Hi,

 

I have a Red X on a 5TB drive that is using 3.5TB. I have 7TB of space in the array. I have a spare 4TB drive which I would like to use to replace it but I can't because it is smaller.

 

Can I move the files from the 5TB drive to other drives while the contents are being emulated until it is empty. Then remove the drive and add the 4TB into the slot in the server and bring it back online?

 

I did run a short smart check on the 5TB and it was clean:

 

Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      1627         -

 

If I can, I would then like to see if this 5TB is still good and use it as a second parity drive once the array is safe again.

 

Regards

Jim

UnRAID will not let you replace an array drive with a smaller one.

 

The closest you will get is to do a New Config and then re-assign the drives as you want them.    You will then need to rebuild parity so will be running unprotected until the parity rebuild completes.

If you copy the files from the emulated drive to other drives in the array, it will be reading all disks to calculate the emulated data, then writing the array disk you are copying to plus writing the parity disk to update parity due to the write on that array disk.

 

Another approach would be to copy the emulated data to another system on your network, or to another disk outside the array mounted with Unassigned Devices. This avoids further writing to your array and its parity drive until that data is safely copied elsewhere. You are still unprotected until New Config and parity resync, but perhaps less opportunity for another disk to fail.

 

And copying the data back to the array would be done after New Config and parity resync.

Edited February 27, 20179 yr by trurl
another detail