The ARC-5028T 24TB Thunderbolt 2 NAS RAID Storage from Areca features two interfaces, Thunderbolt 2 and SuperSpeedUSB 3.0. Thunderbolt 2 has full backward compatibility to the same cables and connectors used with the original Thunderbolt connector. It pushes speed to 20Gb/s and enables 4K video file transfer and display simultaneously. The ARC-5028T2 is equipped with dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for connecting to any Thunderbolt 2-enabled host such as the new Mac Pro, and offers an additional Thunderbolt 2 port for daisy-chaining other peripherals. The Thunderbolt daisy-chaining allows connection of up to six devices, so customers can connect the ARC-5028T2 for massive amounts of video storage with a single Thunderbolt connection to their host computer. The ARC-5028T2 can meet the demand of users when working with rich, ultra-high resolution media through Thunderbolt 2 interface. The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface offers high-performance connectivity and is backward compatibility with any computer running compatible versions of Mac OS X (such as Mac Pro) or Windows.

24TB Data Storage Capacity    6 x SAS/SATA 2.5"/3.5" Drive Bays    933 MHz ARM Based Storage I/O Processor    1GB DDR3 Memory    2 x Thunderbolt 2 / 1 x USB 3.0 Ports    Extensive RAID Compatibility    Thunderbolt / LAN Enclosure Management    Front LCD Panel and Buttons    Intelligent Power On/Off Function    Bootable Drive Support

The ARC-5028T2 is a 6-bay 6Gb/s SAS/SATA Thunderbolt 2/USB 3.0 storage device with RAID control capabilities for either the Mac or PC environment. The ARC-5028T2 incorporated high performance ROC and 1GB DDR3 memory with ECC protection to deliver true hardware RAID for the video editor working with real time multi-stream HD and 4K workflows. It runs efficiently without disruption or major drops in performance to meet the requirements of a 4K data workflow. It is so quick it allows for 4K displays at the same time as daisy chaining the ARC-5028T2 and doing a simultaneous 4K output and file transfers while maintaining maximum throughput.

The ARC-5028T2 supports the hardware RAID 6 engine to allow two HDDs failures without impacting existing data and performance. It allows users to hot swap a drive in the event of a drive failure with zero downtime. Its high data availability and protection derive from many advanced RAID features in the design. Intelligent power On/Off function on storage turns power on or off in unison with the host computer power status. It can intelligently power down the unit after the Thunderbolt host shuts down everything for data integrity. The ARC-5028T2 also supports a battery backup option that protects all data in cache memory in the event of unexpected power outage. The ARC-5028T2 supports a USB 3.0 interface that allows old Mac Pro users and newest Mac Pro model users to access same storage seamlessly.

Configuration and monitoring can be managed either through the LCD control panel, Thunderbolt interface, or LAN port. The intelligent cooling continuously adapts to environmental conditions by automatically controlling the speed of the cooling fans for the rapidly growing demand from the video editing markets. You can even configure the ARC-5028T2 to intelligently spin down drives during periods of inactivity to further reduce noise and save energy. This Areca storage solution provides users the capability of adding bootable drives via Thunderbolt on Apple thunderbolt-capable machines.

• Write-through or write-back cache support
• Support 6 internal 6 Gb/s SAS/SATA ports
• Support bootable from RAID storage volume
• Redundant flash image for controller availability
• System status indication through LCD, LED, and alarm buzzer
• Intelligent power On/OFF function

• RAID level 0, 1, 10(1E), 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60, Single Dis k or JBOD
• Multiple RAID selections
• Support up to 1MB stripe size
• Online array roaming
• Online RAID level/stripe size migration
• Instant availability and background initialization
• Multiple pairs SSD/HDD disk clone function
• SSD automatic monitor clone (AMC) support
• Support global and dedicated hot spare
• Automatic drive insertion/removal detection and rebuilding
• Advanced configuration for smooth data streaming
• Supports intelligent power management to save energy and extend service life
• Complete configuration management suite
- McRAID manager - browser-based management tool (LAN or Thunderbolt)
- Push Buttons and LCD Display panel for setup and status
- Command Line Interface (CLI)- scriptable configuration tool
- API libraries support - combine GUI with user management utility
- SNMP support for remote monitoring
- SMTP support for email notification

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. What doe it mean when it says "supports battery backup option"? Does it have a tiny reserve just to safely shut down the unit in the event of a power outage?

A: The ARC-8050T3 also supports a battery backup option that protects all data in cache memory in the event of unexpected power outage.

Q: 2. How loud is this thing when filled with drives, would it be obnoxious to have on a desk?

A: This RAID unit is very quite.

Q: 3. What is the V-mount plate and the Lion Battery?

A: This is a kit with portable RAID storage enclosure with and an additional battery fallback with a mount for the battery itself.

Q: 4. Does this bay come with drives?

A: Not sure if this Q has been answered, but no it does not. However, I have 4 of these units now, spanning over 3 years, and they are FANTASTIC units. VERY reliable. I can't compare/comment on price with other like units except that I found it closely priced, but I don't care anymore. Reliability and safety of media assets has far outweighed cost.

Q: 5. How long is the Thunderbolt 3 cable that is provided?

A: It's 3'.

Q: 6. What's in the box?

A: Per the Quick Installation Guide: 1 x ARC-8050T3U-4/4A/6(M)/8/12 bays RAID storage unit 1 x 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Type-C cable 1 x RJ-45 LAN cable 1 x Power cord 16/24/32/48 x Drive mounting screws (4 per drive tray) 1 x Quick installation guide

Q: 7. What type of drives are in this JBOD? SAS-3 12Gb or SATA III 6Gb? Who is the drive manufacturer and what model?

A: The manufacturer only specifies that it is 8x 6GB drives. They do not specify the models used.

Q: 8. Is it possible to simply move the 8 drives from my 8050T2 into this unit without having to migrate data and rebuild the whole thing?

A: You will need to rebuild the RAID for safety measure.

Q: 9. what kind of HDs are included in this option? Enterprise level 7200rpm?

A: Unfortunately after repeated attempts to contact the manufacturer we have not received a response as to which drives are included with the array.

Q: 10. how do you connect this device with Thunderbolt 3 to a MacPro that only has Thunderbolt 2?

A: I am sorry, but your computer would need to have Thunderbolt 3 for this to work.