Adding Larger Data Disk Before Parity Disks Upgrade


Gico

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I have two 12TB parity disks, and I want to add to the array a 16TB disk, so only 12 TB of the data disk would be available.

When I will replace the parity disks, would the extra 4TB on the data disk be available immediately, after restart,

or any other action would be needed?

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You will not be able to do this! The parity drive(s) must always be larger than a data drive.  (NOTE: one parity drive may be larger than the other parity drive!)   Begin by reading this thread:

 

Is this your situation?  

 

If you have a drive that has failed and you want to replace with a larger drive than the parity drives, you will not be able to do the above.  For cases such as this, there is a special procedure known as a 'Parity Swap Procedure'.   The instructions are found here:

 

    https://wiki.unraid.net/The_parity_swap_procedure

 

 

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Background: Current server has 20 disk slots that are fully utilized, although not all disks are 12TB yet.

(Tried so far to leave 2 backup disks with 3.3v pin issue permanently installed because of the tape I used to cover that pin).

I want to begin changing the server to 16TB or 18 TB disks.

and a new server (planned to be built this year) would have 24 slots so I can use the "smaller" 12TB disks.

I would like to avoid adding 12TB disks to the current server,

so I though I can expand (add a new drive, not replace) my array now with the 16TB disk that I already have,

and replace the parity disks with larger ones later.

(Have to order oversea + Covid delays + test the drives, so it will take sometime...),

I guess I cannot do this, so first I'll replace the parity drives.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

 

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