(SOLVED) Errors on parity, new disk ordered, next steps

[rorton]

Got some errors now on an ageing 1tb Hitachi disk which is the parity drive, so i ordered a 3tb WD Red to replace it. 

 

For the parity replacement, am i correct in:

 

• Set array not to auto start
• Stop array
• Shutdown
• Remove current parity disk
• Insert new disk
• Power up
• Make the new disk the parity disk
• Start array
• Wait for parity to rebuild

 

Secondly, i have a second 3tb disk from another machine i can now use in the system after i upgrade the parity to 3tb.

Bit confused about the file formatting and stuff with this one. Do i follow the same process as above, can i just select the file format (xfs) and then when reformatted, parity will rebuild and job done - bear in mind the rest of the array is reiserfs, or won't i get the option, and putting in the new drive with auto format with the file system on the rest of the array. All other disks are 1tb in the array. 

 

Thanks

Rich

[JorgeB]

16 minutes ago, rorton said:

For the parity replacement, am i correct in:

Yes, no need to disable auto start.

 

17 minutes ago, rorton said:

Do i follow the same process as above, can i just select the file format (xfs) and then when reformatted, parity will rebuild and job done - bear in mind the rest of the array is reiserfs, or won't i get the option

Any rebuilt disk will have the same file system as the disk it's replacing, so not possible to change the filesystem that way, there's a pinned thread about fs conversion on this subforum.

[rorton]

1 minute ago, johnnie.black said:

Yes, no need to disable auto start.

 

 

Ok great - thanks for that

 

Will the newly inserted disk assume the role of the parity disk, or will the array not start due to parity being removed hence no need to disable autostart?

[JorgeB]

The array won't start with a missing disk, just assign the new disk as parity and start the array.

[rorton]

great thanks, 

[rorton]

all sorted, new parity installed, then moved some data about to free up a disk, reformatted all disks to xfs, 

Put another 3tb in, and now waiting on Amazon to send me an SSD to replace the spinner im using for cache - thanks for the help with this, took a while with all the copying of data and parity checks etc, but got it done!