ASUS FW Disk Check Capability Origin

[maxbraketorque]

Anyone know the origin of the built-in capability of ASUS router FW to format disks and perform disk checks? Specifically, is it ASUS origin or was part of original open source?

 

[ColinTaylor]

"It depends" on which part of the process you're referring to and what filesystem format you're talking about. Why the question?

 

[maxbraketorque]

"It depends" on which part of the process you're referring to and what filesystem format you're talking about. Why the question?

I'm thinking of the overall package that is accessible from the stock FW web UI. I'm curious because I have an ASUSTOR NAS, and it has no support for external drive health check and repair (but does support formatting). ASUSTOR tech support told me that they are completely independent of ASUS routers. I am recommending that they add external drive health check and repair, but they are complaining that there are a "lot of flags" that affect when check and repair can be safely run. I get what he's saying, but it sounds like a cop-out to me because there are always methods for dealing with ensuring the drive is status where it can be unmounted and checked, e.g., at boot time like what you do for your disk check.

 

[ColinTaylor]

ASUSTOR tech support told me that they are completely independent of ASUS routers.

Indeed they are a different company.

I am recommending that they add external drive health check and repair, but they are complaining that there are a "lot of flags" that affect when check and repair can be safely run. I get what he's saying, but it sounds like a cop-out to me because there are always methods for dealing with ensuring the drive is status where it can be unmounted and checked, e.g., at boot time like what you do for your disk check.

Does sound like a bit of a cop-out. I'm not familiar with ASUSTOR firmware but what are people meant to do if the filesystem gets corrupted? I can see their argument if they're saying it can't be done while the drives are online, that's to be expected. But there must be some kind of recovery procedure I would have thought.

 

[maxbraketorque]

Does sound like a bit of a cop-out.

Yup.

I can see their argument if they're saying it can't be done while the drives are online, that's to be expected.

Yup.

I'm not familiar with ASUSTOR firmware but what are people meant to do if the filesystem gets corrupted?

But there must be some kind of recovery procedure I would have thought.

Yeah, that's the problem. Of course, there is a robust health check and repair capability for the internal drives, but not even a routine health check is possible for external drives. Considering that there is a built in capability to backup internal drive content to external drives, the lack of external drive health check and repair seems like a severe oversight in capability.

Since it is a Linux-based OS, it is possible to run command line check and repair, but ASUSTOR doesn't support it, and there is no established procedure. I've run it successfully, but I'd much prefer a built-in solution, in particular for a routine health check. I recommended this to ASUSTOR tech support, and he said he'd pass it on.

My question about open source for ASUS routers was to see if I could recommend looking at that code.

 

[ColinTaylor]

My question about open source for ASUS routers was to see if I could recommend looking at that code.

I doubt any of that would be of use to them. Asus aren't doing anything clever or unusual. It's all very basic stuff that any neophyte programmer could knock up. The problem with NAS's is usually they're configured as RAID and use logical volume managers (none of which Asuswrt supports) and/or use propriety software.