QNAP 4-bay 1U 12 short-depth rackmount 3.5in SATA HDD USB 3.0 type-C hardware RAID external enclosure

The TR-004U USB 3.2 Gen 1 RAID expansion enclosure allows you to expand the capacity of your QNAP NAS and PC. The TR-004U can also be utilized as a DAS (Direct-attached Storage) device, allowing you to directly access its content by connecting it via USB. The TR-004U features four 3.5-inch SATA drive bays with multiple RAID configuration options and USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C connectivity to bring you a highly-reliable and secure storage capacity expansion solution.

Supports various RAID levels
The TR-004U supports a variety of RAID configurations. Depending on your requirements, you can switch between hardware- or software-controlled RAID modes. Move the DIP switches to corresponding positions for your ideal RAID mode: Individual, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1/10 or RAID 5. You can also configure the RAID settings from your QNAP NAS, or by using the QNAP External RAID Manager utility on your computer.

Individual Mode
Treats every disk as separate storage spaces, allowing you to independently access each one.

JBOD Mode
All the disks are recognized as a single drive. This allows maximal storage utilization but provides no data protection.

RAID 0 Mode
Data is split amongst the drives. RAID 0 provides the fastest performance but does not protect data from drive failure.

RAID 1/10 Mode
Half of the total storage capacity is used to store data, and the other half keeps a copy of this data. This provides high data protection at the cost of only being able to use half the installed storage space.

RAID 5 Mode
RAID 5 requires at least three drives to use and parity information is distributed among the drives, providing optimized storage capacity and protection against one disk failing.

Software Ctrl Mode
Use this mode to control the RAID configuration from your NAS or computer.

Flexible storage configuration and management
Compared with other RAID enclosures, the TR-004U provides software-controlled configurations for greater management flexibility. Users can configure RAID and monitor disk health using the Storage & Snapshots Manager on a QNAP NAS, or by using the QNAP External RAID Manager utility on their computer.

Versatile usage scenarios to meet storage expansion needs
The TR-004U meets many storage expansion requirements for home and work use, including:

Scenario 1: Expand the capacity of your NAS
The TR-004U provides an alternative method for users to expand their rackmount NAS storage capacity. By connecting the TR-004U to their NAS and using the Storage & Snapshots Manager, users can easily configure and manage their storage expansion. The TR-004U supports a variety of QNAP NAS storage and file management functions, allowing users to build storage pools, find files with Qsirch and organize files with Qfiling.

Use the TR-004U as an alternative to conventional NAS expansion enclosures
As an external hardware RAID device, the TR-004U operates independently and does not require additional NAS system resources. When compared with the UX-500P expansion enclosure, the TR-004U uses less NAS system resources.

Scenario 2: External storage for your NAS
Instead of using the TR-004U to expand the capacity of your QNAP NAS, you can use it as a complimentary storage unit for backing up or moving data. It also allows you to physically migrate huge data collections that would require significant network bandwidth. While connected to the NAS, you can monitor the health and status of the TR-004U by using the Storage & Snapshots Manager on the NAS.

Scenario 3: Expand the storage space of your computer and server
The TR-004U can quickly add storage space to your computer and server. You can use the DIP switch to configure a hardware RAID mode or manage it by using the QNAP External RAID Manager utility. The health and status of the TR-004U can also be monitored by using the QNAP External RAID Manager utility.
*The QNAP External RAID Manager requires Windows 7 (or later), Windows Server 2012 R2 (or later) and macOS 10.13 (or later).

Scenario 4: Cross-platform file sharing
From your NAS to Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, the TR-004U is compatible with a wide range of devices. This makes it ideal for quickly moving large files between different devices. The TR-004U is even compatible with devices that use the exFAT file system*, adding further convenience for accessing and sharing files from a wider range of devices.
*To access devices that use the exFAT file system, users must purchase a separate exFAT driver license.

How to use

Install up to four SATA drives into the drive bays and configure the desired RAID mode using the DIP switches on the enclosure for hardware-controlled RAID, or choose Software Ctrl mode to configure RAID from a connected QNAP NAS or a computer with the QNAP External RAID Manager utility. Connect the TR-004U to a host via USB Type-C to access data directly or to attach it to a NAS for expansion. Monitor drive health and manage RAID settings using QNAP Storage & Snapshots Manager on a NAS or the QNAP External RAID Manager on supported Windows or macOS systems.

Recommendations

For RAID 5, use at least three drives. To access devices using exFAT, purchase the required exFAT driver license. The QNAP External RAID Manager requires Windows 7 (or later), Windows Server 2012 R2 (or later) or macOS 10.13 (or later). Regularly monitor disk health and ensure backups are kept for critical data.