16-Bay Dual-Controller Enterprise ZFS NAS
QNAP ES1686dc-2142IT-96G Enterprise NAS
A 3U dual-active-controller enterprise NAS with sixteen 3.5-inch SAS bays, 48GB RDIMM DDR4 ECC per controller, four 10GbE SFP+ ports per controller and redundant hot-swap power.
High-availability 16-bay storage with QES and ZFS
The QNAP ES1686dc-2142IT-96G is a dual-active-controller Enterprise ZFS NAS built for business workloads that prioritise service continuity and data protection. It combines sixteen 3.5-inch SAS bays with QES, ZFS data services, per-controller 10GbE connectivity, PCIe expansion and redundant power in a 3U rackmount chassis.
Key features and benefits
Dual active controllers
The dual-controller architecture is designed to support high availability and redundancy.
Sixteen 3.5-inch SAS bays
The bays support the listed 3.5-inch SAS hard drives, 2.5-inch SAS hard drives and 2.5-inch SAS solid-state drives.
QES with ZFS
QES provides the listed snapshots, SnapSync, inline deduplication and inline compression functions.
Per-controller 10GbE
Four 10GbE SFP+ ports are listed for each controller.
48GB ECC per controller
Each controller includes 48GB RDIMM DDR4 ECC, with a stated maximum of 512GB.
Redundant power and cooling
Redundant hot-swap power and hot-swappable fan modules support enterprise rack deployment.
Who is this model best for?
A strong choice for
- High-availability business storage
- Mission-critical file services
- Virtualisation and VDI storage
- Enterprise backup and recovery
- 3U rackmount deployments using SAS drives
Consider another model if you need
- You require confirmed processor clock wording before purchase
- You need 2.5-inch-only all-flash bays
- You need a single-controller desktop NAS
Key specifications
- Memory
- 48GB RDIMM DDR4 ECC per controller
- Maximum memory
- 512GB per controller configuration
- Drive bays
- 16 × 3.5-inch SAS 12Gb/s
- Drive compatibility
- 3.5-inch SAS HDD; 2.5-inch SAS HDD and SSD
- 10GbE
- 4 × 10GbE SFP+ per controller
- Gigabit Ethernet
- 3 ports per controller; one assigned for remote management
- PCIe slots
- 2 × PCIe Gen3 x8 per controller
- Form factor
- 3U rackmount
- Power supply
- Redundant hot-swap, 770W
- Dimensions
- 132 × 446.2 × 587.75 mm
Full technical specifications
Processor, memory and storage
| CPU Architecture | 64-bit x86 |
|---|---|
| Floating Point Unit | Supported |
| Encryption Engine | Supported (AES-NI) |
| System Memory | 48 GB RDIMM DDR4 ECC (4 x 4 GB+4 x 8GB) per controller |
| Maximum Memory | 512 GB (8 x 64GB) |
| Memory Slot | 8 x R-DIMM/LR-DIMM DDR4 IMPORTANT: You can only use one type of dual in-line memory module (DIMM) at a time. Do not use registered DIMM (RDIMM) with load-reduction DIMM (LRDIMM) memory. |
| Flash Memory | 4GB (Dual boot OS protection) |
| Drive Bay | 16 x 3.5-inch SAS 12Gb/s, backward-compatible to SAS 6Gb/s |
| Drive Compatibility | 3.5-inch bays: 3.5-inch SAS hard disk drives 2.5-inch SAS hard disk drives 2.5-inch SAS solid state drives |
| Max. Number of Concurrent Connections (CIFS) - with Max. Memory | 10000 |
Software and system features
| Hot-swappable | Supported |
|---|---|
| SSD Cache Acceleration Support | Supported Read cache only |
| Cache for Copy To Flash (C2F) | 1 per each controller (64GB M.2 SSD) |
| PCIe Slot | 2 per controller Slot 1: PCIe Gen 3 x8 (CPU) Slot 2: PCIe Gen 3 x8 (CPU) Card dimensions for PCIe slot 1~Slot 2:215 x 68.9 x 18.76 mm / 8.46 x 2.71 x 0.74 inches. Wider cards can be installed if the next PCIe slot will not be used. |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 port | 2 per each controller Note: The USB ports are for engineering purpose only. No external devices such as storage drives or UPS are supported. |
| System Warning | Buzzer |
| Safety Standard | FCC Class A (USA only) CE Mark ( EN55022 Class A, EN55024) EN60950 BSMI VCCI CB LVD |
Network, ports and switching
| Gigabit Ethernet Port (RJ45) | 3 for each controller (assign one for remote management) |
|---|---|
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet Port | 4 x 10GbE SFP+ for each controller |
| Wake on LAN (WOL) | Supported |
| Jumbo Frame | Supported |
Physical, environmental and power
| Form Factor | 3U Rackmount |
|---|---|
| LED Indicators | System Power LED (Green): on/off System Status (Green/ Orange): in operation, system errors, low power, degraded RAID mode, memory failure, fan/power supply failure, system/disk temperature too high, storage pool reaching threshold value, system performing take-over, power supply unit unplugged LCD Status Display (Two-digit number): Status of JBOD connection |
| Buttons | Power, Reset |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 132 × 446.2 × 587.75 mm |
| Weight (Net) | 30.22 kg |
| Weight (Gross) | 34.92 kg |
| Operating Temperature | 0 - 40 °C (32°F - 104°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -20 - 70°C (-4°F - 158°F) |
| Relative Humidity | 5-95% RH non-condensing, wet bulb: 27°C (80.6°F) |
| Power Supply Unit | Redundant/ Hot Swap Power Vin:90~264VAC;770W |
| Power Consumption: Operating Mode, Typical | 500.87 W Tested with drives fully populated. |
| Fan | Hot-swappable fan module (60*60*38mm; 16000RPM/12v/2.8A x 3) |
Frequently asked questions about the ES1686dc-2142IT-96G
What is the QNAP ES1686dc-2142IT-96G?
It is a 3U dual-active-controller Enterprise ZFS NAS with sixteen 3.5-inch SAS bays.
How much memory is included?
The specifications list 48GB RDIMM DDR4 ECC per controller.
How many drive bays does it have?
It has sixteen 3.5-inch SAS bays.
Which drives are listed as compatible?
The listed compatibility includes 3.5-inch SAS hard drives, 2.5-inch SAS hard drives and 2.5-inch SAS solid-state drives.
How many 10GbE ports are provided?
Four 10GbE SFP+ ports are listed for each controller.
Does it support hot-swappable drives?
Yes. Hot-swappable drive support is listed.
How many PCIe slots are included?
Each controller has two PCIe Gen3 x8 slots.
What form factor does it use?
It uses a 3U rackmount chassis.
What are its dimensions?
The stated dimensions are 132 × 446.2 × 587.75 mm.
Does this configuration include drives?
No. This is a diskless configuration.
Important information
This is a diskless system.
The USB ports are specified for engineering purposes only; external devices such as storage drives and UPS units are not supported.
