I am in a situation where my server can only fit 8 hdds and I currently have 2 14tb parity drives and 6 data drives (so I'm full). I just bought two 16tb drives to install. From my understanding, would I do the following: 

 

1. Stop the array
2. Unassign the data drive #1 (can/should I do this for both drives at once?)
3. Start the array (data drive should be showing as 'Not installed')
4. Stop the array again
5. Power down
6. Take out the old drive(s)
7. Install the new drive(s)
8. Power on
9. Stop the array
10. Unassign the parity drive(s)
11. Assign the new drive(s) in the parity slot
12. Assign the old parity drive(s) in the slot(s) of the old data(s) drive being replaced
13. Go to the Main > Array Operation > Copy button
14. check Yes
15. After the copy is done, I start the array to do the "Data Rebuild"
16. Check yes

 

If I do this for one drive at a time, then repeat this exact same procedure for the second drive? Or do I start the second drive at a different step? I was reading the docs and I was a bit confused by this paragraph for Parity Swap:
 

Quote

NOTE: It is not recommended that you use this procedure for upgrading the size of both a parity drive and a data drive as the array will be offline during the parity copy part of the operation. In such a case it is normally better to first upgrade the parity drive and then afterward upgrade the data drive using the drive replacement procedure. This takes longer but the array remains available for use throughout the process, and in addition, if anything goes wrong you have the just removed drive available intact for recovery purposes

 

If it would be much more helpful, I could say that my computer can fit more than 8 drives (definitely 1 more but maybe even both new drives). I would need to buy another molex to sata splitter and I'd have to temporarily connect my hdd directly to the mobo as my HBA is at capacity. Much appreciated

If you don't have disabled disks you don't need to use the parity swap, upgrade both parity drives (one at a time or both at the same time), then upgrade the data disks.

So is the process (high level)

 

Take out parity drives

Install new drives in parity drive slots

Rebuild parity

Let finish

Take out data drives 

Install old parity drives as new data drives 

Rebuild data drives

 

I'm thinking it's fairly safe to do the two parity drives at once, right? Then data drives will be 'safest' one at a time?

You can certainly do both parity at once, since parity contains none of your data.

 

Since you still have the original data drives, should be fine to rebuild both of those at the same time also.

 

Be very careful with connections. They are the main reason for problems when changing drives.