ES1686Adc
Enterprise high availability storage that evolves from SAS to NVMe — keep services online today, unlock PCIe Gen4 performance whenever you are ready, in the same system
Downtime and forklift upgrades are the two costs that enterprise storage budgets rarely account for. The ES1686Adc is a 3U 16-bay high availability (HA) storage array built to remove both. Two Active-Active controllers process I/O simultaneously and take over for one another transparently, keeping SMB/NFS file services and iSCSI / Fibre Channel block services online through component failure and planned maintenance. At the same time, a hybrid backplane lets every one of the 16 bays accept either SAS 12Gb/s or U.3 PCIe NVMe drives — so you can deploy SAS capacity at a low cost per TB today, and adopt NVMe SSDs whenever your workloads demand PCIe Gen4 performance, without replacing the storage platform, the operating system, or the way your team manages it.
• Dual controllers, each with an Intel® Xeon® D 8-core processor
• Supports 16 x 3.5-inch SAS SSD/HDD or 2.5-inch U.3 NVMe dual-port SSD
• Four built-in 10GbE SFP+ ports with 25GbE expansion support
• Powered by the QES operating system (ZFS file system) for high IOPS and petabyte-scale storage capacity
Active-Active high availability, not active-standby
Two independent controllers serve I/O at the same time. If one fails, the other takes over the drives and network addresses transparently, so SMB/NFS file access and iSCSI / Fibre Channel block services stay online.
One System, Infinite Agility
All 16 bays support dual-port SAS 12Gb/s or U.3 PCIe NVMe SSDs. Seamlessly transition from high-capacity to high-performance storage on your timeline—upgrade your drives without replacing your core infrastructure.
A lower cost per TB than going all-flash
Keep cold and archival data on SAS drives, put hot data on U.3 NVMe SSDs, and let ZFS inline deduplication and compression store more in the same 3U footprint.
Write cache protected by battery
In the event of an unexpected power outage, Copy-to-Flash technology writes cached data held in DRAM intact to a protected area on the M.2 SSD, preventing data loss.
Scales to petabyte capacity
Connect up to seven QNAP dual-controller SAS expansion units. Dual-path connectivity keeps services running even if a single node fails.
QES: an enterprise storage operating system
ZFS end-to-end data integrity, up to 65,535 snapshots, inline deduplication and compression, Fibre Channel SAN, and Storage QoS for predictable application performance.
Why the ES1686Adc?
Four things worth checking when you compare dual-controller storage arrays.
Near-Zero Service Interruption: Active-Active Dual Controllers
The ES1686Adc features two fully independent controllers that process I/O requests simultaneously (Active-Active) rather than following the traditional Active-Standby approach. Each controller is equipped with an Intel® Xeon® D-2100 series processor and supports up to 512 GB DDR4 ECC memory, providing powerful multitasking performance.
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Transparent failover
If one controller fails, the other instantly takes over all drives and network IP addresses through the high-speed PCIe non-transparent bridge (NTB) interconnect, with no interruption or reconnection required for front-end applications.
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Double the performance, not just redundancy
With both controllers operating at the same time, the system gains not only redundancy but also double the available bandwidth and computing power — redundant hardware that earns its keep every day, not only on the day of a failure.
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Intelligent BBU battery backup
Built-in Copy-to-Flash technology. In the event of an unexpected power outage, the BBU battery pack ensures that cached data held in memory (DRAM cache) is written intact to a protected area on the M.2 SSD, preventing data loss.
Today's Capacity, Tomorrow's Performance — Without a Forklift Upgrade
Most storage purchases force a choice between cost per TB and performance. The hybrid backplane of the ES1686Adc lets you postpone that choice, and change your mind later without changing platform.
data-chart-table for cpu
The ES1686Adc features dual controllers, each powered by an Intel® Xeon® D 8-core/16-thread processor (up to 3.0 GHz) to boost processing performance and data throughput with robust compute capability. It supports up to 1 TB DDR4 ECC memory (up to 512 GB per controller) to effortlessly meet the demands of mission-critical and high-density workloads. Combining dual active-active controller redundancy with a redundant power supply design, it delivers server-grade system stability and business continuity—providing a high-performance, ultra-reliable, and future-proof storage solution for demanding enterprise IT environments.
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SMB Sequential Throughput (10GbE x 8)
Read 8352 MB/sWrite 3557 MB/s -
iSCSI Random 4K IOPS (10GbE x 8)
Read 579502 MB/sWrite 257701 MB/s
| SMB Sequential Throughput (10GbE x 8) |
Read
8352
MB/s
|
Write
3557
MB/s
|
|---|---|---|
| iSCSI Random 4K IOPS (10GbE x 8) |
Read
579502
MB/s
|
Write
257701
MB/s
|
測試於 QNAP 實驗室，數據會因實際環境而有所不同。
測試環境：
NAS: ES1686Adc
OS: ES-DUAL
磁碟群組： RAID 5; 8 x Seagate XS1920SE70084 + 8 x SAMSUNG MZILT960HBHQ/007
客戶端 PC：
Windows Server 2019, Intel Xeon W1250 3.3GHz, 32GB RAM + Intel Xeon E2124 3.3GHz, 64GB RAM
QES: An Enterprise Storage Operating System, Not a NAS OS
Purpose-built for enterprise mission-critical workloads, QES is based on the FreeBSD kernel and the ZFS file system. It serves SMB/NFS file services alongside iSCSI and Fibre Channel block storage, and offloads virtualization workloads through VMware VAAI and Hyper-V ODX — with Storage QoS keeping critical applications predictable when they share a storage pool.
From 16 Bays to Petabyte Scale
Start with 16 bays, then connect up to seven QNAP expansion units to reach petabyte-scale storage capacity — capacity growth that never requires a new storage platform. Dual-path connectivity keeps services running even if a single node fails.
Adaptable to a wide range of applications
Hybrid cloud and tiered storage
Cold data on SAS drives, hot data on U.3 NVMe SSDs: optimal cost efficiency in a single chassis.
Virtualization servers
Supports VAAI and ODX offload; iSER (iSCSI over RDMA) reduces CPU load. Dual controllers keep VMs online.
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)
Deduplication saves substantial SSD space; high NVMe IOPS absorbs the boot storm of hundreds of simultaneous logins.
Media and entertainment (M&E)
Collaborative 4K/8K video editing, with 25GbE bandwidth for multiple workstations at once.
The perfect match for QNAP enterprise switches
If you plan to enable iSER (iSCSI Extensions for RDMA) to reduce CPU load and latency, QNAP QSW series switches support PFC (IEEE 802.1Qbb), which pauses only traffic of a specific priority (such as storage traffic) without affecting other services. The result is a truly lossless Ethernet network that prevents packet loss from degrading RDMA transfer performance, allowing the system to deliver its full high availability and performance potential.
Recommendations and options
- 25GbE solutions: The ES1686Adc can be expanded with 25GbE for greater bandwidth. QNAP 25GbE expansion cards and switches are recommended.
- Drive selection: QNAP-certified enterprise-class HDDs or SSDs are recommended.
Need help?
Contact us now to get more recommended products or solutions catered to your needs and requirements!
Optional Accessories
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QXG-10G2SF-X710
Dual-port SFP+ 10Gb network expansion card; low-profile formfactor; PCIe Gen3 x8
Dimension (L × W × H): 26 × 10.5 × 6 (mm)
Weight: 0.29 (kg)
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QXG-10G2T-X710
Dual-port 10GbE Network Adaptor, Intel 700 series Ethernet Controller
Dimension (L × W × H): 113.6 × 68.9 × 18.3 (mm)
Weight: 0.24 (kg)
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QXG-25G2SF-CX6
Dual-port SFP28 25Gb network expansion card; Mellanox ConnectX-6 Lx;low-profile formfactor; PCIe Gen4 x8
Dimension (L × W × H): 120 × 16.5 × 69 (mm)
Weight: 0.15 (kg)
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QXP-1630S-3816
quad mini-SAS HD ports expansion card; Broadcom Aero-16 SAS3816 IOC; low profile; Gen4. x16
Dimension (L × W × H): 123.9 × 68.9 × 17.3 (mm)
Weight: 0.27 (kg)
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QXP-16G2FC
QNAP 2-port 16Gbps fiber channel adapter, PCIe 3.0 x8, SFP+, low profile, w/ SFP+ 16G transceivers
Dimension (L × W × H): 190 × 143 × 50 (mm)
Weight: 0.28 (kg)
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QXP-32G2FC
QNAP 2-port 32Gbps fiber channel adapter, PCIe 3.0 x8, SFP+, low profile, w/ SFP+ 32G optical transceivers
Dimension (L × W × H): 190 × 143 × 50 (mm)
Weight: 0.28 (kg)
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QXP-830S-3808
dual mini-SAS HD ports expansion card; Broadcom Aero-8 3808 IOC; low profile; Gen4. x8
Dimension (L × W × H): 123.9 × 68.9 × 17.3 (mm)
Weight: 0.26 (kg)
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TRX-10GITSFPP-SR
Optical Transceiver 10GbE SFP+ 850nm SR up to 300m industrial-temperature(-40~85°C )
Dimension (L × W × H): 59.8 × 14 × 12 (mm)
Weight: 0.08 (kg)
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TRX-10GSFP-SR-MLX
Mellanox MFM1T02A-SR SFP+ Optical Module for 10GBASE-SR
Dimension (L × W × H): 120 × 195 × 35 (mm)
Weight: 0.10 (kg)
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CAB-DAC15M-SFPP
SFP+ 10GbE twinaxial direct attach cable, 1.5M
Dimension (L × W × H): 10 × 240 × 295 (mm)
This 10GbE SFP+ network cable is designed for NAS models with an integrated 10GbE SFP+ LAN port or a 10GbE SFP+ network card.
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CAB-DAC30M-SFPP
SFP+ 10GbE twinaxial direct attach cable, 3.0M
Dimension (L × W × H): 15 × 240 × 300 (mm)
Weight: 0.17 (kg)
This 10GbE SFP+ network cable is designed for NAS models with an integrated 10GbE SFP+ LAN port or a 10GbE SFP+ network card.
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CAB-DAC50M-SFPP
SFP+ 10GbE twinaxial direct attach cable, 5.0M
Weight: 0.30 (kg)
This 10GbE SFP+ network cable is designed for NAS models with an integrated 10GbE SFP+ LAN port or a 10GbE SFP+ network card.
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RAM-32GDR4K0-RD-3200
32GB DDR4 RAM, 3200 MHz, RDIMM
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RAIL-E02
New Rail Kit for ES1640dc, EJ1600, EJ1601
Dimension (L × W × H): 700 × 123 × 83 (mm)
Weight: 2.55 (kg)
RAIL-E02 is included inside package of ES NAS and EJ JBOD series
