Questinon regarding parity sync speed

[ptmy]

My UNRAID installation had one 2TB parity drive and 2 data drives (1TB and 2TB).  I replaced the 2TB parity drive with a new 10TB drive. I did the following:  I stopped the array, unassigned the 2TB drive, then assigned the 10TB as parity drive.  When I re-started the array, UNRAID started parity sync.  at around 32MB/s.  Estimated finish is slightly over 4 days, which seems awfully long to me.  Did I do something wrong?

[trurl]

Probably disturbed connections.

 

Attach diagnostics to your NEXT post in this thread.

[ptmy]

I've only used UNRAID for around 2 weeks.  I don't know what you mean by "disturbed connections."  I've attached the diagnostics zip file in this reply.

ur181c-diagnostics-20240310-1831.zip

[trurl]

Don't see any problems. Looks like it had only been running a short time when you posted those diagnostics. Has the speed improved?

[trurl]

9 minutes ago, trurl said:

Don't see any problems.

Unrelated, your system share has files on the array. Possibly you enabled Docker and/or VM Manager before you had cache.

 

Ideally, appdata, domains, and system shares would have all files on fast pool such as cache with nothing on the array, so Dockers/VMs will perform better, and so array disks can spin down since these files are always open.

[ptmy]

I have URBackup installed but it's stopped.  I tried cancelling the parity sync, rebooting, then re-starting the array.  After rebooting, parity sync speed would start out around 132MB/s.  But after running for about 20 minutes, the speed would degrade to around 30MB/s.  I rebooted twice.  Same thing happened both times.

 

This is a brand new install.  Everything on the disks is from my trying things to get familiar with UNRAID.  The apps I have installed are: Dynamix File Manager, Dynamix System Buttons, Dynamix System Info, Unassigned Devices, Unassigned Devices Plus (Addon), Unassigned Devices Preclear, and URBackup.  I have not put any data onto the pool or array other than test data from using URbackup.   I can delete everything and try starting from scratch if you think it would help.

 

The 10TB disk is a WD Red Plus that's around 3-weeks old.  I was using it on a Windows 10 Pro computer for around 1 week before I bought the UNRAID license.  I didn't doing anything to prepare the disk before installing it on the UNRAID server and assigning it for parity.  Do you think the parity sync would go faster if I preclear the disk first? 

 

As of now, it's been running for 45 minutes.  Speed varies from 25MB/s to 32MB/s.

Edited March 11 by ptmy

[trurl]

1 hour ago, ptmy said:

As of now, it's been running for 45 minutes.  Speed varies from 25MB/s to 32MB/s.

Post new diagnostics

[ptmy]

Just to make sure problem isn't cause by something in the disk or the SATA connecting cable.  I switched parity disk to the 2nd 10TB drive and re-started.  It ran for around 30 minute at around 132MB/s, then down to between 20MB/s and 40MB/s as before.  It' been running for 1 hr and 30 min.   Speed is at 25.7MB/s.  Diagnostics attached.

ur181c-diagnostics-20240310-2215.zip

[JorgeB]

There's something writing to disk2, stop all writes and retest.

[ptmy]

Being a brand new installation, I thought it was easier to just try starting from scratch.  I did the following: I deleted all Shares other than the 4 Shares created by UNRAID.  I used the "UNBALANCED" app to move all data that's still on the hard disks to one of my two pool SSDs.  I went to Tools->New Config and got rid of all current assignments.  I shut down the UNRAID server and physically removed all hard disks except for the two new 10TB drives.  After rebooting, I assigned one 10TB drive for parity and the other for data.  I also re-assigned the two nvme SSDs for a 2-slot pool.  When I started the array, parity sync speed was around 232MB/s, which looks good.  After running for 2 hours, the speed was still the same.  When I woke up this morning, I noticed speed had decreased to 165MB/s with 5 hours to go.  Everything seems good but I remember being a bit confused when using the UNBALANCED app; I may not have used the app correctly.  I'm now wondering whether I accidentally loss data when I physically removed the other hard drives.  Is there a way to ascertain all needed data are still present on the system?

 

Alternatively, I can just wipe everything and start with a new install.  Is there any way to revert my boot flash drive, which is already activated with my UNRAID license, to initial state?

 

I've attached the most recent diagnostic file for additional information.

ur181c-diagnostics-20240311-1022.zip

Edited March 11 by ptmy

[JorgeB]

Disk speed decreases considerably as they go though the inner sectors, e.g., a disk that starts a parity check at 200MB/s finishes at around 100MB/s

[ptmy]

Is there any way to tell for sure whether all files and directories created by UNRAID and the apps I installed are still there?

[trurl]

24 minutes ago, ptmy said:

Is there any way to tell for sure whether all files and directories created by UNRAID and the apps I installed are still there?

Only you would know what was there.

 

Dynamix File Manager plugin will let you work with folders and files directly on the server.

[ptmy]

If I want to do a new install, is there any way to revert the boot flash drive that's already activated with a purchased license back to original?

[trurl]

Dynamix Factory Reset plugin

On 12/1/2014 at 12:40 AM, bonienl said:

Factory Reset

resets the system to default settings and let it start like a new installation. Optionally array and pool assignments can be preserved. In either case USER DATA IS NEVER LOST

 

[ptmy]

To get to where I am, I already did Tools->New Config (with Preserve Assignment set to "none").  It kept the apps I've installed.

 

There's currently nothing in my installation I need, and I don't mind reinstalling the apps after the reset.  What's the proper way to do the Factory Reset?  Do you think I even need to do a reset?

[trurl]

Do you mean you don't want any of your data, or apps, or shares, or disk assignments, or other settings?

[ptmy]

Yes, that's what I meant.  I've already deleted all the data I put in, which were just test data.  What's left are data created by UNRAID itself during initial setup and the apps I installed.  I've installed following apps: Dynamix File Manager, Dynamix System Buttons, Dynamix System Info, Unassigned Devices, Unassigned Devices Plus (Addon), Unassigned Devices Preclear, UNBALANCED, and URBackup.  I can reinstalled those fairly quickly.  Also, I only have 4 drives to assign (2 x 10TB hard disk and 2 x 1TB nvme SSD).  Not a big deal if I have to reassign those also.  All 4 drives are new.

 

Parity sync is now completed.  The only negative I see if I did a real Factory Reset is that I would have to wait 12 hours again for parity sync.

 

The only reason I was thinking about a factory reset is that I'm worried I may have accidentally removed needed data created by UNRAID or the apps when I physically remove the other hard drives.

 

Do you think a Factory Reset is necessary in my situation?  How do you do a Factory Reset?

[trurl]

16 hours ago, ptmy said:

may have accidentally removed needed data created by UNRAID

Unraid itself keeps nothing of the OS on any of your storage. The OS is loaded fresh from archives on the flash drive at boot, into RAM, and runs completely in RAM. Think of it as firmware.

 

If what you want is a completely new install with nothing except your license, you can just create a new install on that same flash drive, and put your license .key file in the config folder on flash. Make sure you have a copy of the .key file before you create a new install.

[ptmy]

System is working well, so I decided not to do a Factory Reset.  Thanks for all your help.