Removing Disk 4 of 8

[allroy1975]

been trying to follow the instructions here, and ....maybe i'm dumb or unclear on something, but it doesn't EXPLICITLY say what to do on this (sure feels like a dumb) question

 

Quote

1. Make sure that the drive or drives you are removing have been removed from any inclusions or exclusions for all shares, including in the global share settings. Shares should be changed from the default of "All" to "Include". This include list should contain only the drives that will be retained.
2. Make sure you have a copy of your array assignments, especially the parity drive. You may need this list if the "Retain current configuration" option doesn't work correctly
3. Stop the array (if it is started)
4. Go to Tools then New Config
5. Click on the Retain current configuration box (says None at first), click on the box for All, then click on close
6. Click on the box for Yes I want to do this, then click Apply then Done
7. Return to the Main page, and check all assignments. If any are missing, correct them. Unassign the drive(s) you are removing. Double check all of the assignments, especially the parity drive(s)!
8. Do not click the check box for Parity is already valid; make sure it is NOT checked; parity is not valid now and won't be until the parity build completes
9. Start the array; system is usable now, but it will take a long time rebuilding parity

 

Like the subject says, I've got 8 drives in my array.  Looking to take it to 7 as Disk 4 (a 1tb) is failing.  I've got a couple 8 TBs I plan on adding to the array, but the first will take over my parity drive (currently 5tb).  Ultimately I'm going to replace about 4 1tb drives and have them sink into these newer 8tbs.  

 

I've followed those instructions....twice now....In step 7 it says to unassign the drive i'm removing.  I've done that.  Twice now.  on the Main page of the Array it continues to show Disk 4 as not Installed/unmountable.

 

Here's my question:

When I'm "double checking all of the assignments" am I supposed to move Disk 5 into the Disk 4 slot, 6 into 5, and 8 into 7?  The instructions don't EXPLICITLY say that..so I didn't do it. 

 

I've been reading up, and checking/double checking my procedures and stuff so when the preclears on the 2 new 8tb drives finished (a mere 6 days later) I'd be ready to go.  Well, today is the day....and here I am doing another parity check with a "Not Installed" Disk 4 just to be safe.  Am I doing this wrong?

 

Thanks In Advance,

Allroy

[itimpi]

Step 6 in the above procedure should have stopped this behaviour happening.   At this point the array has not been started so you cannot have an unmountable status!   You need to remove any unwanted drives before starting the array.   Since you want disk4 to be removed from the array you should change it to unassigned before starting the array, and then when the array starts the disk4 slot should be empty/missing.

 

If you are sure that you followed the procedure then it sounds as if for some reason the changes are not getting written to the USB drive.   Posting the diagnostics (Tools->diagnostics) zip file here would allow for a more informed feedback s to whether that might be the case.

[allroy1975]

You know...

Even with my VMs stopped and all my Dockers stopped and no files open from my shares I've been having trouble stopping my array....and having to force a reboot. I saw someone suggest taking the USB drive out and put it in a Windows box and it'll probably say there are errors on the disk and to let it fix them. I'm out right now, but maybe that's a good idea at this point.

 

Thoughts?

[allroy1975]

3 hours ago, itimpi said:

 At this point the array has not been started so you cannot have an unmountable status!   You need to remove any unwanted drives before starting the array.  

That's correct.  When I start the array, that's what it says Disk 4 unmountable.

 

3 hours ago, itimpi said:

Since you want disk4 to be removed from the array you should change it to unassigned before starting the array, and then when the array starts the disk4 slot should be empty/missing.

 

I totally didn't really read what you said since I was out and about, but this is the exact behavior I'm seeing.  I did unassign it before starting the array. The array is mounted, and right in the middle I have a big unpleasant missing drive.  So this is proper?  Since I'll be removing even more drives later, is there a way to clean this up?

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[itimpi]

39 minutes ago, allroy1975 said:

That's correct.  When I start the array, that's what it says Disk 4 unmountable.

 

 

I totally didn't really read what you said since I was out and about, but this is the exact behavior I'm seeing.  I did unassign it before starting the array. The array is mounted, and right in the middle I have a big unpleasant missing drive.  So this is proper?  Since I'll be removing even more drives later, is there a way to clean this up?

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

If you are saying there is a slot in the middle with no drive assigned then that is to be expected if you had nothing assigned to that slot when you started the array.   If you wanted to avoid a missing slot then you need to change the slot assignments for the drives you are keeping before starting the array.

[allroy1975]

that's exactly what I'm saying.  So, like I asked in my first post, should I move the old 5 to where 4 was, 6 to 5, 7 to 6 and 8 to 7, or just remove 8, and move it to where 4 was?

 

Moving 8 to 4 seems like a smaller change, but....is there a "better way"?

[allroy1975]

I've actually moved 8 to 4 after telling the array to retain the current config.  I've been running the array with the missing Disk 4 for almost a week, but I'm terrified to start the array.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[allroy1975]

Oh God....now I think I really f'd up. Wanted to watch a movie tonight so I set the array back to exactly how it used to be. It wanted to rebuild the parity drive....so I set everything back to how it used to be..... excluding disk 4.... exactly how it was.....and started the array. None of the users shares are available. Nothing is. Did I just wipe out my entire array somehow?