Hard drive, replacement sort of

[talkto_menow]

This is my first post. I would like to thank you for such a great product. I have a question regarding hard drive replacement. I looked through the forum but I was not able to find answers to I was looking for.

 

My array consist of 6 disks. Disk3 is 300gb, it has some data (10% of capacity). I would like to remove this disk from array.

 

What would happend at this point? This one drive will be missing from array along with the data stored on it?

 

I would like to add SSD drive to the array in as Disk3, but I do not want the data to be rebuild on this drive. I would like to create one share on this drive. I know that under shares tab you can specify which disks can be included or excluded from specific share.

[mikechy]

This sounds like what you're looking to do.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=14073.0

 

[talkto_menow]

Thank you for this thread, however it seems that running ''initconfig'' will invalidate parity, and will have to be rebuild?

and probably the best option will be to move data from the disk I am planning to remove to some other share?

[Rembro]

Thank you for this thread, however it seems that running ''initconfig'' will invalidate parity, and will have to be rebuild?

and probably the best option will be to move data from the disk I am planning to remove to some other share?

 

Hello talkto_menow,

 

If i understand you correct you want to shrink your UnRaid array (get disk3 out) without losing the data on that disk.

And later add another drive (SSD) without rebuilding the old data from disk3 on the SSD.

 

You must have a working PARITY DRIVE assigned for the steps below.

 

If this is the case? you can follow these steps.

Please give some more information about your setup and version of UnRaid before you go trough with this.

 

''Making the assumption your SSD is smaller than 300GB''

 

PART 1

 

1: Take a screenshot from your setup so you exactly know which drive is parity , disk 1 , disk 2 etc (brand)+(type)+(serial)

    you later must choose this again for drive-assignment.

2: stop array

3: shutdown

4: get disk 3 out

5: start up without disk3

5: do a initconfig (only the config of the drives will be reset , not the data)

 

Now you assign your drives in the exact same setup as before, look at the screenshot or printout (your old setup without disk 3)

 

6: Drive-assignment correct? Start Array.

7: The array will be rebuild/reconstruct the smaller array with 5 drives along with the data from disk3 (rebuild from parity drive)

 

This wil take a few hours depending on the size of your drives

Moving data between shares is also a possibility but when you pull this drive out and unassign it in UnRaid and startup again.

UnRaid will still keep saying '' missing disk' and you have to do a ''initconfig'' anyway.

 

PART 2:

 

adding the SSD drive to the array.

 

After the previous rebuild has completed.

 

1: Stop the array

2: Shutdown

3: Add the SSD to a sata port

4: Startup

5: Assign the SSD

6: Start the Array

7: The array wil be expanded with the SSD , problably do a parity check.

 

Think this would be the right steps to take for you.

[talkto_menow]

I apologize if I was not clear about what I wanted to do. But You are correct I would like to shrink unRaid array to 5 disks without loosing data from removed hard drive. So even though disk3 is completely removed, parity should hold data from this disk, and if I understand correctly running initconfig and rebuild/reconstructing array from parity to smaller size (5 disks) should preserve this data.

 

Second step will be to add SSD drive 64GB to array and create only one share, other shares will be excluded from writing to this disk.

 

I am using unRaid 4.7

 

Disk configuration:

 

parity device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-0:0:1:0 host1 (sdb) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7J9BZA05326

disk1 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0 host2 (sdc) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7J9BZA05332

disk2 device: pci-0000:00:1f.5-scsi-1:0:0:0 host4 (sdf) WDC_WD1001FALS-00J7B0_WD-WMATV0092482

disk3 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-0:0:0:0 host1 (sda) WDC_WD3200AAKS-22SBA0_WD-WCAPZ1658550

disk4 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:1:0 host2 (sdd) WDC_WD7500AAKS-00RBA0_WD-WCAPT0745065

disk5 device: pci-0000:00:1f.5-scsi-0:0:0:0 host3 (sde) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7JD2B412313

cache device: unassigned

[Rembro]

I apologize if I was not clear about what I wanted to do. But You are correct I would like to shrink unRaid array to 5 disks without loosing data from removed hard drive. So even though disk3 is completely removed, parity should hold data from this disk, and if I understand correctly running initconfig and rebuild/reconstructing array from parity to smaller size (5 disks) should preserve this data.

 

Second step will be to add SSD drive 64GB to array and create only one share, other shares will be excluded from writing to this disk.

 

I am using unRaid 4.7

 

Disk configuration:

 

parity device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-0:0:1:0 host1 (sdb) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7J9BZA05326

disk1 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0 host2 (sdc) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7J9BZA05332

disk2 device: pci-0000:00:1f.5-scsi-1:0:0:0 host4 (sdf) WDC_WD1001FALS-00J7B0_WD-WMATV0092482

disk3 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-0:0:0:0 host1 (sda) WDC_WD3200AAKS-22SBA0_WD-WCAPZ1658550

disk4 device: pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:1:0 host2 (sdd) WDC_WD7500AAKS-00RBA0_WD-WCAPT0745065

disk5 device: pci-0000:00:1f.5-scsi-0:0:0:0 host3 (sde) SAMSUNG_HD204UI_S2H7JD2B412313

cache device: unassigned

 

 

Yess, we understand each other - the steps i mentioned should be right then.

I pulled this off not so long ago also with 4.7 and the 5 drive PLUS Licence.

 

Actual data on it + - 4TB , the raid array being 9TB

 

parity 2TB

disk1 2TB

disk2 2TB

disk3 2TB

disk4 1.5TB

disk5 1.5TB

Cache 2TB

 

I could sell my 2 1.5TB for a good price to change them in time for 2TB's or bigger , of course i pulled 1 drive at a time

Now the raid array is 6TB

 

Another question i have for you: What is your main goal with that SSD?

Because setting up a only share was also possible with that 300GB drive

 

If you have the place in your case and enough sata ports you can also think about to assign that WD3200AAKS as a cache drive.

[Joe L.]

I apologize if I was not clear about what I wanted to do. But You are correct I would like to shrink unRaid array to 5 disks without loosing data from removed hard drive. So even though disk3 is completely removed, parity should hold data from this disk, and if I understand correctly running initconfig and rebuild/reconstructing array from parity to smaller size (5 disks) should preserve this data.

You understand wrong.

 

Running initconfig will IMMEDIATELY INVALIDATE PARITY. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO USE PARITY TO RECONSTRUCT ONTO A NEW DRIVE.

[Rembro]

I pulled this off, did i remember my steps wrong?  

 

When i remember it's possible that i moved the data from the '' to be removed" drives first to the other drives.

 

Then these steps would be fine?

 

[dark_avenger]

Enable disk shares and copy the data from the drive you are removing to another drive then remove it from the array.