Copy that, I figured as much, Thank you.

You do NOT need the -A parameter with v5.0

 

Be SURE, however, that you're using the current version of the preclear script.

 

but you did not answer my question.  Why does the Preclear script tell me "Partition starting on Sector 63" and "it will not be 4k-aligned" and when the -A parameter is used it states "-A option elected, partition will start on sector 64"

 

I am currently running RC-16 version of unraid, and Version 1.13 of the script.

 

Thank you.

 

Sideband Samurai

Joe L will have to chime in but I think you found a harmless bug.

Quick question again...

 

2TB parity (going to be used as data) replacing a 500GB

2TB data (going to be used as data) replacing andother 500GB

 

do I have to preclear these old disks again, or format them somehow before putting them in place of the 2 current 500GB's ?

 

 

Nope. Just replace them one at a time, and they will rebuild from all the other disks plus parity. Make sure you get a clean parity check before you pull and replace any disks, so you will need to check parity before and after you swap the first disk. If there are any errors, stop and find out why before proceeding.

 

Wouldn't hurt to have a current smart report to look over on the 2TB drives before you swap them also.

Alright, right on, yah I just tossed my 4TB in and its running a check now, so once that is complete im pulling a 2TB and adding a 3TB, and again, rebuild/sync, after that adding the 2tb and 2 tb, etc

 

what's the command to run SMART on the old parity and old data disk, I can toss it in another system now and do that.

You are aware that the rebuild/sync does not check parity, right? You need to kick off and finish successfully a check manually after the rebuild is complete, before you start the next swap.

You betcha, yup.  Doing parity after each drive is rebuilt. I can't remember when if when I replace the disk (2TB for 3TB) if it will show up blue, want me to format, then rebuild. That's why I asked earlier if I needed to format / preclear them quickly again.

 

Each swap+rebuild, gets a manual parity check right after the rebuild is complete.

 

Quick question.  There is sooooo much information in the various posts etc that it's hard to tell if I'm using the most recent preclear script and looking at the most recent preclear documentation.  I pulled version 1.13 from the download site but I noticed a version on my older server said 1.2 when running it.  The date modified on that one was 1/29/11.  Is there a central location that indicates the latest version and documentation of preclear_disk.sh.  I'm in the process of upgrading and adding new disks and want to make sure I'm getting the latest info without reading a ton of posts.  I'm preclearing 2TB WD Reds and Greens so maybe the 1/29/13 script is good enough but it's hard to know if I've missed anything in the last year or two.  Okay so maybe it wasn't a quick question.

 

Thanks to everyone who helps out in so many ways.  It's really appreciated.

 

ds

 

 

 

The current version is v1.13

 

JoeL wrote and maintains this script -- you can always check the current version by looking at the first post here:  http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2817.0

 

... the download link for the current version is at the end of the first LONG post in the thread.

 

Check post 12, I posted both links.

 

Use this:

 

http://code.google.com/p/unraid-scripts/downloads/detail?name=preclear_disk-1.13.sh&can=2&q=

 

When you load the script at the top of the screen before you select 'Yes' it should show version number.

Quick question.  There is sooooo much information in the various posts etc that it's hard to tell if I'm using the most recent preclear script and looking at the most recent preclear documentation.  I pulled version 1.13 from the download site but I noticed a version on my older server said 1.2 when running it.  The date modified on that one was 1/29/11.  Is there a central location that indicates the latest version and documentation of preclear_disk.sh.  I'm in the process of upgrading and adding new disks and want to make sure I'm getting the latest info without reading a ton of posts.  I'm preclearing 2TB WD Reds and Greens so maybe the 1/29/13 script is good enough but it's hard to know if I've missed anything in the last year or two.  Okay so maybe it wasn't a quick question.

 

Thanks to everyone who helps out in so many ways.  It's really appreciated.

 

ds

 

Are you sure your version actually says 1.2 not 1.12?

Now that I am thinking about this, wouldn't it not just be easier for me to just add the 3TB and the 2TB (old party) as new drives expanding the array, therefore, no need to rebuild anything at all....

 

Sure -- if you have slots for them, this will work fine.    I'd preclear both of them ... both to thoroughly scrub the drives and to make the process of adding them QUICK (virtually instantaneous, although you'll still need a few minutes to format them).    Note that for the old parity drive, which is clearly well used and thus a fairly high confidence drive, you can just use the -n option with preclear so it only does the actual pre-clear without the pre- and post- reads (takes about 1/4 the time).

 

So the process is:

(a)  physically add the 2 drives to your system (but NOT to the UnRAID array)

(b)  pre-clear them (you can run 2 instances of pre-clear at the same time with no problem -- so you can do both drives at once)

©  add them both to the array; Start the array and let it format those two drives.

(d)  run a parity check to confirm all went well

 

Done 

They were already precleared so I thought I could just add them and format them. I guess I jumped the gun, my old parity is being 'cleared' via unraid GUI. I will prob be fine, should have ran SMART and Preclear on the old data drives again but didn't

 

However I am only at 23% on the 2TB (old parity) I could cancel it.  -- Clearing, 24% complete...  2 TB Clearing 1 14199217

 

the 3TB however was already precleared.

Up to you which to do => if you cancel it and pre-clear it instead you'll have use of the array.    If you don't need the array today, just let it finish the clear and then you can add the pre-cleared 3TB drive.

 

 

They were already precleared

 

However, I'm surprised it's doing a clear if you had already pre-cleared it !!

 

its on or clearing the 2TB right now (old parity drive) which was not pre-cleared the 2nd time after being used as a parity. However it was pre-cleared when I first bought it and added it to the array.

 

WDC_WD20EARS <-- Precleared initially with -A (preclear 1.12 unraid 4.7) over a year ago is my estimate

 

The 3TB is brand new, never used, and pre-cleared. (preclear 1.13 unraid 5.0)

 

 

That explains why it needed to be cleared.

 

For a 2TB drive I wouldn't expect UnRAID to take more than 6-8 hours to clear it.  Then you can format it;  stop the array; add the 3TB drive; Start the array and format it; and then you'll be done.    I would, however, then run a parity check.

 

They are both added. When I added them to the array, there was that check box option to clear the newly added disks (all zeros) lose all info etc.

 

Right now both new disks are marked BLUE, 2TB is clearing (via GUI) 3TB is next in line, which shouldn't take near as long.