Highpoint Rocketstor 6618A Windfall

[tracerbullet]

I acquired one of these from work, it's an 8-bay RAID box. I was hoping it'd function as a NAS for me, but realize it's really for a different purpose. The Thunderbolt port is throwing me for a loop as well to set it up or even be able to check it out. I've got a couple questions I'm hoping for a hand with!

* A simple USB adapter to my old Windows 7 PC was not enough, it seems to need a true Thunderbolt USB-C port. If I were to buy an adapter card, i.e. this one, would that do it? https://www.amazon.com/QICENT-Expre...pID=41a4vqhwHHL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

* Is there a way of "testing" this guy? CPU's, HDD's, RAM, etc. all have programs that can be used to test them. Is there a simple way to test a RAID box? I don't want to load up some hard drives and find strange intermittent failures that aren't obvious or that I can't explain. Or attempt to sell it and not have any idea if it's working correctly to begin with.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

That's a USB card. Thunderbolt is basically PCI-E over USB. Completely different, same plug. You probably should just borrow a friend's Macbook to test it if you don't have a motherboard that's easy to add Thunderbolt to. Worth the effort, even if you're just going to turn around and sell it, since "working" > "untested/as-is."

There's probably a software package from the manufacturer that will let you "test" it, but the "right" way to test a RAID enclosure, IMO, is to put some drives in and do a load test. (You don't have to do every bay at once, so you don't need 8 hard drives, but it helps.)

As you have realized, DAS != NAS.

Good luck.

 

[tracerbullet]

That's a USB card. Thunderbolt is basically PCI-E over USB. Completely different, same plug.Good luck.

Argh, yes it is. I know better. That came up in my search for Thunderbolt PCI-E cards but I should have read closer to see if that's actually what it does. Hmm, the "Real" ones are much more expensive. I'll see what I can find to borrow, looks that will indeed be the best path.

There's probably a software package from the manufacturer that will let you "test" it, but the "right" way to test a RAID enclosure, IMO, is to put some drives in and do a load test. (You don't have to do every bay at once, so you don't need 8 hard drives, but it helps.)

I didn't see anything but will try searching again, maybe contact them directly. I've got 3 drives I can use, and can get them covered eventually. I'll research the "load test" idea.

Thanks!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Argh, yes it is. I know better. That came up in my search for Thunderbolt PCI-E cards but I should have read closer to see if that's actually what it does. Hmm, the "Real" ones are much more expensive. I'll see what I can find to borrow, looks that will indeed be the best path.



I didn't see anything but will try searching again, maybe contact them directly. I've got 3 drives I can use, and can get them covered eventually. I'll research the "load test" idea.

Thanks!

By "load test" I just mean, dump a bunch of data, read it back, checksum it to make sure the data you started with and the data you end with are the same. If you can fill the drives, that's good, but it'll take a while. But that's also good.

And yes, you should test each bay in the enclosure.

 

[tracerbullet]

Sweet, thanks! Cable is ordered, now on the lookout for a laptop w/ Thunderbolt.