Sanity check needed (add, encrypt, remove and reorder drives)

[Just Me]

Hey!

 

Sorry to bother you guys but I'm a little bit insecure when I reconfigure my server and I would like a sanity check if everything would work the way I've planed it.

 

My current setup:

unraid 6.7.2

1x 10TB single parity

10x data drives (1-3 TB size)

 

What I would like to do:

Add another 10 TB drive, encrypt this drive, remove some smaller drives and reorder my disks within my array (of course I want to keep my data 😃)

Though I'm not sure if encryption is the best choice since my antique CPU doesn't have AES instructions. So the array read / write speed may be slower.

Well, we will see ^^

 

The new drive is precleared and SMART data look fine.

 

0. Backup my flash

1. Stop the array

2. Assign the new 10 TB drive as data disk 11

3. Change the file system for disk 11 to xfs encrypted

4. Enter a passphrase and start the array

5. Format the drive

 

Now I should have an empty, encrypted data drive. I want to get rid of disk 2, 3 and 9 since they are the smallest drives.

 

6.1 Copy all data from disk 2 to disk 11 (using screen): rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11/

6.2 Copy all data from disk 3 to disk 11 (using screen): rsync -avPX /mnt/disk3/ /mnt/disk11/

6.3 Copy all data from disk 9 to disk 11 (using screen): rsync -avPX /mnt/disk9/ /mnt/disk11/

 

All data should be on disk11 now, so I could remove the no longer needed drives from the array.

 

7. Stop the array

8. Use tools -> new config to reset the array

 

I'm not really sure what option I should choose regarding "Preserve current assignments". I assume since I want to reorder my drive and remove some disks I could select parity slots only.

 

9. Select "Preserve current assignments: parity slots" and check "Yes I want to do this", then hit apply.

10. Back to main, parity should still be selected, all other disks marked as "unassigned".

11. Check if parity is really really really the correct drive 😉

12. Assign the data disks in the order I prefer, drives I want to remove will stay unassigned. (The drives can be assigned in any order, or are there any restrictions?)  

13. Start the array.

 

Since parity is no longer valid, parity will be rebuild. Approximately 26 hours later everything should be fine and the array will be "protected" again.

 

Am I missing anything? Any mistakes?

 

Thank you in advance.

[itimpi]

Regarding steps 9/10 I would recommend that when doing the New Config you select the option to keep current assignments.  Then on the Main tab you can still re-order or remove any drives but there is probably less to  do if you start from the current position.   It is only when you subsequently start the array that the assignments get committed.

[JonathanM]

23 minutes ago, Just Me said:

rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11/

Pretty sure that's going to result in a folder called disk2 being created on disk11, with the contents inside. I think you want

rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11 instead. Note the lack of trailing slash on the destination.

 

Not the end of the world if you get it wrong, just a little confusion and some command line moving.

[Just Me]

@jonathanm

Hmm I thought a folder named disk2 would only be created if I would use /mnt/disk2 (without the final slash) as source. But I'm not very familiar with command line use so I'll use rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11 as suggested. Thank you.

 

@itimpi

Okay, will do that. Thank you.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Just Me

[JonathanM]

17 minutes ago, Just Me said:

 

Hmm I thought a folder named disk2 would only be created if I would use /mnt/disk2 (without the final slash) as source. But I'm not very familiar with command line use so I'll use rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11 as suggested. Thank you.

I think you are right. I just remember seeing multiple people messing the slashes up and ending up with nested folders. It's the source side where the slash matters. Apparently the destination trailing slash doesn't make any difference.

[JorgeB]

20 minutes ago, Just Me said:

Hmm I thought a folder named disk2 would only be created if I would use /mnt/disk2 (without the final slash) as source.

Either way works in this case. /mnt/disk2 or /mnt/disk2/ no extra folder will be created.

[JorgeB]

Just for completion problem would be using no trailing slash on source, that will create an extra folder.

[itimpi]

I always prefer to use something like /mnt/disk2/* for the source as then there is no possibility of getting confused by the presence/absence of the trailing slash.

[Just Me]

Ok, If I'd use

rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11

or

rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2/ /mnt/disk11/

makes no difference.

I just shouldn't use rsync -avPX /mnt/disk2 /mnt/disk11 since it would create a folder named disk2. Got it.