I've looked over the documentation on the Wiki's Shrink Array page: https://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Shrink_array#The_.22Clear_Drive_Then_Remove_Drive.22_Method This process is quite long considering how simple the task is that I'm trying to accomplish.

 

Perhaps I'm not understanding the way parity works? It looks to me like some of these steps aren't necessary. I emptied my drive using rclone, so it has an XFS file system on it but contains no files/folders. It is not empty, though, because that data is still on the platter. Rather than using the "clear-me" script and writing zeroes to the entire disk, can't I reformat it to another file system and then drop it from the array before writing any data to it? The Wiki says when the disk is clean formatted parity will be automatically updated to reflect that the disk is empty. Why is there a second step of using the disk clear script at all?

 

I'm trying to accomplish reassigning this emptied data disk as a 2nd parity disk. If there's an easier way to do this than dropping it and reassigning it, please let me know. My only requirement is that parity not be lost during the reassignment.

 

Thanks guys!

I've looked over the documentation on the Wiki's Shrink Array page: https://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Shrink_array#The_.22Clear_Drive_Then_Remove_Drive.22_Method This process is quite long considering how simple the task is that I'm trying to accomplish.

 

Perhaps I'm not understanding the way parity works? It looks to me like some of these steps aren't necessary. I emptied my drive using rclone, so it has an XFS file system on it but contains no files/folders. It is not empty, though, because that data is still on the platter. Rather than using the "clear-me" script and writing zeroes to the entire disk, can't I reformat it to another file system and then drop it from the array before writing any data to it? The Wiki says when the disk is clean formatted parity will be automatically updated to reflect that the disk is empty. Why is there a second step of using the disk clear script at all?

 

I'm trying to accomplish reassigning this emptied data disk as a 2nd parity disk. If there's an easier way to do this than dropping it and reassigning it, please let me know. My only requirement is that parity not be lost during the reassignment.

 

Thanks guys!

Formatting the disk doesn't clear it. It just writes the empty filesystem. All of the old data is still there, but is no longer part of the filesystem.

 

Surely you have heard about utilities the "undelete" files. This is only possible because the deleted data is still there, but no longer part of the filesystem.

 

If you remove a disk that is formatted but not clear, parity will not be valid because parity still accounts for all that data that was on the disk but is no longer part of the filesystem.

I mentioned the old data in my original post. I suspected this was the trouble with formatting the disk and dropping it from the array.

 

So, if I must zero the disk before reassigning it as parity, how can I access the flash drive to add the "clear-me" script to the correct folder? Are there any options other than SSH?

So, if I must zero the disk before reassigning it as parity, how can I access the flash drive to add the "clear-me" script to the correct folder? Are there any options other than SSH?

 

Two other options:

• Access it via the SMB share called "flash" - make sure it's enabled in Main -> Boot Device -> Flash -> SMB Security Settings;
  
• Shut down and remove the flash device then plug it into your PC.
  

Thanks so much! I appreciate your help. Exporting the flash drive as a Samba share was a perfect solution.