April 25, 200818 yr I have come into possession of a new Seagate 1TB and want to stick it in my unRAID box (as soon as I get a 3rd 5in3 cage ordered and installed) I want to change my current 750 GB Parity into a Data Disk and setup the new 1 TB as the Parity... Should I plan on first installing the new 1tb drive, and then first changing the Parity to it, let it do the full parity rebuild and then add the old parity 750 GB as a new data disk (#13) and format accordingly?
April 25, 200818 yr I have come into possession of a new Seagate 1TB and want to stick it in my unRAID box (as soon as I get a 3rd 5in3 cage ordered and installed) I want to change my current 750 GB Parity into a Data Disk and setup the new 1 TB as the Parity... Should I plan on first installing the new 1tb drive, and then first changing the Parity to it, let it do the full parity rebuild and then add the old parity 750 GB as a new data disk (#13) and format accordingly? Exactly correct. Do it in two steps.
April 25, 200818 yr Author I have come into possession of a new Seagate 1TB and want to stick it in my unRAID box (as soon as I get a 3rd 5in3 cage ordered and installed) I want to change my current 750 GB Parity into a Data Disk and setup the new 1 TB as the Parity... Should I plan on first installing the new 1tb drive, and then first changing the Parity to it, let it do the full parity rebuild and then add the old parity 750 GB as a new data disk (#13) and format accordingly? Exactly correct. Do it in two steps. Thanks Joe... that is what I was implying...
April 26, 200818 yr Author Well, I'm not sure if something is weird... Last night, I replaced the 750GB Parity with the 1 TB and it rebuilt the Parity and said everything seemed cool. This AM, I pulled a 360GB out and installed the old 750 GB Parity drive as an upgrade (not an addition). Now, after a reboot, it's doing a Parity Sync. I don't know that it ever restored the stuff to the new drive (or is that what a Parity sync is?). I'm a little worried that I may have lost the stuff that was on that drive (well, I still have the original 360gb, but no idea how to get that data off). It says it's going to take another 800 minutes or something, which is a long time. The original Parity ran all evening/night and just finished this AM
April 26, 200818 yr I did this recently and I'm not quite sure if it just started the parity check. You can do 2 things. Go to the main page and check to see if the drive has a blue dot next to it. From the manual "When you start the array, the system will reconstruct the contents of the original smaller disk onto the new disk. Upon completion, the disk’s file system will be expanded to reflect the new size. You can only expand one disk at a time." However if you go to the wiki its a little bit different. http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Replacing_a_Data_Drive It goes on to say Tick the "I'm sure" checkbox, and press "Start will bring the array on-line, start Data-Rebuild, and then expand the file system." One thing I remember though is I was able to access the new drive after the build started. So the second thing you could do is go to the new drive and see if you can see its contents. Don't try and open anything though as it will still be rebuilding. As for 800 min if this is an IDE system that seems normal. I usually get around 15MB/Sec when doing a parity check on a 12 drive system. A little while ago I added a benchmark section to the wiki http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_Benchmarks
April 26, 200818 yr Author I did this recently and I'm not quite sure if it just started the parity check. You can do 2 things. Go to the main page and check to see if the drive has a blue dot next to it. From the manual "When you start the array, the system will reconstruct the contents of the original smaller disk onto the new disk. Upon completion, the disk’s file system will be expanded to reflect the new size. You can only expand one disk at a time." However if you go to the wiki its a little bit different. http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Replacing_a_Data_Drive It goes on to say Tick the "I'm sure" checkbox, and press "Start will bring the array on-line, start Data-Rebuild, and then expand the file system." One thing I remember though is I was able to access the new drive after the build started. So the second thing you could do is go to the new drive and see if you can see its contents. Don't try and open anything though as it will still be rebuilding. As for 800 min if this is an IDE system that seems normal. I usually get around 15MB/Sec when doing a parity check on a 12 drive system. A little while ago I added a benchmark section to the wiki http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_Benchmarks \\media\disk9 shows nothing... DOH And 600+ more minutes... these are all SATA and not IDE (I have 2 IDE drives in there I guess, but not the Parity, new or old) I suppose I can't just reinstall the origianl 360 GB that I was trying up swap out (that I hope still has the data on it) and rebuild the parity again and then try the upgrade again?
April 26, 200818 yr Well, I'm not sure if something is weird... Last night, I replaced the 750GB Parity with the 1 TB and it rebuilt the Parity and said everything seemed cool. This AM, I pulled a 360GB out and installed the old 750 GB Parity drive as an upgrade (not an addition). Now, after a reboot, it's doing a Parity Sync. I don't know that it ever restored the stuff to the new drive (or is that what a Parity sync is?). I'm a little worried that I may have lost the stuff that was on that drive (well, I still have the original 360gb, but no idea how to get that data off). It says it's going to take another 800 minutes or something, which is a long time. The original Parity ran all evening/night and just finished this AM When you performed this step, and replaced the 360Gig drive with the 750Gig, did you Tick the "I'm sure" checkbox, and press "Start will bring the array on-line, start Data-Rebuild, and then expand the file system, did you use the "Restore" button. If you pressed the "Restore" button you asked the unRAID server to forget everything it had in its parity drive and save a new config with the currently assigned drives, and then to rebuild parity based on the currently assigned disks. This is NOT wat you wanted to do, since the data on the 360 Gig drive is no longer in the array. Fortunately, it is still on the 360 gig drive, so you did not lose it, but it is not in your array at this time either. Basically, you NEVER want to use the "Restore" button unless you are deleting a drive from the array permanently, or setting it up initially or with different set of drives then as initially configured. To upgrade a drive, as you wanted to, you use the first option. The unRAID software will clear the new drive, then bring the array on-line, then re-construct the data on the drive being upgraded from parit and the other data drives in the array. As soon as it is finished initially clearing the array and brings the array on-line you can get to your data on the new drive... even before the re-sync is complete. It is safe to both read and write to the array at this point. Joe L.
April 26, 200818 yr Author Well, I'm not sure if something is weird... Last night, I replaced the 750GB Parity with the 1 TB and it rebuilt the Parity and said everything seemed cool. This AM, I pulled a 360GB out and installed the old 750 GB Parity drive as an upgrade (not an addition). Now, after a reboot, it's doing a Parity Sync. I don't know that it ever restored the stuff to the new drive (or is that what a Parity sync is?). I'm a little worried that I may have lost the stuff that was on that drive (well, I still have the original 360gb, but no idea how to get that data off). It says it's going to take another 800 minutes or something, which is a long time. The original Parity ran all evening/night and just finished this AM When you performed this step, and replaced the 360Gig drive with the 750Gig, did you Tick the "I'm sure" checkbox, and press "Start will bring the array on-line, start Data-Rebuild, and then expand the file system, did you use the "Restore" button. If you pressed the "Restore" button you asked the unRAID server to forget everything it had in its parity drive and save a new config with the currently assigned drives, and then to rebuild parity based on the currently assigned disks. This is NOT wat you wanted to do, since the data on the 360 Gig drive is no longer in the array. Fortunately, it is still on the 360 gig drive, so you did not lose it, but it is not in your array at this time either. Basically, you NEVER want to use the "Restore" button unless you are deleting a drive from the array permanently, or setting it up initially or with different set of drives then as initially configured. To upgrade a drive, as you wanted to, you use the first option. The unRAID software will clear the new drive, then bring the array on-line, then re-construct the data on the drive being upgraded from parit and the other data drives in the array. As soon as it is finished initially clearing the array and brings the array on-line you can get to your data on the new drive... even before the re-sync is complete. It is safe to both read and write to the array at this point. Joe L. Thanks Joe... I think I did erroneously click the "Restore" button... So now that I have an "empty" 750 GB installed and the 360 with the data I need sitting on my desk (and a parity rebuild 10 hours from being done) how do I get the stuff off the 360 and back onto my Array?
April 26, 200818 yr If you have a spare slot, cancel the parity build, stop the array, plug the 360 into the spare slot, power up, "stop" the array once more, assign the 360 to the spare slot, and restart the array. It should have the 360 marked as "blue" as it will think it is a new drive. It will then compute parity on everything. Do not proceed if it says anything about formatting any drive as it should not need to. You might need to press "Restore" if it does not let you start the array otherwise. (too many new and/or invalid disks 360 is new, 750 might not yet be valid) I'm guessing the 750 will be formatted already and only the 360 will be detected as new. it will not need to be formatted. DO NOT PROCEED IF IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT FORMATTING THE DRIVE. If you do not have a spare slot, cancel the parity rebuild, put the 360 Gig drive back in, press "Restore" (This time you want the array to forget about the 750 Gig drive) and let it build parity with the 360 Gig drive. Then, shut down once more, replace the 360 with the 750, tick the checkbox and just "Start" the array and let the unRAID array re-build the 750 gig with the contents of the 360. Do NOT press the "Restore" button this time. As you discovered, the button does not "restore" anything. It saves a new configuration to the flash drive based on the currently assigned drives and then throws away any old parity data and re-computes it all anew. Lucky for you, you were upgrading a drive for one that is bigger and not because the original had failed. (You could recover since you still had a working drive with good data... If you had experienced a disk failure and pressed "Restore" you would have lost the data that was on it. That would have been very sad. In any case, at the end you will still have the 360 Gig drive disconnected, and its data is safe until your parity is completely rebuilt once more. Joe L.
April 27, 200818 yr Author If you have a spare slot, cancel the parity build, stop the array, plug the 360 into the spare slot, power up, "stop" the array once more, assign the 360 to the spare slot, and restart the array. It should have the 360 marked as "blue" as it will think it is a new drive. It will then compute parity on everything. Do not proceed if it says anything about formatting any drive as it should not need to. You might need to press "Restore" if it does not let you start the array otherwise. (too many new and/or invalid disks 360 is new, 750 might not yet be valid) I'm guessing the 750 will be formatted already and only the 360 will be detected as new. it will not need to be formatted. DO NOT PROCEED IF IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT FORMATTING THE DRIVE. If you do not have a spare slot, cancel the parity rebuild, put the 360 Gig drive back in, press "Restore" (This time you want the array to forget about the 750 Gig drive) and let it build parity with the 360 Gig drive. Then, shut down once more, replace the 360 with the 750, tick the checkbox and just "Start" the array and let the unRAID array re-build the 750 gig with the contents of the 360. Do NOT press the "Restore" button this time. As you discovered, the button does not "restore" anything. It saves a new configuration to the flash drive based on the currently assigned drives and then throws away any old parity data and re-computes it all anew. Lucky for you, you were upgrading a drive for one that is bigger and not because the original had failed. (You could recover since you still had a working drive with good data... If you had experienced a disk failure and pressed "Restore" you would have lost the data that was on it. That would have been very sad. In any case, at the end you will still have the 360 Gig drive disconnected, and its data is safe until your parity is completely rebuilt once more. Joe L. After stopping the Parity sync after swapping in the 750 Gb and reinstalling the original 360 (with the data that I need to save), I am now getting a "Too many wrong and/or missing disks!" Here is a screenshot... I have no hit any buttons so far... Obviously "disk 9" is the spot that I have gone back and forth with the 360 (w/data) and the new 750 (old Parity) Thanks Wade
April 27, 200818 yr Exactly as I thought. It is protecting you from shooting yourself in the foot. That is why I had originally written: You might need to press "Restore" if it does not let you start the array otherwise. (too many new and/or invalid disks 360 is new, 750 might not yet be valid) I'm guessing the 750 will be formatted already and only the 360 will be detected as new. it will not need to be formatted. DO NOT PROCEED IF IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT FORMATTING THE DRIVE. At this point in time it will not start the array as it thinks two disks are not "valid" , it thinks parity is bad (and it is right) and it thinks that slot9 had a disk it does not recognize as the serial number has changed(also right) and it is showing you the old and new serial numbers. You have confirmed my original suspicions... You must at this time use the "Restore" button to force unRAID to rebuild parity based on the currently assigned disks. Do that are you will be back to your original starting point. Then, stop the array, power down, replace the old 360 Gig drive with then newer drive, power back up, and DO NOT USE THE RESTORE BUTTON, but instead, start the array (I think there is a checkbox to tick to indicate you really want to) You can help others reading this thread in the future by attaching a screen shot at that point, before you press the "Start" button, showing the box with the checkmark. Once you press the start button, the unRAID server will use parity and the remaining other drives to rebuild the contents of the old disk onto the new and then expand the file-system on the new disk to its full size. Joe L.
April 27, 200818 yr Author You can help others reading this thread in the future by attaching a screen shot at that point, before you press the "Start" button, showing the box with the checkmark. Once you press the start button, the unRAID server will use parity and the remaining other drives to rebuild the contents of the old disk onto the new and then expand the file-system on the new disk to its full size. Joe L. It's the least I could do for all the help that you and the other key members have provided me in getting my stuff running...Wish there were some way that the wording of the "Restore" button could be a little more clear to prevent this kind of thing from happening for newbies (like myself)... i think I'll probably remember next time, but... i don't know what exact wording would make it easier, but I think there could be something...
April 27, 200818 yr Wish there were some way that the wording of the "Restore" button could be a little more clear to prevent this kind of thing from happening for newbies (like myself)... i think I'll probably remember next time, but... i don't know what exact wording would make it easier, but I think there could be something... Some of us have been trying to get Tom to change both the label and the descriptive wording on the "restore" button. Fortunately for you, you were upgrading a disk, and not replacing a failed disk. The process of replacing a failed disk is exactly the same as you just did. Stop the array, power down, replace the failed drive, power up, check the "I'm sure button and press the "START" button to have it re-construct your data to the new drive. Since you had the working drive you had removed it was an inconvenience to start over, but the loss of your parity data was not critical. If you had a failed drive, and pressed "Restore" as you had initially after replacing the physical drive, you would have lost all data that used to be on the failed drive. (This has happened already with one user... they too were confused by the wording) Thanks for the screen shot. It will help others who find this thread in the future. In a few hours, assuming you have pressed the "Start" button, you will be back in business with the old drive's contents on the new drive. Interestingly, while the drive is being rebuilt you can still get to the old drive's contents for both reading and writing... I'd not do a lot of writing at this point, but you can. I've even played 4 simultaneous and different ISO images from the drive being rebuilt, while it was being rebuilt, and saw no problems in unRAID keeping up with the media-player clients need for data. (Other than it slowing down the re-build, since the remaining disks have to do even more work to serve the file requested and to re-construct the data to the new drive) Joe L.
April 27, 200818 yr Author The button meaning of "Restore Data" vs. "Restore Array" I think is where I got confused.... Like I said, I don't know what the best wording exactly would be for the Button and/or text, but maybe Tom can get something more "newbie user friendly"... Thanks for all your Help... Rebuild of the data on the 750 GB taking place now.... BTW, is it "normal" for it take ~800 minutes to do a Parity Sync/Data Rebuild? Current Estimated Speed of 20,881 KB/sec Wade
April 27, 200818 yr The button meaning of "Restore Data" vs. "Restore Array" I think is where I got confused.... Like I said, I don't know what the best wording exactly would be for the Button and/or text, but maybe Tom can get something more "newbie user friendly"... We've been struggling with that too. Tom is open to suggestions. Thanks for all your Help... Rebuild of the data on the 750 GB taking place now.... BTW, is it "normal" for it take ~800 minutes to do a Parity Sync/Data Rebuild? Current Estimated Speed of 20,881 KB/sec Wade Yes, the speed is dictated by the slowest drives in your array and how many are in the array. Your speed is higher than mine. I average 17KB/sec. By the way, this is better than the rebuild times for some other implementations of RAID. I've seen one person on an HP site quote 15 minutes per gig. (Let's see, 750 Gig * 15 minutes would only be 187 hours.)
April 28, 200818 yr Maybe just putting an extra word or two on each button would work. Instead of "Restore", call that button "Rebuild Parity". Instead of "Check", call that button "Check Parity" or "Verify Parity". The name on the "Start" button could change depending on the state of the array -- if there is a disk that can be rebuilt, change it to "Rebuild Replaced Disk" or gray out the "Start" button and add another button that says "Rebuild Replaced Disk".
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