Just added my first HD on my new array.

 

Single disk, no parity (yet).

 

Clicked format and was prepared for the long wait that I read about (first normal format then fill with zeroes).

 

Well after about 20 seconds my 750GB disk was available.

 

Something wrong? (beta6)

 

 

That's perfectly normal.  It doesn't write to the entire hard drive, just enough to setup the partition and filesystem type.

so the "fill with zeroes" part is something I misread?

 

 

so the "fill with zeroes" part is something I misread?

 

 

 

Yes.  If you don't have a parity drive, it doesn't need to wipe out a new drive first.

ok, and WHEN I install a parity, what happens? (with my data disk)

 

it just builds the parity using the bits as they are set on my data disk? (whatever binary data were already on the surface on the "unused" part?)

 

 

Exactly right