#1: RDS2216-2XG-4S+4XS-2XQ

Take Back Control

Third parties control your data. Should they? Your business, your files, your future – handed over to external providers with unclear policies and unknown risks. Stop relying on the cloud. Own your infrastructure.
Introducing the Rose Data Server (RDS2216) – a high-performance, all-in-one storage, networking, and container platform designed for enterprise environments. Secure, scalable, and under your control.
 

Why Choose RDS2216?

• 20 U.2 NVMe storage slots – Ultra-fast, high-density storage for demanding workloads.
• 100G high-speed networking – 2× 100G QSFP28 ports, 4× 25G SFP28 ports, 4× 10G SFP+ ports, 2× 10G Ethernet ports, and an extra SFF-8644 interface for flexible connectivity.
• 16-core 2 GHz ARM CPU + 32GB DDR4 RAM – High-performance processing for networking, storage, and virtualization.
• Massive energy savings – Cut power consumption and heat output while maintaining high performance – an eco-friendly solution for data-heavy environments.
• Runs RouterOS – The most flexible, modular networking OS. Supports advanced storage capabilities, including exporting block devices over NVMe-TCP, encryption layers, and modular storage configurations for scalable infrastructure. No subscriptions. No paywalls.
• Container-ready – Run MinIO, Nextcloud, Shinobi, Frigate, and other OCI compliant containers with ease. We’ve added two USB ports for additional devices and further adaptability.
• Includes dual hot-swappable power supplies – Ensuring uninterrupted operation and quick replacement without unnecessary downtime.

Real-World Applications

Self-hosted MinIO cloud storage

S3-compatible, ultra-fast, no vendor lock-in. Your cloud. Your terms. No hidden fees or security risks – just enterprise-grade object storage you control.
 

Enterprise cloud hosting

Secure document storage with full NextCloud support. Built-in BTRFS enterprise features – snapshots, compression, and subvolume transfers – ensure efficiency, scalability, and data integrity. Give your employees peace of mind when they create, edit and share important documents!
 

High-speed backup & database clusters

RAID, iSCSI, NVMe-TCP, and TCG-Opal self-encrypting drives ensure secure, high-performance storage. Designed for PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and mission-critical workloads with near-instant failover and future-proof scalability as NVMe technology advances.
 

Containerized infrastructure

Run VMs, automate workloads, and build scalable systems. For memory-intensive applications, built-in swap support prevents out-of-memory failures, ensuring smooth performance even under heavy workloads.
 

Branch office storage expansion

Branch office routers (like hAP ax2) can mount NFS, SMB, or NVMe-TCP storage—no need for local USB/SD storage. Need fine-tuned control? RouterOS lets you encrypt, format, and share storage over multiple protocols—modular and scalable, just like your network. This enables hundreds of routers to run containerized apps, store logs, and access shared data—without requiring local storage.
 

Auto-encrypting storage

TCG-Opal self-encrypting drives for hardware-level security. When hardware encryption isn’t an option, built-in block device encryption ensures data protection without performance trade-offs—effortless GDPR compliance.
 

Private social media hosting

Host your own Pixelfed, Loops, or Matrix network. No tracking. No ads. No external interference—true digital independence. The world is moving local for a reason.
 

One Device. Endless Possibilities.

It’s a breakthrough in flexible networking and storage for the most demanding enterprise environments. Reliable 100-Gigabit connectivity. Ultra-fast NVMe storage support. Containers. Enterprise-grade performance.

• No subscriptions. No paywalls. Just pure, future-proof performance.
• You buy it – you own it. Forever. That’s a core MikroTik principle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is PCIe Gen3 with 1-2 lanes per drive fast enough?

Each U.2 drive in the RDS is connected with 2× PCIe 3.0 lanes (16 Gbps per drive), and the entire disk plane has a 16× PCIe 3.0 connection to the CPU (128 Gbps total). In practical use, CPU performance will be the limiting factor before PCIe bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, especially with multiple drives handling parallel workloads. When writing large files over NVMe-TCP, the system can sustain up to 50 Gbps continuous write speeds.

Additionally, most SSDs can’t fully saturate their theoretical interface speeds due to NAND flash limitations, meaning even high-end Gen4 drives won’t always see a real-world advantage over Gen3 in practical workloads.
 

Can the CPU handle 200G networking and 20 NVMe drives with PCIe 3.0?

The RDS isn’t just storage—it’s also a high-speed router. The network interfaces are designed for routing, virtualization, and compute workloads, not just disk access. While based on the bestselling CCR2216 router, the system has been fine-tuned for performance across networking, storage, and compute tasks.

Additionally, the latest RouterOS includes optimizations like ROSE storage enhancements, improved multi-threading, and better RAID/disk management, ensuring efficient workload distribution and seamless operation of NVMe storage and high-speed networking.
 

What if I don’t want to use U.2 drives? I already have an archive of SSDs.

No problem! The RDS supports adapters for M.2, allowing you to repurpose your existing drives. While U.2 drives offer better durability and enterprise-grade endurance, the flexibility to use different storage types ensures you can customize the system to fit your needs.
 

What about single point of failure principles?

The RDS is designed with redundancy in mind to minimize risks: dual hot-swappable power supplies ensure continuous operation even if one fails. RAID improves storage redundancy and helps maintain system stability, but unexpected drive failures can still impact overall operation.

NVMe-TCP allows external storage integration, enabling data redundancy across multiple units. RouterOS features like VRRP and bonding can provide network failover.

Also, multiple RDS units can be used in a cluster.
 

Why is it green?

The green design reflects its energy efficiency and eco-friendly approach. The RDS is built to reduce power consumption while delivering high performance, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional power-hungry enterprise servers.
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” – Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Does it have Layer 3 offloading?

Yes! It features the 98DX4310 switch chip, the same one used in the CRS510-8XS-2XQ and CRS504-4XQ, providing L3HW offloading capabilities. For detailed specs on Layer 3 offloading, check here: MikroTik Layer 3 Offloading

#2: Included in delivery

• 1x RDS2216-2XG-4S+4XS-2XQ
  • 2x IEC cord
  • 1x K-90 Fastening set
  • 1x Rackmount ears (ROSE)
  • 1x Small rear support ears (ROSE)
  • 1x Long rear Rackmound support ears (ROSE)

#3: Specifications - Technical details

Powering

Ethernet

Fiber

Peripherals

Other

Certification & Approvals

#4: Test results according to RFC2544

Ethernet test results

1. All tests are done with Xena Networks specialized test equipment (XenaBay),and done according to RFC2544 (Xena2544)
2. Max throughput is determined with 30+ second attempts with 0,1% packet loss tolerance in 64, 512, 1518 byte packet sizes
3. Test results show device maximum performance, and are reached using mentioned hardware and software configuration, different configurations most likely will result in lower results

IPsec test results

1. All tests are done with Xena Networks specialized test equipment (XenaBay),and done according to RFC2544 (Xena2544)
2. Max throughput is determined with 30+ second attempts with 0,1% packet loss tolerance in 64, 512, 1400 byte packet sizes
3. Test results show device maximum performance, and are reached using mentioned hardware and software configuration, different configurations most likely will result in lower results

The device has an operating system preinstalled and licensed. No separate purchase is necessary and the product is ready to use. The device includes free software updates for the life of the product or a minimum of 5 years starting from date of purchase..
 

#5: Product video & tips

• Product video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1wpIIfYpZA
• Brochure: https://cdn.mikrotik.com/web-assets/product_files/RDS2216-2XG-4S4XS-2XQ_250214.pdf
• Block Diagram: https://cdn.mikrotik.com/web-assets/product_files/RDS2216-2G2S4XS-2XQ_250232.png
• RouterOS Software Manual: https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ROS/RouterOS
• How to ROSE-Storage: https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/ROS/pages/259031065/ROSE-storage
• Wired Interface compatibility (Q/SFP/+): https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ROS/MikroTik+wired+interface+compatibility
• Hints for starting and handling RouterOS in our Blog: RouterOS, Reset, Netinstall, Winbox, Wiki, Supout.rif, 60GHz Ausrichtung uvm