring hot spares, the total number of hard drives is N, the initial capacity of the hard drives is M, and the total capacity is Q.
RAID0: Q = M * N
RAID1: Q = M * (N / 2)
RAID5: Q = M * (N – 1)
RAID6: Q = M * (N – 2)
RAID10: Q = M * (N / 2)
If there are still hot spare disks, then the number of hot spare disks needs to be subtracted from Q.
Will Array Adjustment Affect Recordings?
1.The array status can be “Normal”, “Degraded”, or “Offline”:
When no physical disks are lost, the array is in normal operation. When the number of lost physical disks exceeds the allowable limit for this type of array, the array is offline. In between, the array is in a degraded state. When the array is in a degraded state, it can be restored to normal operation using the array rebuild function.
2. The DVR was set up with RAID 5, which originally had 4 disks. Now I want to add a new disk. Will this affect the previous recording files?
Once the RAID array is created, hard drives cannot be added or deleted. If the RAID is recreated, previous recordings will be lost.
3. The DVR is configured with RAID 5, but the array status now shows a downgrade. Will adding a new disk affect the previously recorded files?
Degrading the RAID array does not affect the data, but if another disk fails, the data will be unrecoverable after the array goes offline. If the newly added disk is used as a hot spare, it will not affect the previous recording data; however, if the newly added disk is to be added to the array, then RAID needs to be re-established, and the previous data will be lost.
4. Will deleting the array affect the original historical recordings?
Recordings were lost after the array was deleted.
5. The original device was a regular recording device. After enabling RAID and setting up an array, will it affect the data on the previous hard drive?
Previous recordings on the hard drive will be lost.
6. The original device was an array recording system, but the array was later canceled and set to regular quota recording. Will this affect the previous RAID recording files?
The previous recordings of the RAID array will be lost.
7. If the DVR has created a RAID 5 array, will changing the order of the RAID disks affect the previously recorded files?
RAID information depends on the hard drive order; changing the hard drive order will result in data loss.