Help with moving files on a single NAS from one volume to another

[scoop]

Hi - I have a NAS device with multiple volumes. I often need to move files from one volume to another and do this by cutting and pasting but it takes a long time - as long as it takes to move from a PC to the NAS. When moving the same large files within the same volume it is instant. Because the two volumes are on the same device, is there a way to get this "instant" transfer. I assume what my PC is doing is moving the files back to the PC then back to the NAS? Is there any way to just force it to go NAS to NAS?

I am running XP pro.

Thanks

 

[KSoD]

No. I am guessing that you have multiple hard drives in this NAS? It is the same if you have more than 1 hard drive in your system. If you move the file among the same hard drive it is fast. But if you move it to another hard drive on your system the transfer is slow.

But you are right you are mots likely moving it back to the PC then to the NAS again. You would have to direct connect to the NAS and use its built in software management to move the files. If it has that option. If not you are stuck with the speed you are getting.

 

[scoop]

No. I am guessing that you have multiple hard drives in this NAS? It is the same if you have more than 1 hard drive in your system. If you move the file among the same hard drive it is fast. But if you move it to another hard drive on your system the transfer is slow.

But you are right you are mots likely moving it back to the PC then to the NAS again. You would have to direct connect to the NAS and use its built in software management to move the files. If it has that option. If not you are stuck with the speed you are getting.

there are multiple hard drives but its set up with raid 5 so that should have it acting as one drive i believe? Im certainly not mapping to multiple drives, just two volumes i created on the system. i dont have any file management software to move the files. is there anything i can obtain for windows that would allow me to do this?

 

[KSoD]

As stated no. There is no way to get any software because Windows will see it as 2 separate drives since it is 2 volumes and it will act as if it was a internal hard drive. Without built in software to do it you are stuck. Sorry.

 

[bla!!]

What type of NAS do you have? If it's anything managed (not just direct storage on a network server), there is probably a way to move files between two volumes faster than cut and paste. It will not be instant though, just faster than using a machine in between the two.

The reason it goes instantly on one volume is because they only thing that is changing is the file pointer, not actually moving any data.

When you move the files to a new volume with your PC, it's streaming the data through your PC, then back to the NAS. If you can find some way to do it on the NAS, it elimiates your computer out of the equation and only uses the storage bus on the NAS.

I know with a NetAPP you can use the filer's command line to do this.

 

[scoop]

thanks for the help. i am able to access the settings for the nas through its ip, but doesnt seem to be a way to manage any file systems - only create volumes, manage users etc.

ah well - its not the end of the world if it takes some time, as long as its working.

thanks for the tips.