I am adding a second parity and hoping to remove 4 drives (shrink the array) as well. I have moved all the data from the drives and am looking to do this properly to cause the least amount of pain...lol.

Am I correct in assuming that I can remove the drives and then reconfigure (new config), running parity rebuild? I am very hesitant to do it this way with no parity, since it is what I call a large server, and the data is very long and arduous process to recover.

Any advice here is greatly appreciated as always.

Thanks all,

Rick

Edited August 19, 2025Aug 19 by icedragonslair
correction

47 minutes ago, icedragonslair said:

Am I correct in assuming that I can remove the drives and then reconfigure (new config), running parity rebuild?

You can, but just to be clear, the server will be unprotected until the sync finishes.

1 hour ago, JorgeB said:

You can, but just to be clear, the server will be unprotected until the sync finishes.

I agree, is there a better way without taking forever, or many days at least?

That would be the fastestt way by far, but it also has more risk.

30 minutes ago, JorgeB said:

That would be the fastestt way by far, but it also has more risk.

One last question then.

Am I better off waiting until after doing this to install the second parity or not?

If doing a new config, install parity2 after that; it will sync together with parity1.

21 hours ago, JorgeB said:

If doing a new config, install parity2 after that; it will sync together with parity1.

Will attempt tomorrow

Thx Loads,

Rick

Okay, I shut down the server, removed the drives, restarted the server, and all looked well with the server showing the proper drives missing.

I then went and tried to do a new config and got no results at all.

All the drives are empty.

Is there a limit to the amount of drives to remove at a time?

Otherwise what am I doing wrong now?...lol

I have put the drives back in and restarted the server and array to make sure all is well and it is fine.

Edited August 22, 2025Aug 22 by icedragonslair

Any ideas here would be awesome

When you do a new config, you can choose to Preserve current assignments. You probably did not do that, and then all slots are empty. And you need to reassign each drive. Try it again and preserve current assignments. And unassign the drives you want to remove.

8 hours ago, strike said:

When you do a new config, you can choose to Preserve current assignments. You probably did not do that, and then all slots are empty. And you need to reassign each drive. Try it again and preserve current assignments. And unassign the drives you want to remove.

Actually, I have done that as well as pool and all. nothing happens, and that is why I am confused. I have done this a few times in the past, and this has never happened.

Make sure you are hitting the apply button, after a new config is successfully done, all array disk icons must turn blue. If they are not blue, it wasn't done correctly.

9 hours ago, icedragonslair said:

Any ideas here would be awesome

After you have done a New Config then the drives should have blue icons. If they do not this suggests you forgot too press the Apply button during the New Config process.

3 hours ago, itimpi said:

After you have done a New Config then the drives should have blue icons. If they do not this suggests you forgot too press the Apply button during the New Config process.

Tried and redone, no difference

:(

34 minutes ago, icedragonslair said:

Tried and redone, no difference

:(

Not quite sure what you mean?

You did the following?

• Stopped the array (if started)

• Went to Tools->New Config

• Set Preserve Current Assignments to All

• Checked “yes, I want to do this” box

• Clicked the Apply button to actually do the New Config

• Hit the Done button to return to the main screen

At that point you should have all your drives listed with blue icons waiting for you to make changes. At that point you can add/remove drives and reorder existing ones. You would then start the array to commit any changes and rebuild parity based on the drive set currently assigned.

If you did all that and got nowhere perhaps you need to supply screenshots so we can see exactly what is happening and where things are going wrong.

2 hours ago, itimpi said:

Not quite sure what you mean?

You did the following?

• Stopped the array (if started)

• Went to Tools->New Config

• Set Preserve Current Assignments to All

• Checked “yes, I want to do this” box

• Clicked the Apply button to actually do the New Config

• Hit the Done button to return to the main screen

At that point you should have all your drives listed with blue icons waiting for you to make changes. At that point you can add/remove drives and reorder existing ones. You would then start the array to commit any changes and rebuild parity based on the drive set currently assigned.

If you did all that and got nowhere perhaps you need to supply screenshots so we can see exactly what is happening and where things are going wrong.

The screenshot above is where it ended up, with nothing changed after the drives were removed and the new config was done oer instructions.

That is exactly what I did, and again, to make sure of it.

If the icons are not turning blue, a new config was not successfully done, try again using a different browser in case it's blocking something.

Will do thx