(Solved) Disk Swapping: Reloaded

[maximusfacq]

Ok. So, I let my data get ahead of my storage capacity and I now have a problem.

 

I have:

A 10 TB Parity Disk

Multiple 4TB Data Disks, Multiple 3TB Data Disks, and 2 8TB Data Disks (Now, totaling 11 Data Disks)

2 - 512MB M.2 SSDs as a Cache Pool

 

I had high water settings on my Data Disks for 500GB, so as not to let them get too full. However, multiple disks are now hitting that mark and I needed to move some data around. I was doing some of this while the latest 8TB data disk addition was preclearing. But, there was only so much I could juggle with such limited free space available.

 

disk9 (3TB), in my array is the disk I wanted to use disk11 to replace. However, I ran out of space before I could move all the data off of disk9. Then, the preclearing of disk11 completed, and I had this <sarcasm>Brilliant</sarcasm> idea to add that to the array, and move all the data off of disk9, remove disk9 from the array, and make the new disk11 become disk9. Then, just run the Tools > New Permissions task, and be all set, right?

 

That's where the wheels started turning and I thought myself into a conundrum. If I do try to swap the new disk11 for the current disk9, won't a parity check try to overwrite disk11 with 0s, because I've cleared disk9 before removal?
 

I've searched the forums a bit, and found similar questions, with different answers. I have a problem with that. There should be a definitive answer for this scenario. Will someone please save me from myself and help me with the correct steps to get out of this situation? The end goal is to make the small 3TB disk go away, and replace it with the new 8TB disk, and not suffer any data loss.

 

Appreciate your time, in advance.

[JorgeB]

Maybe it's just me but I'm not following what you did exactly, you call the new disk disk11 but it was preclearing and only later was added to the array, then you were moving data that from disk9 but now it's been cleared, if you don't get any more replies best to explain step by step what you did and post the diagnostics and an array screenshot as is now.

[trurl]

1 hour ago, johnnie.black said:

Maybe it's just me but I'm not following what you did exactly

Me neither

[maximusfacq]

Once the preclear on the new disk finished (disk11 Now), I added it to the array and started copying files to it, from disk9. disk9 is the disk I want to replace, with what is now disk11. How to I move disk9 out of the array, and keep the files on disk11, that I moved to it from disk9, all while making disk11, the new disk9?

[JorgeB]

OK, think I get it now, parity will need to be re-synced so array will be unprotected until it's done, any data on old disk9 won't be on the array anymore, if this is what you want:

 

Tools -> New Config -> Retain current configuration: All -> Apply

 

Then back to the main page unassign disk11, click on disk9 and assign the new disk (old disk11).

 

Start the array to begin the parity sync.

 

Though it bears asking, if that was your intended result why not just replace disk9 with the new disk and let unRAID rebuilt it??

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by johnnie.black

[trurl]

5 hours ago, johnnie.black said:

Though it bears asking, if that was your intended result why not just replace disk9 with the new disk and let unRAID rebuilt it??

Exactly. It sounds like you are going to a lot of trouble to do something that unRAID would have done for you in a much simpler way.

 

You probably should have asked on the forum before you started this.

[maximusfacq]

@johnnie.black Thanks for the solution without the judgement! That did the trick!