Hi!

I'm a newbie still. I have been running unraid for less than a year.  I have a modest set up. Current array in my Unraid v7.0.0 (ignoring the 1tb nvme cache drive) is:
 

1 x 10 TB parity (WDC)

2 x 8 TB storage (Toshiba N300) 

1 x 4TB storage (WDC Black)

I bought 4 10TB Toshiba disks, and I'd like to arrange the array so it ends up as follows

 

2 x 10 TB parity (new Toshiba N300)

3 x 10 TB storage (the old WDC one + 2  new Toshiba N300)

1 x 4TB storage (WDC Black, no change here)

 

What is the best route to do this while ensuring the data I have on the disks is reasonable safe (I can accept the risk of running for a little while without parity if that saves considerable amount of time).  I also understand the empty disks have to be pre-cleared (and that takes time like redoing parity more or less) and in the end, the parity will have to be rebuilt, so i'd like that to happen only once, I'd pressume at the very end as the last step.
 

But in any case, I'll heed your advise
 

Thanks!

 

 

Edited February 17, 20251 yr by XTA

 

 

 

I would recommend making a zfs raid z1 pool

My recommendation, keep current array configuration temporary as you begin to move data off disks

So, Install the 3x 10 TB disk under a unraid pool and make a zfs format as 1 vdev with raidz1 

Then using terminal copy / cut,  mc, webui file manger etc. to copy the data off to to the new disks.

That should leave you with a configuration of:

1 x 10 TB parity (WDC)

2 x 8 TB storage (Toshiba N300) 

1 x 4TB storage (WDC Black)

3x 10 TB HDD zfs pool name ?tank?
make datasets...
-dataset 1 begin moving data to retranslation disk...

setup another 3x10 TB zfs raidz1 pool

3 disk total
1x 8TH (whcih you can remvoe and resliver a another 10 TB to increase stroage latter.

2 x 10 TB

 

 

Giving you a unraid 7 ditch the array:

 

tank:
3x 10 TB with the 8 TB of data storage

 

storage:

3x disk comosing of

1x 8TB and 2x 10 TB

3x 8TB useable untill 8 TB is replaced with another 10 TB disk.

and 

1 x 4TB storage (WDC Black, no change here)

This would optimize your current disk configuration and prepare you for future disk storage needs.

Only if you want to make the jump to zfs

 

Hi bmartino1

Thank you for taking the time and effort to help.

> I would recommend making a zfs raid z1 pool
The disks in the array currently are in xfs, I'd have to read and learn what this implies (pros and cons of each fs).

> as you begin to move data off disks

I'm just adding disks, not removing.

 

Unless something fails, I think I'll be replacing (swapping the 4tb one for a bigger one) in 1 or 2 years time in the future, at least that's my current panorama.

 

Iin any case your reply makes me realize this is between a bit and a lot over my head, I'll study in detail the videos you linked before I can make a reply (probably with some questions) that make sense, because I'm not understanding why I should ditch the array nor what a "tank" is in this context.  But the point I wanted to make was I'm just adding disks and keep the array more or less the way it currenty is (alas, just swapping the 1 parity drive to storage and replacing it with 2 new ones) so all 3 (the other 2 new ones and the ex-poaraity one, into the array as storage).

 

Kind regards

You can just replace the disks one at a time, or if you don't mind a little more risk, create a new array with the final config you want, sync parity, then mount the old 8TB disks with UD to copy the data to the array, assuming you have at least one extra SATA port.

59 minutes ago, XTA said:

Hi bmartino1

Thank you for taking the time and effort to help.

> I would recommend making a zfs raid z1 pool
The disks in the array currently are in xfs, I'd have to read and learn what this implies (pros and cons of each fs).

> as you begin to move data off disks

I'm just adding disks, not removing.

 

Unless something fails, I think I'll be replacing (swapping the 4tb one for a bigger one) in 1 or 2 years time in the future, at least that's my current panorama.

 

Iin any case your reply makes me realize this is between a bit and a lot over my head, I'll study in detail the videos you linked before I can make a reply (probably with some questions) that make sense, because I'm not understanding why I should ditch the array nor what a "tank" is in this context.  But the point I wanted to make was I'm just adding disks and keep the array more or less the way it currenty is (alas, just swapping the 1 parity drive to storage and replacing it with 2 new ones) so all 3 (the other 2 new ones and the ex-poaraity one, into the array as storage).

 

Kind regards

no worries.

 

yes, thoes videos should be helpful. When using zfs they are sometimes referred to their pool name. In videos online, they may be refereed to the pool name of tank.
tank and storage above are 2 different example pool names that could be used to clarify what I was talking about.

 

as example with a pools named raza and titan

Trying to use a nomenclator that fit the scenario.

If you chose to go zfs this video may be os some help:

 

pro / cons of the file system:

https://serverfault.com/questions/190/zfs-vs-xfs

 

For me the reason to ditch the array was more experience with truenas and when dealing with failed disk and recovery. I have lost data with the unriad traditional array, I have yet to lose data with ZFS. It can be easier in management latter down the road.

 

Since your not removing any disk I would then suggest adding a zfs pool of 4x 10 TB in a raid z2 with 1 vdev
raidz2 is a raid 5 like configuration which stripes and mirror data across all disk. you can lose 2 disk and still have all of your data.

 

where as a unraid array with disk 1 disk 2 parity 1 pairty 2. It can be hard to pinpoint actual data and recovery of a disk drive can become problematic when disk drives start to fail and need replaced. 

When restoring resliver takes about the same time as a party replacement data restore. Messing with array up time down time I have found zfs to be quicker and easier to maintain uptime. RAID is not a backup it is redundancy.

 

Also using raidz1 and raid z2 you can double sometimes triple your space between multiple disks. Compared to using a standalone disk 1 with x disk size.
I will gladly help where i can.

Thanks!

It was a long journey (more on that later) but In short, i ended up adding thle hba card (more on this later) and the disks and uses tools > new config, moved the 1 parity drive to storage and put 2 new ones as parity and add the other 2 as storage, formated the 3 new ones on the array and started the array.   Parity sync is almost done now 😄.  In all, this was the answer/steps I was looking for.  In the meantime I analyzed and concluded zfs was not the best for me.

About the case, the one on the pic the cage for the drives could not hold more than 4, so after much looking around in the local market, bought one used for cheap, hdd cage had space for 9 hdds.  when it arrived and tried to move the mobo i realized that  despite fitting (it was atx after all) there were no holes nor reasonable space to route the sata cables from the 90º angled sata connectors of the mobo... so i took out the cages of both and swapped them. of course nothing is as straightforward.  Lets say I drilled the rivets and took the cages out.  Ok, so i have no screws/bolts to fix the 9 hdd cage on my case, and I realized the time came for me to buy rivets and the tool, another day passed.

in all the little monster ended up looking like that

 

 

of course nothing is as straightforward,  for some reason my last 2 (out of 69 sata ports  of my  aorus  master z390 didn't detect the 2 new disks (not in bios, not in unraid) while the 2 connected to the humble ASM1064 based hba card were detected (not in bios) in unraid.  So I ended up using all 4 ports of the card and just as a precaution, disabled those 2 sata ports in the bios.

if your using nvme it may turn off the last 2 sata ports for the nvme drive. noted in bios.

This is common on AMD for pcie bandwaith and pcie bifurcation.

According to your manual, page vii, SATA ports 5/6 are disabled when you populate M. 2_1 and SATA ports 3 and 4 are disabled when you populate M. 2_2. You still have access to SATA ports 1 and 2

 

9 minutes ago, bmartino1 said:

if your using nvme it may turn off the last 2 sata ports for the nvme drive. noted in bios.

This is common on AMD for pcie bandwaith and pcie bifurcation.

According to your manual, page vii, SATA ports 5/6 are disabled when you populate M. 2_1 and SATA ports 3 and 4 are disabled when you populate M. 2_2. You still have access to SATA ports 1 and 2

 

Ohhh yes, I completely forgot about this. indeed, the cache drive is nvme, the mobo is an aorus master z390 with an i9 9900k, makes sense now, i completely forgot about that and to put 2 and 2 together, thanks!

In any case, the hba sata card works very well so far,  nice to know i could still add 2 more drives (would have to move the nvme drive to another m.2 slot)