Hi Gary and Jonathanm,  A very interesting and lively discussion which I appreciate as it might offer another opportunity to at least partially recover my data.

 

Jonathanm if a Reiserfs drive was converted (ie formatted) into XFS wouldn't the format command in UnRaid overwrite the disk?  If not how could I use Reiserfschk scan whole partition on an XFS converted drive.  Will XFS understand a Reiserfschk command?

 

I would very much like to "get lucky" (per Gary), so please advise me of the proper commands to invoke and from where (command line, telnet, unraid array)?  I've already made way too many mistakes, to compound my problem further!

 

Thanks again for all the responses and suggestions.  What a painful learning experience - to be so close and then lose big time!  If nothing else, I hope others find some value in my travails!

 

Dave

if a Reiserfs drive was converted (ie formatted) into XFS wouldn't the format command in UnRaid overwrite the disk?

It only overwrites a very small portion at the beginning of the drive. Formatting is only a table of contents to keep track of the data on the drive. It doesn't overwrite the data that's already there, just marks the space as available, and presents an empty table of contents.

 

Use the reiserfs tools, because that's what format the data was in.

 

Overwriting the entire disk only happens when new data is added that fills the space. That's why formatting only takes a short period of time, while clearing a disk takes many hours. Once a drive is fully cleared (or precleared) recovery is no longer possible.

 

You will want to use

reiserfsck --rebuild-tree --scan-whole-partition /dev/sd?1

at a console or telnet screen session, replacing the question mark with the drive's ID that you wish to check.

Hopefully Reiserfsck will do its magic => it HAS been a superb tool over the years ... I've seen many folks recover data I would have thought was long gone with this tool.

 

This is also the right time to try it => since it will modify the disks, you completely lose any possibility of reconstructing the prior array and doing a successful rebuild.    But we've already tried that, and it's pretty obvious it simply isn't going to work => almost certainly because of the unfortunate automatically invoked parity check after a New Config with the "Trust Parity" option.    It's a real shame that happens, as it's almost certain you could have completely rebuilt your 5TB drive if it wasn't for that check.

 

 

Hi Jonathanm/Garycase,

 

I just tried your command:

reiserfsck --rebuild-tree --scan-whole-partition /dev/sdf (sdf=1TB reiserfs drive) with the following results:

reiserfs_open: the reiserfs superblock cannot be found on /dev/sdf.

Failed to open the filesystem.

 

I then invoked reiserfsck --rebuild-sb /dev/sdf and got:

reiserfs_open: the reiserfs superblock cannot be found on /dev/sdf.

what the version of ReiserFS do you use[1-4]

(1)  3.6.x

(2) >=3.5.9 (introduced in the middle of 1999) (if you use linux 2.2, choose this one)

(3) < 3.5.9 converted to new format (don't choose if unsure)

(4) < 3.5.9 (this is very old format, don't choose if unsure)

(X)  exit

1

Enter block size [4096]:

No journal device was specified. (If journal is not available, re-run with --no-journal-available option specified).

Is journal default? (y/n)[y]: n

Specify journal device with -j option

 

I'm not sure - "version ReiserFS"; Block Size [4096]; journal default?"

 

I haven't attempted to recover any data from the other drives (XFS formatted) yet.  Suggestions???

 

Dave

Jonathan knows FAR more than I do about the Linux commands.

 

I've never had to use Reiserfsck => on the rare occasions I've had drive failures, I simply pop in a new drive and do a rebuild; or just copy everything from my backups.

 

Hi Jonathanm/Garycase,

 

I just tried your command:

reiserfsck --rebuild-tree --scan-whole-partition /dev/sdf (sdf=1TB reiserfs drive) with the following results:

reiserfs_open: the reiserfs superblock cannot be found on /dev/sdf.

Failed to open the filesystem.

 

I then invoked reiserfsck --rebuild-sb /dev/sdf and got:

reiserfs_open: the reiserfs superblock cannot be found on /dev/sdf.

what the version of ReiserFS do you use[1-4]

(1)  3.6.x

(2) >=3.5.9 (introduced in the middle of 1999) (if you use linux 2.2, choose this one)

(3) < 3.5.9 converted to new format (don't choose if unsure)

(4) < 3.5.9 (this is very old format, don't choose if unsure)

(X)  exit

1

Enter block size [4096]:

No journal device was specified. (If journal is not available, re-run with --no-journal-available option specified).

Is journal default? (y/n)[y]: n

Specify journal device with -j option

 

I'm not sure - "version ReiserFS"; Block Size [4096]; journal default?"

 

I haven't attempted to recover any data from the other drives (XFS formatted) yet.  Suggestions???

 

Dave

When working with the sd device, you must specify the partition, sdf1, as jonathanm said.

You missed an absolutely critical digit, the digit 1 after sdf (you'll see it at the very end of jonathanm's command).  DO NOT PROCEED with the command on /dev/sdf!  It MUST be sdf1.

 

It might be wise to read the warnings and help on the Check Disk File systems wiki page.  You may still have build a new superblock, and there's a wiki section to help with that.

Hi RobJ,

 

Correct and correct!  So I did the original Reiserfsck /dev/sdd1 and got:

root@Tower:~# reiserfsck /dev/sdd1

reiserfsck 3.6.24

 

Will read-only check consistency of the filesystem on /dev/sdd1

Will put log info to 'stdout'

 

Do you want to run this program?[N/Yes] (note need to type Yes if you do):Yes

 

reiserfs_open: the reiserfs superblock cannot be found on /dev/sdd1.

Failed to open the filesystem.

 

If the partition table has not been changed, and the partition is

valid  and  it really  contains  a reiserfs  partition,  then the

superblock  is corrupted and you need to run this utility with

--rebuild-sb.

I've also read about the Reiserfs Tools in your link.  I know that doing that command --rebuild-sb will cause some additional problems if not destroy all the data.  On this particular drive, I have not made any changes w/exception of deleting the empty directories left after the move via consld8.

 

If there is anything I should do before a --rebuild-sb, please let me know.

 

Dave

I've also read about the Reiserfs Tools in your link.  I know that doing that command --rebuild-sb will cause some additional problems if not destroy all the data.

It should not destroy anything, as it will just rebuild the sb that used to be there.  The warnings were for those just being informed of the damage and risks in repairing their Reiser formatted drive.  You're long past that!  Anything we can do now is an improvement, not a danger.

 

If there is anything I should do before a --rebuild-sb, please let me know.

No, proceed with the rebuild-sb, then the rebuild-tree and scan whole.  I hope it works.  Kudos to jonathanm for remembering this option in these circumstances.

Hi all,

 

Reiserfsck rebuild-sb and Reiserfsck --rebuild-tree --scan-whole-partition /dev/sdd1 with the following result:

 

8787840) - corrected to (48636352)

Flushing..finished7, 150 /sec

Objects without names 2571

Empty lost dirs removed 48

Dirs linked to /lost+found: 444

Dirs without stat data found 30

Files linked to /lost+found 2127

Objects having used objectids: 159

files fixed 133

dirs fixed 26

Pass 4 - finisheddone 197051, 149 /sec

Deleted unreachable items 11737

Flushing..finished

Syncing..finished

###########

reiserfsck finished at Wed Nov  4 11:39:20 2015

 

This is the 1TB drive converted to XFS and perhaps gives an indication of what has happened.

 

Interestingly, I can read a number of files & directories noted in the telnet command string, but at this point I am failing to see any information on the disk at all through my network.  It doesn't even show "lost+found" even though the drive is indicating 522 GB of data nothing is visible via my Mac or Win7 machines.  Do I need to stop the Array and restart for it to show up? {tried that & it didn't work, shows parent directory 0 and no sub-directories or lost+found}.

 

I'm game to try it on the sdf disk still Reiserfs formatted, but it looks like the converted XFS disk(s) are a "bust"!

 

Dave

Post a screenshot of the main GUI.

Post a screenshot of the main GUI.

 

Done - Below

Oops looks like 522 MB not GB even though I had a lot of files recovered per the telnet onscreen list.  Command also says it will put log info into stdout, but I can't find that file (flash/disk/???),

 

Dave

For some reason unraid is still trying to mount it as xfs, which would explain why the recovery didn't take. If you go to the disk settings, what format is listed? It should be reiserfs, as that is the file system that we were trying to rebuild.

You would need to run New Permissions tool before you can see anything on the disk as the recovery process would have not set them correctly for network access.

For some reason unraid is still trying to mount it as xfs, which would explain why the recovery didn't take. If you go to the disk settings, what format is listed? It should be reiserfs, as that is the file system that we were trying to rebuild.

 

Hi Jonathanm, It is an XFS drive as viewed by UnRaid (I believe you can see it if you click on the attachment and use the slide bar and go right).  It was originally a Reiserfs drive that I re-formatted to XFS.  If I understood you and Garycase, it should still respond to Reiserfsck commands and rebuild the data.  What I can see from my Command Line (telnet listing) shows a number of files.  I can not find the purported log file (stdout) but could probably copy/download that data it if you are interested.

 

By Itimpi - You would need to run New Permissions tool before you can see anything on the disk as the recovery process would have not set them correctly for network access.

 

Itimpi, I'm not sure how to do that specifically in UnRaid, is it in the Tools Permissions and won't that affect my good data on Disk 4? 

 

Dave

 

If you go to the disk settings, what format is listed? It should be reiserfs, as that is the file system that we were trying to rebuild.

If it is not reiserfs, change it. Any data that we recover will be reiserfs, it won't show up if it's mounted as XFS. When you change it to reiserfs, then you will need to run the recovery sequence again.

If you go to the disk settings, what format is listed? It should be reiserfs, as that is the file system that we were trying to rebuild.

If it is not reiserfs, change it. Any data that we recover will be reiserfs, it won't show up if it's mounted as XFS. When you change it to reiserfs, then you will need to run the recovery sequence again.

 

YIPPEE!!!!! :)   Changing back to Reiserfs then running "reiserfsck --check /dev/sdd1"  rebuilt the entire Data tree without having to invoke a Super Block rebuild or full reiserfsck --rebuild-tree --scan-whole-partition.

 

It did create some Lost+Found files but they appear in some instances to be duplicates or occasionally unreadable d/t lack of a program.

 

Regardless, I tried this disk first as I do have a copy of the Data saved, so any errors or problems would not have much effect.  Now to try and get a few of My Movies back!

 

Jonathanm, you are a Genius or from Apollo 13 - "a steely-eyed missile man!"

 

Dave

Good news => hope it works as well with the other drives as well.

 

Now set up a good backup plan 

Good news => hope it works as well with the other drives as well.

 

Now set up a good backup plan 

 

Absolutely, I will try to keep a few of the older discs perhaps running on my old server as backup.  I have been able to get some of my Movies back, though without trying am not sure if they are complete.  It seems that some of the Audio_TS sub-directories are missing and only parts of the same film appear even occasionally in Spanish or French, so???  Still much better than 0!

 

Since I have to consolidate them again for the new Server and re-do the 5TB Drive in the process, would you recommend reverting to Reiserfs?  Now seems to be the time to make that change.

 

Dave

XFS seems to be the preferred file system going forward => although Reiser has been VERY reliable, it's no longer actively supported (as you may/may not know, the key architect of Reiser is in prison for murdering his wife -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Reiser ).

 

Reiser is still an excellent system; but XFS is considered more "modern" and is more likely to be further developed going forward, so I'd simply use XFS.    Just be sure you have good backups; as the fsck utility for XFS cannot do the "magic" that Reiserfsck can