Shu

I'm using the "rsync" cli utility to copy (move, really) files from my old server to this array (I'm setting up unraid for the first time this week). I used to use StableBit Drivepool which, similarly, had complete files written to disk and I had my largest folder with a 2x duplication rule. I believe "rsync" is the right utility to use when there is the high likelihood for many duplicate files. I used the Unassigned Devices plugin to mount the unassigned disks to be able to read from them. I hope this makes sense

Thanks, trurl! It took a couple of days for me but it's starting to make sense And you are correct, disks 2 through 8 have yet to be added. I am rsync-ing my other 4tb drive right now and that will get slotting into the disk 2 spot.

I feel like I'm in similar situation but I have my Split level to automatically split any directory as required (allocation is high water). My 4tb drive is 3tb full but my two other 1tb drives haven't been touched yet (if it helps, the 4tb drive is Disk 1 and the other two are Disk 9 and 10 - I am currently moving data using rsync from unassigned drives to the array and then slowly adding these drives to the array in order from large to small). Edit (a few minutes later): I think I may have misunderstood how high allocation works. I was thinking it would go until one drive is 50% full then the next drive until it is 50% full and then circle back to 75% and so on. But from this graphic (Allocation Method) I *think* I understand now that my high water level is, at first, 2tb. Because my other drives are 1tb, they don't have 2tb "free". Then it goes back to the 4tb drive, changes the high water level to 1tb. Fill up to then and then moves on to the other drives. But because they are 1tb drives, they will have met that 1tb high water level already. The array will then go back to drive 1, set the high water level to 500gb, fill up to then, and then it will actually start writing to the other 1tb drives (until 500gb remains). ^-- Is that right? Edit 2: In the tooltip for Allocation Method, it reads: I think that last parenthetical is a bit misleading (or ripe for confusion) when an array is built with drives of vastly different sizes as the data might not really be distributed evenly across the array.

Did you ever get more info on this problem? I seem to have an issue with my array not following the high water allocation either. My 4tb drive is at 3tb used but my two other 1tb drives haven't been written to at all. Edit (some minutes later): I actually think our issues are not the same - I had misunderstood how High Water allocation works. Though I do hope you were able to reach a conclusion. (I'm also not sure of best practice, to have this edit saying nevermind or to delete me reply entirely...)

I just came across this thread looking for this exact answer. If it helps in the future: here's a video that walks through the process: