Moving HDs from one server to another while keeping both up.....

[topcat989]

OK, so I'm decomissioning my 4.7 server and moving to 5.0rc12 in one of the HP microsevers, what only has 4 data drive slots. Problem is this: the 4.7 server contains(ed) a 2TB parity drive, 2x 750GB (one now moved to new server), 6x 500GB, & 1x 300GB drives.

 

the 5.0 server contains a 1.5TB parity drive, a 1x 750GB (from 4.7 server) a 500GB, and a 300GB drive. There is only ONE drive slot left open on the new server. I have already moved the data from the 4.7 server 750GB drive to the 750GB drive on the 5.0 server.

 

The problem is this: If I unassign or remove the 2nd 750GB drive from the 4.7 server, even though it no longer contains any data, array will not start:

 

 

but even though I've deleted the data off disk 8, and disk 7 is now in my 5.0 server, the array is up. How do I "decommision" disks to remove them from the 4.7 array after having migrated the data off them?

 

 

 

My plan is to remove disk 8 (750GB), leaving only 500GB as the largest drives in the 4.7 array. Then move data off one of those 500GB drives, then use it to replace the 2TB parity drive in the 4.7 array, That will allow me to move that 2TB drive to my 5.0 array. Even after that, with the drives I currently have, my 5.0 server will NOT have enough space for all the data on the 4.7 server, so I need to keep it functional until I can score some 2TB drives. The drive configuration for the 5.0 server until I get new drives will be 2TB for parity, 1x 1.5TB, 2x750GB, and 1x 500GB for the 4 data drives.

 

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[dgaschk]

Enter "initconfig". Reassign the desired drives and start the array. Parity will rebuild.

[topcat989]

Enter "initconfig". Reassign the desired drives and start the array. Parity will rebuild.

 

"reassign" desired drives??  You do realize I'm trying to REMOVE drives from the 4.7 array (after migrating data off them)? I am NOT adding ANY drives to the 4.7 array. I'm not having any issue adding drives to the 5.0rc12 array.

[mrow]

What he told you to do will allow you start a 'new' array without the missing disks. It will force a parity rebuild though. You can continue doing this procedure until you've moved all the disks you wanted to move.

[garycase]

Hopefully you did a parity check on your 4.7 system BEFORE you started doing all this; as you no longer have the ability to recover anything on that array.

 

Consequently, there's no real reason to even bother assigning a parity drive on that system ... so you can do this VERY quickly (since no parity calculation will be required) ==>  So just do this:

 

Do an InitConfig on the 4.7 system, but do NOT assign a parity drive ... just assign the drives that still have data on them.    You can then remove the 2TB parity drive and the empty 750GB drive.

 

Now I would use the 2TB drive to replace the 1.5TB drive on the new array.    When that finishes, add the 1.5TB drive and the 750GB drive (removed from the 4.7 array) to your new system.  When they've been added your new system will have a fair amount of available space (the 1.5TB and 750GB drives) you can copy additional data to from the old array ... AND the new array will be parity protected [the old system will not be at this point].

 

Now copy all of the contents of one of the 500GB drives on the old array to the new array; and then do ANOTHER InitConfig on the old array => this time assigning the now-empty 500GB drive as parity.    When THAT parity calculation finishes, the old array will now be protected again.

 

Note that this sequence will take a fairly long time => the initial reconfig of the old array will be very quick;  but replacing the parity drive on the new system will take several hours;  then adding the two drives will take another long period (while the drives are cleared);  then copying the data from the 500GB drive on the old system to the new will take a while;  and finally, when you do the 2nd reconfig on the old system it will take a while to compute parity [Note you should also do a parity check after the parity computation has completed, to confirm all is well -- another several hours].    But most of that time is "computer time" ... not "your time" 

[topcat989]

Thanks gary I'll give it a go...

[garycase]

Just remember to shut down/reboot at the appropriate times 

 

i.e. Do the InitConfig on the old array;  then reboot to confirm it's all set correctly;  then shut down and remove the two drives (2TB and 750GB).    etc.

 

This is conceptually very simple ... and indeed the individual steps are easy.  What makes it a bit tedious is the HOURS to do the parity rebuild (on the old drive); the clearing of the new drives; the data copies; and then building parity on the old system followed by a parity check of the same.

 

But the process will work easily, and you'll be well positioned to finish the transition when you get one more 2TB drive.

 

[topcat989]

OK, I've run into a real problem

 

I did the initconfig, it worked, I removed the two drives, rebooted, array came back up- so no problem. I power down for the night. I boot the 4.7 server this morning, and it shows 3 drives as missing- not the two I took out, but 3 drives that are there, still there, and showed as there when I booted the array after the initconfig. NOTHING changed but powering down at night and powering up in the morning. I rebooted, still 3 drives as "missing" (and NOT the parity and 750GB I removed). Powered down, unplugged PSU, pressed start to discharge and power left, and let it sit for a minute. Powered back up. Still same 3 drives as missing. OK, there are 6 SATA ports on the mobo and 4 ports on a promise PCI card, maybe the card went bad?- Nope, at least one of the missing drives is on the mobo SATA port.

 

I'm starting to think this- The HP microserver running 5.0rc12 has an eSATA port I'm not using, and I have an eSATA caddy, can I just put the 4.7 drives in the eSATA caddy on the 5.0 server and move the data over that way?

 

Or even what about being able to read the 4.7 drives in windows and hook the eSATA caddy up to my XP machine and transfer their data to my 5.0 server that way?

 

OK it's clear I screwed up and started this project w/o the proper research- I'm paying for that now. I hope I can save my data,  some of it is irreplacable- again, my fault for not having proper backup, but my living situation has been chaos.

 

I'd truly be grateful for help pulling my nuts out of the fire, even if I did deserve to get singed...........

[garycase]

I did the initconfig, it worked, I removed the two drives, rebooted, array came back up- so no problem.

 

Wow!  That is STRANGE.    Since you had already done the new config with only those drives that still have data on them, I can't imagine how your config info on the flash drive got reset !!

 

... but all is not lost 

(read on)

 

 

I'm starting to think this- The HP microserver running 5.0rc12 has an eSATA port I'm not using, and I have an eSATA caddy, can I just put the 4.7 drives in the eSATA caddy on the 5.0 server and move the data over that way?

 

This is possible using Linux commands ... but I'm not a Linux guy, so I'm not sure just how to do it.  I would use the "copy from Windows" approach (next paragraph)

 

 

Or even what about being able to read the 4.7 drives in windows and hook the eSATA caddy up to my XP machine and transfer their data to my 5.0 server that way?

 

That's what I'd do at this point.    Basically, you've got a few Linux drives (from your 4.7 system) with data on them and simply want to read the data.    The data is "safe" as long as the drives aren't in use; so the fact they're not in parity protected array is no big deal.    I'd simply go ahead and get the v5 array configured as you want (upgrading the parity to 2TB; adding the 1.5TB and 750GB drives to it) ... and then start copying data to it from the old drives.

 

To do the copy, you can simply connect the drives to your XP system with your eSATA caddy; and copy the data to your new UnRAID server.  You will need to install a file system reader that lets you read the Reiser formatted drives ... this works very well and the price is right (free):

http://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

 

[topcat989]

That's what I'd do at this point.    Basically, you've got a few Linux drives (from your 4.7 system) with data on them and simply want to read the data.    The data is "safe" as long as the drives aren't in use; so the fact they're not in parity protected array is no big deal.    I'd simply go ahead and get the v5 array configured as you want (upgrading the parity to 2TB; adding the 1.5TB and 750GB drives to it) ... and then start copying data to it from the old drives.

 

To do the copy, you can simply connect the drives to your XP system with your eSATA caddy; and copy the data to your new UnRAID server.  You will need to install a file system reader that lets you read the Reiser formatted drives ... this works very well and the price is right (free):

http://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

 

I'll go this route. Currently doing parity sync with 2TB drive. Once that's done by this evening, I'll replace the 300GB drive (smallest drive) in the 5.0 array with the 1.5TB drive, and then when that's all up and going, I'll move the data over. I just hope the HD that are showing up as "missing" will show up and read in the eSATA caddy...........

[garycase]

I hope so too, as there's nothing you can do about it if you've had a very-poorly timed drive failure.    That array was unprotected for the last few days ... since you had the first "missing" drive issue; so you couldn't have done anything about it anyway.    And it WAS readable last night when you reconfigured the array ... so I think there's an excellent chance it will read just fine.