🔍 Read the full analysis: Our 6-Bay UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro: Choice And Setup For AI on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
ThorstenMeyerAI.com says it bought a six-bay UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro after duplicate iCloud sync files nearly filled a database server. As of Nov. 1, 2026, the NAS is equipped but not connected or configured; the proposed backup plan has not passed its acceptance tests.
ThorstenMeyerAI.com has bought a six-bay UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro to add local storage and backups for its small AI and publishing operation, after duplicate files from an iCloud sync conflict nearly filled a database server. The network-attached storage device has been delivered and fitted with four hard drives and an NVMe SSD, but it is not yet connected or configured, and the proposed backup system has not been tested.
In an account published Nov. 1, Thorsten Meyer said that on Sept. 17, a server had fallen to 2% free disk space after two machines uploaded database dumps with the same filename to an iCloud folder. The service retained repeated conflict copies; Meyer counted 29 duplicate files. He said a separate cleanup problem on Oct. 29 caused a nightly backup job to report an error when deleting older copies timed out while iCloud was busy.
The purchased hardware comprises the DXP6800 Pro, four Seagate IronWolf Pro 16 TB drives and one NVMe SSD. Meyer’s planned configuration uses the four hard drives in RAID 6 for backups, which he estimates would provide about 32 TB of usable capacity and tolerate the failure of two drives. The SSD would sit in a separate storage pool for containers and test databases. These are proposed settings, not a report of a working system.
Meyer says the operation’s current backup need is about 6 to 8 TB. Measurements taken Oct. 6 put storage use at about 2.6 TB on the main desk machine, 744 GB on the database server, and 3.2 TB on the model server; much of the latter is model files that can be downloaded again. The publisher says it paid for the NAS and storage itself, received no sponsorship or sample from UGREEN, and included no affiliate links. It describes the piece as a setup plan, not a review or long-term test.
Infographic 01 · The box
Six bays, two fast slots, two 10GbE ports
What UGREEN lists for the NASync DXP6800 Pro, and how we plan to fill it.
How we fill it
Delivered and equipped; the setup is our plan (1 Nov 2026)
Bays 1–4: Seagate IronWolf Pro 16 TB, RAID 6, Btrfs → ≈ 32 TB usable, any two drives may fail. Bays 5–6: free for growth. M.2 slot 1: the NVMe SSD (ordered: Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB) as its own fast pool. Slot 2: free. Six 16 TB drives in RAID 6 would give ≈ 64 TB.
What else UGREEN lists
From the product page, not measured by us
- Separate 128 GB SSD for the operating system, UGOS
- RAID: JBOD, Basic, 0, 1, 5, 6, 10
- 1× PCIe x4 · 2× Thunderbolt 4 · 8K HDMI · SD card reader
- Power: 43.07 W drives in use · 24.91 W drives in hibernation
- Stated maximum: 208 TB with 32 TB drives · 3-year warranty
Why six bays: with RAID 6, two drives always hold parity. In four bays that leaves half the raw space usable; with all six bays filled it becomes two thirds.
Sources: UGREEN DXP6800 Pro product page, checked 1 Nov 2026; Seagate IronWolf Pro data sheet DS2129.4; our setup plan, 6 Oct 2026.
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A Local Copy for Faster Recovery
The purchase addresses a distinction between file synchronization and backup: synchronization can replicate deletions or unwanted files, while a separate backup is intended to preserve recoverable versions. In this case, the conflict copies consumed server space, and the cleanup job later stalled. Meyer says the NAS is intended to provide a local destination that could make restoration of large files faster than downloading them from cloud storage.
The plan also reflects operational risks beyond storage capacity. Meyer reports recurring kernel panics on the database Mac since August, with incidents at their worst occurring roughly every five days; one crash on Aug. 8 caused about 2¼ hours of database downtime. A NAS cannot prevent a computer crash, but a working, restorable copy could reduce the time needed to recover. Whether it will do so depends on successful setup, tested restores and the health of the backups.
The proposed system would separate routine device backups from copies protected against deletion and include an offsite encrypted copy. That matters because a local NAS alone would not protect against every event affecting the office, such as theft or damage to the site. The design remains a plan, however, and no completed recovery test is reported.
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From Sync Conflicts to NAS Selection
Meyer says the operation runs several Macs: one hosts its main Postgres database, another serves local AI models, and others handle publishing workflows and tests. The reported problem was not an unusually large data estate, but the way backup files were copied and managed. The Sept. 17 conflict and the Oct. 29 cleanup timeout led him to stop treating iCloud synchronization as a sufficient backup method.
The author chose the six-bay model over a less expensive four-bay NAS because it offers room to add drives without replacing the existing ones. According to UGREEN’s product specifications, the DXP6800 Pro has six SATA bays, two M.2 slots, a 10-core Intel Core i5-1235U, two 10-gigabit Ethernet ports and 8 GB of DDR5 memory, expandable to 64 GB. These are manufacturer specifications, not independently tested findings in Meyer’s article.
The planned safeguards include separate non-administrator accounts and storage quotas for the two Macs, daily snapshots that those accounts cannot access or delete, and an encrypted offsite copy using restic to Backblaze B2 with Object Lock. Meyer also says disk-heavy tasks would run overnight, and that the plan excludes internet-facing remote access, admin credentials for AI agents, and using UGREEN’s cloud mirror as the offsite backup. The approach follows the widely used 3-2-1 backup principle, which calls for multiple copies across different media, including one kept offsite.
“That was the day I stopped treating a sync service as a backup.”
— Thorsten Meyer, ThorstenMeyerAI.com
Setup and Recovery Tests Pending
The NAS has not been connected to the network, and the two acceptance tests have not run. Meyer says the operation is still using its existing backup routine: local Time Machine disks on two Macs and an iCloud copy of the nightly database dump. It is not yet known whether the NAS will support the intended account permissions and snapshot protections as configured, or how quickly a restore will work in practice.
The figures for usable RAID capacity are planning estimates; actual capacity and performance depend on configuration and use. The article also does not report a completed offsite backup, a recovery drill, or long-term noise and reliability results. Meyer says the drives are intended to sleep during working hours, but that has not been verified in operation.
Acceptance Tests Before Rollout
Meyer says the NAS must pass both planned checks before it becomes part of the operation’s backup setup: Time Machine must work through a non-admin account, and that account must not be able to access or delete protected snapshots. If either test fails, he says the device will be returned.
If the tests pass, the stated plan is to configure the RAID 6 hard-drive pool for backups, keep containers and test databases on the separate SSD pool, and add encrypted offsite copies. Meyer says he will report results after the NAS is running. Until then, the purchase is confirmed, but the system’s protection and recovery performance remain unverified.
Key Questions
Is the UGREEN NAS already backing up the Macs?
No. As of Nov. 1, 2026, the device had been delivered and equipped, but Meyer said it was not yet on the network or set up. The existing backups remain in place.
Why did Meyer choose the six-bay model?
He says the extra bays provide room to expand storage without replacing existing drives. The six-bay capacity was the reason he chose it over a cheaper four-bay model.
What storage layout is planned?
The plan is to use four 16 TB hard drives in RAID 6 for backups, with an estimated 32 TB usable, and a separate NVMe SSD pool for containers and test databases. This configuration has not yet been set up.
What has to happen before the NAS is accepted?
It must pass a Time Machine test using a non-admin account and a test showing that the account cannot access or delete protected snapshots. Meyer says the device will be returned if either test fails.
Does the NAS replace the offsite backup?
No. Meyer’s plan calls for an additional encrypted offsite copy using restic and Backblaze B2 with Object Lock. Neither that configuration nor a successful restore has been reported as complete.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
