Unable to add new HDD to Array (licence error?)

[hi2hello]

Hello,

 

i wanted to add a new HDD to my server which would be device number 6 (1 Parity, 4 Data Drives, 1 Cache).Currently, there are 5 devices attached (1 Parity, 3 Data Drives, 1 Cache).

As far as i know, 6 devices are supported by the Unraid OS Basic Licence that i own.

Unfortunately, it just does not work to set up the new HDD as Data Drive #4.

 

As soon as I stop the array, unraid lets me add a second parity, which is not what i want, as I d like to use the new disk as data disk. The possibility to add a 4th data-drive is just appearing, when i switch the number of slots from 5 to 6 down at the bottom of the array-rider. Than i can add the HDD as 4th device but I am getting an error that says "too many devices" (7 devices are shown, so it seems that Parity 2, which is not assigned and should not be, is also counted.)

 

Any idea what I am doing wrong?

 

Thanks for your kind help. Very much appreciated. 

[JorgeB]

9 minutes ago, hi2hello said:

so it seems that Parity 2, which is not assigned and should not be, is also counted

It won't be that, please post the diagnostics.

[hi2hello]

Please find the diagnostics attached.

 

2 questions: 

1. I was rebuilding the array under Tools / New Config, so there is actually no valid parity. Do I need to rebuild parity before I can add another drive?

2. Does the new drive must be precelared before adding it to the array or is it enough to format it?

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by hi2hello
Diagnostics removed

[JorgeB]

39 minutes ago, hi2hello said:

Do I need to rebuild parity before I can add another drive?

Yep.

 

39 minutes ago, hi2hello said:

Does the new drive must be precelared before adding it to the array or is it enough to format it?

It must be cleared, not precleared, if you're still rebuilding parity might just do another new config and add the new disk now, this way it will only need formatting.

[hi2hello]

Ok, so I am rebuilding parity now and as this takes about 1,5 days (honestly not too happy about it, as I was already doing this a few days ago), I am also precelaring the new disk. Takes pretty much the same amount of time. 

 

Once this is all done, am I getting it right, that with the following procedure:

- stop array

- change slots to "5"

- select the new hdd under data disk 4

it should than be possible, to restart the array and having an array of an overall 6 disks? 

 

Am I getting this correct?

 

Thank you very much. 

Edited March 28, 2022 by hi2hello

[JorgeB]

Array slots must be set to at least 6 to have a 4rth data disk, and you can have 5 array disks total since you have a cache device, other than that it's correct.

[hi2hello]

Ok. Thanks for the info.

 

One more question:

Once the new disk is precleared, I assume that I can attach it to the array and it than will be marked "unformatted" after restarting the array?

There would be a format command for the newly attached disk BUT, would this then automatically put xfs on it, or would I have a choice?

 

In other words:

I would like to use btrfs for the new disk and I am not sure on how to accomplish this

(as i think that formatting the drive after attaching it to the array automatically will put xfs to it)

 

I am aware, that there will be an option to format the precleard drive with unassigned devices, but I am not sure if the preclear infos will than be lost / wiped and I d had to start over again with preclearing / clearing.

 

Thank your very much for your advice

 

EDIT: I think I found it. 

Under Settings > Disk Settings > Standard Data Filesystem

I assume, changing this from xfs to btrfs would than automatically format a new disk with btrfs?

 

Can you confirm this? 

Edited March 30, 2022 by hi2hello

[JorgeB]

55 minutes ago, hi2hello said:

I assume, changing this from xfs to btrfs would than automatically format a new disk with btrfs?

Yes, that sets the default for any new filesystem, you can also click on the disk with the array stopped and change the filesystem for any disk.

[hi2hello]

Done.

After the disk preclear was finished, everything went just as intended.

 

@JorgeB Thank you very much for your kind support and the helping hand!

Very much appreciated!