So last night I started to preclear some of my new drives (waiting on the bad ones to be replaced) via the console.  They were at about 87% when I left for work this morning.  I'd like to start another run when these runs complete.  However I'm unsure how I can check on the status of the preclears remotely or if it's even possible.  Running 5.06.

This should help- http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Configuration_Tutorial#Preclear_Hard_Drives

 

Edit: I believe you'll need to follow the section for multiple sessions using Screen.

This should help- http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Configuration_Tutorial#Preclear_Hard_Drives

 

I have read through that.  That's how I got the whole process started last night.  However I don't see any info about how to check on the status of preclears that you've started via the console from a remote telnet session.  Maybe it's not possible but I was just hoping to clarify that so I don't waste 8 hours I could be using to run another preclear on the disks.

 

EDIT:  I guess if there is no  /boot/preclear_reports directory that means they have completed yet correct?

Im assuming you can VPN into your local network as I can't imagine anyone exposes telnet sessions to the Internet these days.

 

If so - if your box has the X10SLM-F board in it as per your sig why don't you vpn into your network and then (either via rdp to local machine or ssh tunnel perhaps) use the IPMI web interface and attach yourself remotely to the console session and change to the relevant tty to have a look!?

Im assuming you can VPN into your local network as I can't imagine anyone exposes telnet sessions to the Internet these days.

 

If so - if your box has the X10SLM-F board in it as per your sig why don't you vpn into your network and then (either via rdp to local machine or ssh tunnel perhaps) use the IPMI web interface and attach yourself remotely to the console session and change to the relevant tty to have a look!?

 

Unfortunately the box in my sig is my main UnRAID server.  I'm currently running preclears on my new backup server which is a SuperMicro X10SBA-L with no IPMI.  But yes I am VPN'd into my home network and connected to my main PC via RDP.

EDIT:  I guess if there is no  /boot/preclear_reports directory that means they have completed yet correct?

 

My understanding is that this is correct. No reports, the preclear hasn't finished.

If you are using Screen you can run multiple preclear sessions and cycles. You can also connect via telnet from any computer and view each preclear session (assuming you are running a VPN server on your local network). It's described in the tutorial. Running preclear via the console, I don't think any of this is possible. As the tutorial says, preclearing without Screen is not recommended. I could be wrong though. I've always done it via Screen to avoid any possible problems.

If you are using Screen you can run multiple preclear sessions and cycles. You can also connect via telnet from any computer and view each preclear session (assuming you are running a VPN server on your local network). It's described in the tutorial. Running preclear via the console, I don't think any of this is possible. As the tutorial says, preclearing without Screen is not recommended. I could be wrong though. I've always done it via Screen to avoid any possible problems.

 

Yea I should have started the sessions last night via screen over telnet but I was lazy and it was late when I started all this.  So right now they are running via console (which the tutorial says is fine) however I think it does leave me in the position that I can't really see those sessions via a remote telnet session.  So I think at this point I'm just going to have to wait until I at least see the preclear_reports show up in the boot directory.  Once I see those show up and the logs look good for all the drives, I'll start another run via telnet with Screen.

EDIT:  I guess if there is no  /boot/preclear_reports directory that means they have completed yet correct?

 

My understanding is that this is correct. No reports, the preclear hasn't finished.

 

When the preclear finishes, it will create that directory right?  Hard to imagine my preclears still aren't done when at 7:30 this morning they were at 88%.  But I don't see a preclear_reports directory or any files associated with it.

did you start the preclear in a screen via the physical terminal? If so, i think you can just attach to that screen.

 

But if you didn't I don't think there is a way to hijack the physical terminal, though surely google would answer this for you.

 

And don't sweat it, preclears are annoying the first few times you do them (and take forever), but everyone learns after the first one they accidentally terminate at 88%/etc.

 

Then you make sure to start them in a screen and let them go

If you started them less than 24 hours ago and they are 3TB or larger then I wouldn't expect them to be done yet. Was that 88% of pre-read done, or 88% of post-read?

 

I have cleared 2, 3, and 4 TB drives and my rule of thumb is about 10 hours per TB. I don't think my results are atypical.

If you started them less than 24 hours ago and they are 3TB or larger then I wouldn't expect them to be done yet. Was that 88% of pre-read done, or 88% of post-read?

 

I have cleared 2, 3, and 4 TB drives and my rule of thumb is about 10 hours per TB. I don't think my results are atypical.

 

Oh I see.  Well in that case I must have been reading the pre-read status.  I started the preclear at about 1AM EST this morning and 6 hours later I just quickly saw 88% done.

Still recommended to do 3 preclear runs per brand new drive before adding to the array?

Yes. I still recommend doing 3 passes as I've had some drives die on the third pass but not the second. I'd rather spend the time upfront testing the drive before it has my valuable data on it instead of later doing nerve-racking data restores and rebuilds and hoping all the data is restored.

Use screen to start multiple pre-clears at the same time.

 

3TB takes ~26 hours to complete start to finish.

Use screen to start multiple pre-clears at the same time.

 

3TB takes ~26 hours to complete start to finish.

 

Yea after the first preclear that I started in console mode completed (which took 32 hours), I started a 2 cycle pre-clear per disk in screen.  So far it's been 24:45 hours and I'm at 59% post-read progress on cycle 1.