Can someone remind if if it's possible to pop in a drive with data already on it and have Unraid see the data? 

 

What I am looking at doing is pop in a drive in my pc and copy files off the smaller drives in my server.  Then remove the smaller drives and pop in my new larger drive with the data already on it.  I have a feeling this isn't possible but I can't remember.  I figured this would be faster than replacing one drive with a larger drive and rebuilding it then copying data off the other smaller drive onto the drive.

 

Thanks

Can someone remind if if it's possible to pop in a drive with data already on it and have Unraid see the data?  

 

What I am looking at doing is pop in a drive in my pc and copy files off the smaller drives in my server.  Then remove the smaller drives and pop in my new larger drive with the data already on it.  I have a feeling this isn't possible but I can't remember.  I figured this would be faster than replacing one drive with a larger drive and rebuilding it then copying data off the other smaller drive onto the drive.

 

Thanks

It can not be done easily...

 

To "pop" in a drive in unRAID you must either do it when no parity drive is assigned (because it will not matter if parity is immediately invalidatd)

or

You must press the button labeled "restore" which immediately resets the unRAID server to set a new disk configuration and invalidates parity.  When you subsequently "Start" the array it will calculate a new set of parity calculations and store them on the parity drive.  You will not be protected by parity until this step is completed.

 

Also, to have unRAID accept a drive in the above scenerio it must be partitioned exactly as unRAID would have partitioned it, and must have a reiserfs file-system on its first (and only) partition. Otherwise, it will just show it as "Unformatted"  and give you the option of formatting it.

 

Easiest way to partition the disk is to put it in the unRAID array and have it perform both steps.  Second easiest would be to use the preclear_disk.sh script to clear and partition it, and then run

mkreiserfs /dev/xxx1

on partition 1 of the drive to create a reiser file-system on it.

 

be absolutely certain you have the correct drive, since doing this on the wrong drive will erase the data on it.

 

Then, lastly, and probably the biggest problem, you need to be able to write to this drive when in your windows PC.

I know of no windows driver that can write to an reiserfs file-system.  All the windows drivers I'm aware of are read only.

 

You might be better off doing everything over the LAN.  It will not be as fast, but it is possible.

Personally, I plan to combine smaller drives onto a larger one by working inside the unRaid system. I know that works and don't need any additional points of hassle by adding a PC into the mix. Using mc should allow really fast copying internal to your tower.

I guess I'll have to do it within unRaid.  I'll have to get a 1.5TB drive for parity, pop that in calculate parity, then the next day pop out one of the smaller drives and replace it with a 1TB drive and have the drive rebuilt by unRaid.

 

I'm also thinking of moving my drives into my Silverstone 17m from my Antec P190.  RIght now I have the 17m as my HTPC and the Antec 190 as my server.  Both sit in my living room but with the Silverstone 17m inside my home theater cabinet.  The P190 sits next to my cabinet.  I really hate it sitting there but have nowhere else to put it.  I just bought a laptop which I hope to use as my HTPC so don't really need to use my current one.  My only concern is the heat buildup of 6 drives inside my 17M.  I currently have two 80mm in the rear to exhaust the heat.  I may have to add a fan on the side to bring in some air. I figure 5 x 1TB drives gives me room for plenty as I have about 2TB now and haven't really added much in the last year to it.  Mosty just photos.