[6.7.2] Replacing 4x 2TB drives with 4x 4TB?

[raqisasim]

Hi folx -- looking for recommendations on my approach for swapping out four 2TB drives, with four 4TB drives.

 

Details: I have four 2TB drives in my unRaid 6.7.2 system. They are fine, it's just I now have four 4TB drives I can replace them with, and someone to give these older drives to.

 

Since I'm almost out of SAS ports and power connectors on my server, I'd like to replace, if possible, by the following steps. In anticipation, I have already moved all data off the 2TB drives via UNBalance; next steps would be to:

 

• remove the four 2TB drives from the array,
• re-start the array to get the parity to completely forget those drives,
• shut down the server and pull the four 2TB drives,
• install the 4TB ones, and
• start up the OS to put those 4TB drives back into the array, possibly with pre-clear (the 4TB are used)

 

Does this sound reasonable? I based it off the "Replacing Multiple Data Drives with a Single Larger Drive" page in the wiki  -- which is not what I'm doing; just gave me the key idea that the above should work.

 

Thoughts?

[itimpi]

I assume that you have other data drives and parity drive(s)?   If so you cannot simply remove drives as this invalidates parity.

There seem to me to be two basic approaches you can take:

1. Follow the procedure for replacing a ‘failed’ drive for each drive in turn.   This is time consuming but will keep your array protected throughout.
2. Use Tools->New Config to allow all drives to be replaced at the same time.    This will invalidate parity so until parity has been rebuilt with the new drive set the array is unprotected.

 

[raqisasim]

On 11/30/2019 at 10:33 PM, itimpi said:

1. Use Tools->New Config to allow all drives to be replaced at the same time.    This will invalidate parity so until parity has been rebuilt with the new drive set the array is unprotected.

 

I followed the above and it worked a charm. Thanks for setting me straight!