Hello, all.

 

I finally ran out of space on my first unRAID build. I was considering buying another drive and upgrading to a pro license, but after figuring the costs and labour, I realized that just starting a build that I could upgrade would be better than continuing with my Frankenstein unit.

 

So I've ordered most of the parts to start building the Blackhole http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=19773.msg175766#msg175766 and it should be arriving today or tomorrow.

 

I'm trying to get clear in my head what the order of operations is from here. I think I just want to set up a new unRAID unit . What I believe that I have to do is as follows:

 

1. Assemble hardware (duh).

2. Setup new unRAID software (v5) as per http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Configuration_Tutorial.

- First question: this is for version 4.7, is there a document for 5? I'm assuming it is close to final release at this point.

3. Document CAREFULLY the serial numbers for the devices in the existing unRAID system and what positions they are in the array.

4. Move drives to new system

- Second question: I'm terrified of this step and losing the data on the drives. Is there a specific tutorial/post on how to migrate hardware to a new system?

5. Upgrade parity drive as per http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=4732.0

- Third question: that post is 3 years old. Is there a newer instruction set on how to upgrade the parity drive or does that still apply?

6. Put old parity drive in array as data drive.

 

Thanks very much for your time. 

I would do it a little differently.

 

1. First run a non-destructive parity test

2. make a copy of the USB-stick in case of issues, and upgrade to unraid 5 using the notes as: http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=UnRAID_Server_Version_5.0-beta_Release_Notes

3. Run a non-destructive parity test

4. While that is going on, build new system. Start it up to verify working ability

5. With another usb-stick (so you can keep using the unraid-server) start up unraid to verify working condition, and if it does, run memtest for 24 hours

6. If all is well, move old unraid stick and all drives to new system

7. Run non-destructive parity test

8. If all is well, use pre-clear script to pre-clear new drive

9. If all is well, unassign parity-drive, and put it apart

10. Assign new parity drive, and let it build the parity

11. Verify parity

12. If all is well, pre-clear or wipe old parity drive

13. assign drive as data drive

14. Done!

 

Note that there is no risk  to the data at any time, and that there is no reason at all to write down the serials, although of course that can't hurt. That is, because if v5 is working, it will automaticly assign the drives correctly. Only if a drive shows it is unformatted, do not start the array, do not format it, and ask for help on the forum.

 

That sounds great, Woody. Thank you.

 

One question, a "non-destructive parity test"; that is just a standard parity test launched from the web interface I assume?

 

(sorry. Very much a noob... unRAID just works for me so I don't mess with it much).

 

That sounds great, Woody. Thank you.

 

One question, a "non-destructive parity test"; that is just a standard parity test launched from the web interface I assume?

 

(sorry. Very much a noob... unRAID just works for me so I don't mess with it much).

 

He means a NOCORRECT parity check.

 

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

Ok. Excellent. I'll get started on this tonight.

 

Thanks very much, folks.

That sounds great, Woody. Thank you.

 

One question, a "non-destructive parity test"; that is just a standard parity test launched from the web interface I assume?

You assume WRONG.  On most versions of unRAID, unless you do it on the command line using the NOCORRECT keyword, you'll be overwriting parity is any differences are detected.  On the newest of beta versions there is a check-box to make the check a NOCORRECT check.  (but the command line stated previously still works)

So what results am I looking for in the NOCORRECT parity check?

Hi,

 

The generic way to start a nocorrect parity check, that doesn't correct any errors, is to go to the commandline on your unraid-server, and after logging in, type:

 

mdcmd check NOCORRECT

 

and press enter (make sure it is entirely as typed including case etc)

You can then follow how it is going by browsing to the unraid web-page (you can also log off, don't have to keep telnet open if you use that, etc)

 

What you are looking for, is that it doesn't have any errors, or corrections. Normally, when you do a parity-check, it will automaticly correct errors, but we are not sure if we can trust the system at various stages, so we don't want it to correct errors, because they may not actually be real errors.

 

If you do get errors, in step 1, it would mean something is already wrong with your current parity, and that could be something innocent, like shutting down the system by accident while something was writing to it, but it can also be a bigger problem that might need fixing.

 

Now, usually, this will go great, so we know we have a known good system, with known good data. Then, you test the memory, to make sure at least that doesn't introduce any errors. And then, if you move the drives, but suddenly get errors, you can move things back, and see if you get the same on the old system.

 

Because that was good, you then can tell if something went wrong during moving the drives, or if the new system isn't working well etc.

 

So in short, you are looking for no corrections, or zero (0) errors during parity check.

(unraid may say on the webpage 'a number here (hopefully 0) errors corrected' but with NOCORRECT it doesn't actually correct that, which for checking, is good.

 

Excellent. Thank you.

 

I'm running it through unMenu and we'll see how it turns out. Gonna take the hardware up to the cottage with me over the weekend to assemble.

 

Well, two-and-a-half weeks later, I've got the system full built, the new 3TB parity drive installed, pre-cleared, and assigned, and I've moved the old 2TB parity over as a new drive in array.

 

It all went splendidly with a few modifications.

 

My thanks.