[SOLVED] New quick help, made a misstep during a 3 drive 'parity swap'

[lordoxide]

Guys,

 

Last night I started the 3 drive parity swap on unRaid 6.1.6. I left all drives in and added a new 3 TB, then I followed the steps in the walkthrough (https://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/The_parity_swap_procedure):

 

Stopped array, unassigned 320GB, Started array (I should have pulled the old drive now, but I did not)

Stopped array, unassigned 2TB parity, assigned new 3TB parity, assigned 2TB to the old slot and started copy

 

At this point everything worked as planned when I came down in the morning, the array was still stopped and said 'click here to start the data rebuild process', I decided I was going to power down and remove the 320GB, and start the rebuild after. So I did that and rebooted, the configuration in unraid reverted to 2TB is my partiy and the 320GB is missing. I shut down and readded the 320GB, same situation and unraid is asking me if I want to rebuild the 320GB drive.

 

If i try and add the 3 TB back to the parity slot, it says wrong drive. I have not started the array yet, is there a way to manually fix this in config?

 

Thanks,

Tom

[trurl]

Maybe I missed something in your post, but I don't see why you wanted to complicate this with a parity swap. Would have been simpler to just build parity onto the new larger drive, then rebuild the data drive to the old parity.

 

Sounds like you should still have the data on the 320 so you could just new config with that one in its original slot and rebuild parity to the new larger drive, then rebuild data to the old parity.

[JorgeB]

Like trurl pointed out you didn’t need to do a parity swap, since your 320GB didn’t fail.

 

Now, with the 320GB missing you’re in the situation that benefits from the swap procedure, you can continue from step 3.

 

[lordoxide]

Thanks for the replies guys, here are a few clarifications:

 

The 320 has smart warnings, but is not failed, this triggered my wanting to replace it. I purchased a 3TB drive to replace it, I cannot do a direct drive swap because my parity is only 2TB, so I need to swap the parity then swap the 320 with the old 2TB parity drive.

 

Currently since the parity copy from 2TB to 3TB already finished but the 2nd step of rebuilding the array with 2TB (in place of the 320) did not here are the options I can do currently from within unRaid:

 

1.) With the 3TB moved to the parity position, I can do nothing...unraid reads it as the wrong drive. If I can somehow tell unRaid this is the new parity and it already correct, this would be the best way to move forward. I could start the array and rebuild the data drive on the 2TB with no issue. Again the copy last night of old parity to new parity did complete, id rather not redo that if I can.

 

2.) With the 2TB assigned back to parity the array shows as valid but missing the 320. I cannot assign the 3TB here because parity must be the biggest drive. The odd part is, if I assign the exact 320 back to its position in the array, unRaid says it will "start the Data-rebuild", basically it does not think the 320 is the same drive I previously removed. If worse comes to worse I can do this...I would need to rebuild the data-array with the 320, then go through the entire parity swap process again..

 

Is there anyway I can do option 1, or at least get unraid to realize the 320 makes the array valid, so that I can just do the parity swap again, this time without rebooting in the middle of the process?

[JorgeB]

If you’re certain that the parity copy completed the quickest way would be a new config with the new parity in place, then let it rebuild the 320gb disk on the 2tb.

 

- New config, assign all disks as it was in the old config (including the 320GB) but use the new 3tb parity.

- Check trust parity and start array

- Stop array

- Unassign 320gb disk and assign the old 2tb parity in its place

- Start array to begin disk rebuild

 

If the 320GB is already disconnected you can do it without reconnecting it:

 

- New config, assign all disks as it was in the old config but use the new 3tb parity and old parity in place of 320GB disk.

- Check trust parity and start array

- Stop array

- Unassign 2Tb disk

- Start array

- Stop array

- Reassign 2tb disks same slot

- Start array to begin disk rebuild

 

[lordoxide]

johnnie.black,

 

I actually can't, based on the fact that for some reason unRaid now thinks the 320GB is a new drive and it needs to rebuild the array. So If I assign the 3TB as parity (unraid shows it as wrong), then if I assign the 320GB unraid thinks its a new drive to replace the missing drive and I am provided with a 'Too many wrong and/or missing disks!'

 

Is there any option to force it the config? Otherwise I am stuck with adding the 2TB parity and 320GB, then rebuild the data, then do the entire parity-swap again (without rebooting this time)

 

Thanks,

[itimpi]

johnnie.black,

 

I actually can't, based on the fact that for some reason unRaid now thinks the 320GB is a new drive and it needs to rebuild the array. So If I assign the 3TB as parity (unraid shows it as wrong), then if I assign the 320GB unraid thinks its a new drive to replace the missing drive and I am provided with a 'Too many wrong and/or missing disks!'

 

Is there any option to force it the config? Otherwise I am stuck with adding the 2TB parity and 320GB, then rebuild the data, then do the entire parity-swap again (without rebooting this time)

 

Thanks,

It sounds as if you have not used the Tools->New Config option as was suggested.  When you use that unRAID forgets all the current disk assignments and asks you to start again from scratch in assigning drives.  There is also an option at that stage to say you 'trust parity'.

[lordoxide]

Gotcha, perfect that worked (I did not know that tool existed).

 

Thank you guys so much, I am going to run a parity check with the 3TB and 320GB in place, once complete i'll swap old 2TB with 320GB and rebuild!

 

Thanks again all.