Format encrypted external disk / mount with UD


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The reason that UD does not allow formatting of an encrypted disk is the management of the key phrase and the possibility of "locking the keys in the car".  You can mount a disk formatted in the array as long as there is an array disk mounted with encryption so the key phrase is available for UD to use.

 

Right now you have to enter the key phrase to start the array.  If you had disks in UD mounted with a different key phrase than the array, you'd have to enter each key phrase manually for each disk.  Storing the key phrase on the flash would not be secure.

 

Disk encryption is a new feature and LT will eventually come up with ways to manage encrypted disks in UD.  Until then you will not be able to format an encrypted disk in UD or amount a disk not encrypted for the array.

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  • 11 months later...

Did you ever find a way to do this? I have a drive that I would like to use with UD and would like it to be encrypted like the other disks in my array.

 

Is my only option to add it to the array, format it xfs encrypted and then shrink the array and rebuild parity?

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41 minutes ago, THO said:

Did you ever find a way to do this? I have a drive that I would like to use with UD and would like it to be encrypted like the other disks in my array.

 

Is my only option to add it to the array, format it xfs encrypted and then shrink the array and rebuild parity?

You can use the cache slot to accomplish what you want without breaking parity.

 

If you have a current cache drive in use with VM's and dockers, disable both those services in settings, making sure the VM and docker tab do not appear in the GUI with the array started, then you can stop the array, unassign your current cache and set the cache slots to 1. Then assign the target drive, and set the desired format to XFS encrypted, start the array, verify that's the only drive showing unformatted, and check the box to format it. Once that's done, you can unassign it again, and return your normal cache drives.

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Thank you very much for the workaround!

For anyone else with this issue, if your existing cache drive filesystem is different than what you want the new drive to be, make note of your existing filesystem before starting. Then after assigning your new drive to the cache, go into the properties to select the filesystem you want (make sure cache slots are set to 1 to allow changing the filesystem). After formatting and assigning your original cache drive back, you will need to go into its properties and re-select your previous filesystem.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I have a new disk which i was looking to encrypt and preclear to add the precleared encrypted drive to array while maintaining parity (which may be flawed in and of itself).  Ignoring that for the moment.

 

Following the above:
I disabled vm and docker (tabs gone).   
Removed cache drive (which was btrfs).    (I've only ever had one spot)
Added new disk as cache. 
Started array (was given no choice of format but disk settings had xfs encrypted as default).

Formatted new cache drive.   

 

New drive formatted as btrfs and not xfs encrypted despite default setting under "disk settings"

 

disk.cfg shows:

cacheId="WDC_WD60EFRX-XXXXXXX_WD-WX17DF8C595A"   (This is the new disk)
cacheFsType="btrfs"

 

Thanks for any help you can lend.

Edited by dimes007
More Info added. // Clarity. // One issue solved.
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