3TB array drive is super slow, can it be 'fixed'?

[JustinChase]

I've started seeing some errors on Disk 3, so I've decided to move all the files from that drive to my other drives, and to eliminate that drive, and do with fewer drives in the system.

 

I'm currently seeing about 2MB/s transfer speed from that disk, which means it will take about a week to move 1TB off the drive.  The drive in question is on a separate controller from the other drives in my system, and I'm wondering if I can move it to the same controller as the disk I'm trying to copy to to improve the transfer speed, but I'm not sure how that will affect the array if I move the position of 2 drives.

 

Any guidance, or suggestions to speed up the drive would be much appreciated.

 

I'm not sure what log files, or anything that I can provide to help, but will happily upload whatever anyone needs to see.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

ChristopherBaber_20200402_102340.tar.gz media-diagnostics-20200402-1043.zip

Edited April 2, 2020 by JustinChase

[JorgeB]

7 minutes ago, JustinChase said:

Any guidance, or suggestions to speed up the drive would be much appreciated.

Unlikely to get better, I would replace it now, especially considering it's the infamous ST3000DM001

[JustinChase]

5 minutes ago, johnnie.black said:

Unlikely to get better, I would replace it now, especially considering it's the infamous ST3000DM001

Thanks, I just ordered the new drive to replace it, but my current concern is how to get the data off more quickly than at 2.5MB/sec.

 

Any idea if moving to other controller, next to the disk I'm moving files to, will speed up the data movement?

[trurl]

3 minutes ago, JustinChase said:

Thanks, I just ordered the new drive to replace it, but my current concern is how to get the data off more quickly than at 2.5MB/sec.

When you replace it, its data will be rebuilt onto the replacement drive so no need to move that data to other drives.

[JustinChase]

I have a 4TB parity drive, three 4TB array drives, and this malfunctioning 3TB drive.  They are all of very similar age, and I'd like to retire them all, sooner than later.  I've ordered two 12 TB external drives (WD - Easystore 12TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Black) and want to move all data to the 12 TB drive, with 12 TB parity.

 

I don't want to worry when rebuilding parity onto the new drive, that the 3TB drive fails during the process.  I want to get the data off the drive before anything else.

 

Any ideas if there might be a solution to speed it up, or I just need to be patient?

[JorgeB]

18 minutes ago, JustinChase said:

that the 3TB drive fails during the process. 

The 3TB drive won't be there during the rebuild, so it can't fail, only other option would be to disabled the disk now, array will be faster (if the other disks aren't used for other things), but you'll be unprotected.

[JustinChase]

3 minutes ago, johnnie.black said:

The 3TB drive won't be there during the rebuild, so it can't fail, only other option would be to disabled the disk now, array will be faster (if the other disks aren't used for other things), but you'll be unprotected.

In order to get to using two 12 TB drives, one as parity, and one as array, I believe I have to start by upgrading the parity drive, since I cannot have an array drive any larger than parity, which is currently 4TB.  When upgrading the parity from 4TB to 12TB, I believe it will use the array drives to rebuild parity, so if the 3TB drive fails during this time, I believe I've lost all that data for good (except for using the old 4TB parity drive).

 

Am I mistaken, is there some way to get to the 12TB drives without the 3TB drive being a liability, and is so, how?

[JorgeB]

6 minutes ago, JustinChase said:

In order to get to using two 12 TB drives, one as parity, and one as array, I believe I have to start by upgrading the parity drive,

No, you can use the parity swap procedure.

[JustinChase]

1 hour ago, johnnie.black said:

No, you can use the parity swap procedure.

I did not know about that, thanks for sharing.

 

I'm more worried about the existing disk failing than the new drive failing in the next 5-10 days.

 

so, I'm thinking I'll install the new 12TB drive in the parity slot, old parity in failing disk 3 slot, disconnect disk 3, and start the procedure without preclearing the new drive. While at the same time, preclearing the other new 12TB drive, so that hopefully the preclear is done not long after the data is all correctly on the new parity and array drives. Then i can swap the parity drive for the precleared one, then preclear the old/new parity drive.

 

More work for the server, more risk to my data I suppose, but a horrible idea?

[JorgeB]

Seems like a good idea to me, and you still have the old 3TB disk if needed.