Western Digital admits 2TB-6TB WD Red NAS drives use shingled magnetic recording (blocksandfiles.com)

Article summary

Western Digital has admitted that their 2TB-6TB WD Red NAS drives use shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology, which can lead to performance issues in certain workloads. Some users have experienced problems with these drives in RAID arrays, and Western Digital had previously denied using SMR in their drives. The company claims that SMR technology does not impact typical small business or home NAS workloads, but some users disagree. Western Digital's use of SMR technology without clear disclosure has been criticized by some as deceptive.

Main themes

• SMR technology
• NAS drive performance
• Transparency in product specifications
• Workload suitability
• System design and tiered storage
• Manufacturer disclosure and ethics

What commenters say

• SMR technology is not suitable for workloads that require random writes, and its use in NAS drives can lead to performance issues.
• Some workloads, such as archiving and video recording, are well-suited for SMR technology.
• The lack of transparency about SMR technology in drive specifications is a major issue, and customers have the right to know what they are buying.
• Proper system design and tiered storage can mitigate the limitations of SMR technology, making it suitable for certain use cases.
• SMR technology is not inherently bad, but its limitations need to be clearly understood and disclosed to customers.
• The use of SMR technology in NAS drives can be acceptable if the customer is aware of its limitations and is willing to work around them.
• The main problem with SMR technology is not the technology itself, but the fact that manufacturers are not clearly disclosing its use in their products.