SHR
What SHR means
SHR stands for Synology Hybrid RAID. It is Synology’s storage-pool technology for combining multiple drives while applying redundancy. Unlike a basic RAID label, SHR is designed to make mixed-capacity drive layouts more practical in supported Synology NAS systems.
A product may also list SHR-1 or SHR-2. These identify different redundancy arrangements: SHR-1 is designed to tolerate the failure of one drive, while SHR-2 is designed to tolerate the failure of two. The exact usable capacity still depends on the number, sizes, and layout of the installed drives.
Why it matters on NASFit
SHR matters when comparing NAS products that may be used with drives of different capacities or expanded over time. It can make storage planning less rigid than selecting a traditional RAID layout with identical drives.
The label is relevant only if the NAS and its storage software support SHR. It does not automatically apply to every NAS enclosure, operating system, or third-party storage platform.
What the SHR label does not tell you
SHR is a capability or storage-layout option, not a quality rating. Seeing SHR on a product page does not prove that the NAS has better hardware, faster storage, stronger data protection, or a particular usable capacity.
The label alone also does not identify:
- Whether the product supports SHR-1, SHR-2, or both
- The minimum number of drives required
- The drive sizes and combinations that are supported
- The resulting usable capacity
- Whether an existing pool can be expanded or migrated
- How the pool behaves when a drive fails
- Whether other RAID types are available
- Whether the feature is limited to a particular Synology operating system or model family
What to check on a product page
Look for the exact storage-management feature list rather than relying on “SHR” alone. Check the supported RAID and storage-pool modes, the number of drive bays, drive-interface details, and any stated expansion or migration support.
If the page does not specify the SHR version, supported drive combinations, or usable-capacity behavior, those details remain unknown. A product listing that says only “SHR: Yes” confirms a listed capability but does not provide a complete storage configuration.
Nearby concepts include RAID, storage pool, drive bays, and redundancy.