(SOLVED) replacing multiple disks "safely" without doing it the longest way possible

[another_hoarder]

Hi fellow un-raiders,

 

I've been on 6.9.0-stable for several days without any issues (other than the AutoFan extension causing disks to not spin down) and eager to do some disk shifts, for the first time ever.  I'm on Unraid OS-Plus, 10 disk array (9+1 partity) + 1 cache SSD + 1 unassigned SSD.  My array has only had a few purpose bought drives and a ton of leftovers ... so here's what I'd like to get done with two newly shucked 14TB Seagate Expansion drives:

- replace my single parity drive (shucked 14TB replaces 4TB WD Red)

- replace another drive (4TB with smart error will get replaced by above 4TH WD Red)

- replace super old drive (1TB drive with will get replaced by the 2nd 14TB shucked drive)

 

So - do I need to still preclear the new 14TBs?  Within array or run them via basic DBAN?  And any suggestions on getting the above accomplished without too many clicks or days spent on the maintenance?  Thanks!

(Visually - new 14TBd1 becomes Parity, new 14TBd2 becomes Disk 5, old Parity 4TB becomes Disk 6. )

[itimpi]

You are going to have to do the changes in 3 steps (starting with the parity drive) as with single parity you can only do 1 disk at a time.

 

Preclearing the disk(s) is not required unless you want to run an initial stress test before committing them to the unRaid array.  Also you cannot run preclear against a disk that is already part of the array.

[another_hoarder]

Perfect, thanks @itimpi.  I've started on the path of doing parity swap + move parity to data as 1 step (eg making the two drives go blue, starting 'Copy Parity' function).  It's at 45% right now.  I'm hoping that when it finishes I can just start the array and allow parity to rebuild the 1TB data onto the old 4TB parity drive.  Thus I'll have done first two steps as really one step.  When that's done I can replace the last drive with the 2nd 14TB and again allow for a parity rebuild. 

 

So potentially two steps all in all.  Quick sanity check, does that look alright?

[itimpi]

2 minutes ago, another_hoarder said:

Perfect, thanks @itimpi.  I've started on the path of doing parity swap + move parity to data as 1 step (eg making the two drives go blue, starting 'Copy Parity' function).  It's at 45% right now.  I'm hoping that when it finishes I can just start the array and allow parity to rebuild the 1TB data onto the old 4TB parity drive.  Thus I'll have done first two steps as really one step.  When that's done I can replace the last drive with the 2nd 14TB and again allow for a parity rebuild. 

 

So potentially two steps all in all.  Quick sanity check, does that look alright?

That will work but actually since the parity swap procedure first works on the parity drive first and then only starts on the data drive when that completes it automatically  starts rebuilding the data drive so does not really save much time over doing it in 2 steps.    I would have kept them separate just so I had points at which I could check  that the previous step was OK.

[another_hoarder]

OK, thank you kindly!