Qnap ES1686dc-2142IT-96G 16-Bay Dual Controller ZFS NAS and iSCSI/ IP-SAN. 3U, SAS 12G Network Storage

Available Models

Active-Active high availability with optimal storage efficiency

In Active-Active storage system architecture, both controllers are able to provide a complete range of services, which is different from the Active-Standby architecture of single-controller systems. The Active-Active architecture does not have the disadvantage of idle computing resources. To leverage the strengths of the ES1686dc Active-Active controller architecture, it is recommended to create multiple storage pools and distribute their ownership between both controllers. This allows simultaneous output from both controllers for better load balancing.

• Active-Standby single-controller system

  With two HA systems you are paying twice the price and causing a load imbalance as workloads are only processed on the active system. A power outage could cause data loss, and the disconnected network invalidates the HA architecture.

• Active-Active dual-controller system

  Both controllers of the ES1686dc can carry traffic, along with Copy-To-Flash protection against power failure and the dual-path SAS interface. Besides conserving computing resources, a high-speed, uninterrupted, and high-availability storage service is also provided through communication protocols such as SMB, NFS and iSCSI.

Intel® Xeon® D dual-controller ensures high availability and failure-resistant service

Powered by two Intel® Xeon® D processors, the ES1686dc features a dual active-active controller architecture that provides failover/failback operations as the standby controller can quickly take over if one controller breaks down. Redundant hot-swappable power supplies and cooling fans are also included to provide businesses with near-zero downtime high availability. The ES1686dc connects to the JBOD enclosure (EJ1600 v2) via the dual-path mini-SAS design to sustain continuous operations even if a JBOD cable is disconnected. Designed around redundancy, the ES1686dc is the best realization of reliable enterprise storage for uninterrupted mission-critical enterprise tasks and productivity.

Multi-level cache technology with both read and write

The ES1686dc simultaneously supports main memory read cache (L1 ARC), SSD secondary read cache (L2 ARC), and memory write cache (ZFS Intent Log) to meet performance demands for various enterprise applications.

• Up to 512 GB main memory

  Each controller has eight RDIMM slots, allowing for up to 512 GB memory.
  
  Note: The main memory will retain 8GB for use by the read cache.

• M.2 SSD cache

  Two M.2 SSD slots (support PCIe Gen3 x4 or SATA 6Gb/s SSDs) provide the ability to enable SSD caching to increase IOPS performance.
  
  Note: M.2 SSDs sold separately.

• NVRAM cache reduces the risk of losing write cache data

  If unplanned power outages occur, the system can write cache data from the battery-protected DRAM to M.2 SSD through Copy To Flash (C2F) to ensure that data is not lost.
  
  Note: To ensure write cache data safety, it is recommended to annually replace the BBU. QNAP provides one-year warranty for the BBU.

PCIe expansion for 40GbE high-speed networks

The ES1686dc provides two PCIe Gen3 x8 slots connected to the CPU, allowing you to install lightning-fast 10GbE/40GbE network cards to boost virtualization, media streaming, and other bandwidth-demanding applications. Installing Mellanox® Smart NICs further adds support for iSER for improved VMware® virtualization performance. You can also install a QM2 expansion card (QM2-4P-384) to add four additional M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD slots to burst reading performance with SSD caching, or a SAS expansion card (SAS-12G2E) for connecting up to seven 16-bay EJ1600 v2 expansion enclosures to seamlessly expand the potential storage capacity over 1PB, with unprecedented performance of up to 48Gbps per host connection.

» Learn More: Network expansion card (Mellanox),iSER,QM2 card,Storage Expansion Compatibility

Dual controller NAS: High reliability and high availability

“Reliability” is the priority for mission-critical business applications. The ES1686dc adopts dual active-active controllers to provide the most reliable base for business IT storage.

Leverage the 6Gbps SAS to SATA drive adapter

While SATA 6Gb/s SSDs provide high-performance yet affordable storage, the lack of dual-port support makes them unsuitable for dual-controller environments. The QDA-SA adapter is designed for QNAP Enterprise ZFS NAS, and allows the use of a SATA 6Gb/s drive in a 3.5-inch SAS drive bay - providing the ability to expand storage capacity by using cost-effective SATA drives. By installing a SATA drive with the QDA-SA into the dual-controller ES1686dc, the SATA drive can share these SAS dual-port advantages to ensure a high-availability, fault-tolerant enterprise storage environment.

» Learn More: QDA-SA

QES 2.1.0: ZFS-based, and optimized for all flash performance

The ES1686dc features the QES (QNAP Enterprise Storage) 2.1.0 operating system, which is based on the simple and efficient FreeBSD kernel and the ZFS file system that has been proven through years of experience to be most suitable for high-end enterprise applications. Not only does QES 2.1.0 provide reliable data protection, recovery, and business-class features, it is optimized for flash storage and is capable of driving outstanding performance for all-flash storage arrays to accelerate mission-critical services and eliminate challenges in VDI environments. QES 2.1.0 also comes with Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities that help ensure consistent primary storage performance in multi-application environments. Continuing the same user experience with the intuitive QTS operating system, QES provides business users with an easy learning curve for quick implementation within IT infrastructures.