R680 isn't generally associated with archive storage; but I wouldn't stop you if you'd want to go that route: it's great that it can serve both as archive class (fail-safe but not necessarily fast) - and performance (fast but not necesarily fail-safe) storage.
For expansion, you'd want to get Mini-SAS expander-style boxes; once a box fills up, connect another one to the back - this way you can create a new RAID set or expand the existing one seamlessly, with the R680.
(As I mentioned before, there is a cost associated with R680: RAID-qualified drives are generally more expensive than desktop ones.)
ST8-U5 is the non-expander type. Raidon/Stardom doesn't make expander type boxes AFAIK. I'll check if Areca / CinemaRAID does.
Alex (
DV411)
