Reolink Disk Group Mode is an advanced storage management feature that lets you logically partition physical hard drives into up to 2 independent disk groups. Each group handles cyclic read/write operations for its assigned camera channels — independently and in parallel.
Applies to: RP-N64
This article will include three parts:
What Is Disk Group Mode?
The Reolink NVR RP-N64 is equipped with 4 HDD bays (supporting up to 4 × 20TB). Disk Group Mode distributes recording channels across multiple disks to improve write performance and maintain stable multi-channel recording. When many cameras are connected, a single hard drive may lack sufficient bandwidth. Disk Group Mode helps balance the write load.
Key characteristics:
- Recommended configuration: Up to 2 disk groups can be configured (e.g., a "2+2" split across 4 HDDs, or a "1+3" split).
- Independent overwrite: Each disk group performs cyclic read/write independently — when one disk group's storage is full, it overwrites the oldest recordings within that disk group only.
- Channel reassignment: After initial setup, channels can be reassigned to different disk groups at any time through the configuration interface, so recordings from different areas are physically isolated on different drives.
- Minimum requirement: At least 2 HDDs must be installed to enable Disk Group Mode. The feature is unavailable with only 1 HDD detected.
Why Use Disk Group Mode?
Standard Reolink NVRs use a conventional loop overwrite mode where all channels write to a single shared storage pool — drives fill up sequentially, one after another. While this works for smaller setups (8–16 channels), a 64-channel Reolink NVR faces significant challenges under this mode. Disk Group Mode addresses three core issues:
Differentiated Storage Capacity
Different monitoring zones have different priorities and storage needs. For example, a finance office with multiple cameras requires far more storage than a low-traffic corridor. Disk Group Mode lets you bind specific channels to designated disk groups, ensuring that critical footage has dedicated storage space and won't be overwritten by less important recordings.
Physical Isolation & Fault Tolerance
If all recordings are scattered across all drives indiscriminately, a single drive failure can cause fragmented data loss across every channel. By grouping disks, you achieve data isolation — a failure in one group only affects the specific cameras assigned to it, protecting the rest of your system.
I/O Performance Optimization
High-resolution cameras (4K/8K) demand significant write bandwidth. With all 64 channels writing to a single drive pool, the I/O load can cause bottlenecks, leading to frame drops or recording stutter. Disk Group Mode distributes high-traffic streams across separate drive groups, balancing the load and ensuring smooth, reliable recording.
Example Scenario
Consider a mid-sized manufacturing campus that uses a Reolink RP-N64 with 4 hard drives to record 64 camera channels:
| Monitoring Area | Recording Requirement | Disk Group | Storage Allocation |
| Assembly line workstations | 24/7 continuous recording | Disk Group 1 |
SATA 1 – 12TB SATA 2 – 12TB SATA 3 – 12TB Total: 36TB |
| Campus perimeter | Motion-triggered recording | Disk Group 2 |
SATA 4 – 12TB Total: 12TB |
In this example, the assembly line area requires the longest retention and 24/7 recording, so it is assigned to Group 1 with three drives (36TB). The perimeter, which only needs motion recording, is assigned to Group 2 with one drive (12TB). Each group operates independently — recordings are stored and overwritten within their own group only.
How to Set Up Disk Group Mode
Prerequisite: At least 2 hard drives must be installed.
Step 1: Enable Disk Group Mode
Navigate to Storage > Disk Mode and enable Disk Group Mode.
Step 2: Assign HDDs to Disk Groups
After enabling Disk Group Mode, a configuration pop-up will appear automatically. Assign each detected HDD to a disk group (Group 1 or Group 2). Then click "OK".
If you want to configure the disk group again, click Disk Group Configuration.
Step 3: Assign Channels to Disk Groups
Channels can be assigned individually or in bulk:
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Choose the desired channel and click Disk Group 1 or Disk Group 2.
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Or select the desired channels and click Bulk Assign to complete the assignment.
Done! You have configured successfully; recordings from each camera channel will be automatically saved to its assigned disk group. When a disk group becomes full, loop overwrite will activate within that group only.
Important notes:
1. When Disk Group Mode is enabled, the system applies the following defaults automatically:
| Number of HDDs Installed | Default Assignment |
| 2 HDDs | The slot with the smaller number → Group 1; the other → Group 2 |
| 3 or 4 HDDs | SATA 1 & SATA 2 → Group 1; SATA 3 & SATA 4 → Group 2 |
Default Channel-to-Group Assignment
- Channels 1–32 → Group 1 (by default)
- Channels 33–64 → Group 2 (by default)
Users can customize channel grouping at any time — individually or in batches.
2. If Disk Group Mode is not enabled and the number of connected channels reaches 40, the system will display a pop-up notification recommending that you enable Disk Group Mode to optimize read/write performance.
3. If a disk group is reduced to a single hard drive and that drive is removed, the group becomes invalid. Recording for that group will be paused, and the user will be notified via a pop-up message.
4. The RP-N64 supports both standard loop recording mode and disk group mode. Users can choose between them according to their needs.
If you have any questions, click “Submit a request” below to contact the Reolink Support Team.