Version 4.4 Unraid

I recently had a hard drive failure in my system. It was set up as:

 

Parity:500GB

Disk1:400GB

Disk2:250GB

 

Disk 2 failed. I shut the array down and ordered a new 1TB drive from newegg. I read through the manual and following the instructions I replaced the parity drive with the 1TB disk and the faild (250) with the old parity (500GB). It came up in this state.

 

Parity: 1TB

Disk1:400GB

Disk2:500GB

 

I was informed that I needed to do a "Parity-Swap" procedure which seems to me should have happened when I started the array (though that's grayed out). Reading on the forums some it seems I needed to swap the order in the devices menu and not physically. So I swapped the assignment in the Devices section. At that point it simply told me that I had to many missing or failed drives.

 

Figuring it was best to physically swap things back I'm now sitting at:

 

Parity:500GB

Disk1:Unassigned

Disk2:400GB

 

Yea I know somehow Disk 1 and 2 got swapped but both Parity and Disk 2 show green lights and I can start the array (with out protection). If I assign the new 1TB to Disk1 it tells me to try a Parity-Swap, though I can't figure out for the life of me how to do that.

 

I'm stopping here and asking for help. None of this data is backed up, and I really don't want to lose it.

 

Oh and as a side note, I am running the free version of Unraid and was planning to register the regular license(not pro). I didn't want to do that with a drive down for fear of losing data. Is this just a matter of needing to register? I can register but I wanted to order a new Flash Drive first since I'm using an old one that was lying around the house right now. If registering is the answer can someone tell me for sure if the manual is correct on how to do that without me loosing data in the situation I'm in right now?

 

Thanks for the help, I sure hope I haven't lost anything. :'(

Ok I'm really impatient so I started thinking and messing around with stuff.  Well stuff that I was 99% sure was not going to lose data.  I've got it rebuilding a Parity-Swap right now!  For anyone else in this situation here were the proper steps.

 

After a drive has failed.

1. Stop the array

2. Unassign the failed drive from the 'devices' menu

3. Start the array - The disk will now be shown as missing

Missing drive is now 'dark red' in color

4. Stop the array

5. Add the new larger disk into the Parity slot under 'devices' and put the old parity disk into the failed disks' slot

Both the new Parity and the old parity are now 'blue' status

6. Start the array

 

It then informed me it would copy the old parity information over, and start the array once again protected.  This software rocks even if the manual is a bit poor 

Off to newegg to get me a Flash Drive to register this puppy.  1GB sound about right to leave some room to play with extra features later?

Version 4.4 Unraid

I recently had a hard drive failure in my system.  It was set up as:

 

Parity:500GB

Disk1:400GB

Disk2:250GB

 

Disk 2 failed.  I shut the array down and ordered a new 1TB drive from newegg.  I read through the manual and following the instructions I replaced the parity drive with the 1TB disk and the faild (250) with the old parity (500GB).  It came up in this state.

 

Parity: 1TB

Disk1:400GB

Disk2:500GB

 

I was informed that I needed to do a "Parity-Swap" procedure which seems to me should have happened when I started the array (though that's grayed out).  Reading on the forums some it seems I needed to swap the order in the devices menu and not physically.  So I swapped the assignment in the Devices section.  At that point it simply told me that I had to many missing or failed drives.

 

Figuring it was best to physically swap things back I'm now sitting at:

 

Parity:500GB

Disk1:Unassigned

Disk2:400GB

 

Yea I know somehow Disk 1 and 2 got swapped but both Parity and Disk 2 show green lights and I can start the array (with out protection).  If I assign the new 1TB to Disk1 it tells me to try a Parity-Swap, though I can't figure out for the life of me how to do that.

 

I'm stopping here and asking for help.  None of this data is backed up, and I really don't want to lose it. 

 

Oh and as a side note, I am running the free version of Unraid and was planning to register the regular license(not pro).  I didn't want to do that with a drive down for fear of losing data.  Is this just a matter of needing to register?  I can register but I wanted to order a new Flash Drive first since I'm using an old one that was lying around the house right now.  If registering is the answer can someone tell me for sure if the manual is correct on how to do that without me loosing data in the situation I'm in right now?

 

Thanks for the help, I sure hope I haven't lost anything.   :'(

As long as you have not pressed the button labeled "Restore" you have not lost anything...  If you have pressed "restore"... sorry, but you erased the parity data that could have rebuilt your failed drive.

 

If I understand you correctly, you have put the 500G drive back physically on the same port it was, and have the new 1TB drive physically connected to where the failed 250G drive was.

 

Somehow, your hardware has scanned the ports differently.  (Let's not worry too much about that, at least not yet.) 

If the data on Disk2 is what used to be on the 400Gig drive then you are probably OK.   If you can still see the files on the "failed" disk (now disk1) then your parity and the other drive are able to reconstruct it for you.  This is also a very good sign.

 

I would try this:

Stop the array

Un-assign the current parity drive.

Assign the new 1TB drive to the parity slot.

Assign the old parity drive to the disk1 slot (the one currently unassigned)

Go back to the main page.   It should give you the option to Start the array (you might need to check a checkbox under the start button to enable it)

I see you beat me to it...  Glad the parity swap process is under way.

 

Last time I did a "parity-swap" on my server I remember it took about 8 or 9 hours.

(I've got an older IDE based array, it had somewhere between 10 and 12 disks ranging in size from 250G through 750Gig. )

 

Yes, the unRAID manual is out-of-date.   It is on the part of the wiki only Lime-Technology can edit.   You might send Tom an e-mail letting him know he needs to edit it to make it correct and match the current software actions.

 

A 1Gig flash drive is perfectly fine, but if ordering from newegg, you might get as good a deal on a 2Gig and have even less to worry about..  I do a LOT of playing, and with many old versions of files, and many extra packages, I still have nearly half free on my 1Gig flash drive.  The actual files you will install on it are probably under 50 Meg.

 

Joe L.