Umfriend

Well I am happy all seems fine now. But where did you read you should get this drive out of the Pool as a first move? I would, as I said, only consider that if the Pool was fully duplicated. I am doubtfull about Server Backup being the cause and I would turn server backup off when hell freezes over. My guess is a bad cable or cable that is loossie. But who knows...

Well, if everything was duplicated, you could have removed the HDD in DP, even if it was missing already, add another HDD and have DP rearrange and reduplicate everything. If you can read from it in another machine then making a quick copy of the files is never a bad idea but... are they not also on your Server Backup? If you want to feel secure, sure, make a copy. Now let's assume you make that copy and the HDD then fails. You have all your files but I am not sure how to efficiently put it all back into place. My guess would be to: 1. Add new HDD to Server and Pool 2. Stop the DP service (not sure if neccessary) 3. Copy all the files from the failed HDD, so now present somewhere else, to the hidden poolpart folder on the new HDD. 4. Start the DP service (only if you did 2) 5. Let DP do its magic. You may want to press re-measure. I would hope that DP manages everything for you but WARNING I am not sure. Christopher would know...

I assume you do not have duplication on the Pool? In that case, *if* you can read from it on another machine, I would really try and reconnect in server using a different cable and/or port. If you're anal about it you want to know whether it is the cable, the port or whether the current cable became a bit loose only. I would want to know. If you get it OK on the server again, I would force scanner to rescan the drive (mark readable sector unchecked or somesort). On replacing, and assuming you have a port available and the HDD in question can be read (and is connected so that the Pool is in OK condition), what I would do is: 1. Add the new HDD to the Server 2. Add the new HDD to the Pool 3. Select the suspect HDD and chose Remove. The DP will do evertything for you. There are other perhaps faster ways but I rely on DP and rarely mess up that way

I would consider: 1. Identify which HDD is reported missing 2. Shut down server And now either or: 3. replace cable / connect to differen port / attach in other machine If you can find it in another machine then it should nto be the HDD. It may be the port, the cable or simply that a good cable became a bit loose. I would not power up server until that HDD is attached again (although it should not be a problem I think).

Yes, that is a downside.

I do not know whether this has been solved yet but FYI, I have been able to work around this issue by using hierachical Pools ( ).

Use the USB attached HDDs as part of a Pool.

Well, you can certainly try then I guess. And for the rest, you got how it works.

LOL, I thought: "That is what I said!" but see that at my point 3, "V" was omitted. It should have read "3. Turn duplication X2 on V". Yes, new files will be written to both instantaneously. On USB, no, you wouldn't, because you use it for shorter periods when running a robocopy. Christopher knows more about this, I believe he stated that USB spec allows for periodic temporary disconnects and those are an issue when writing and scanning and what not.

Yes, if I understand correctly, that would work. However: 1. You would turn on duplication on drive V as that is the Master Pool consisting of W and X. One duplicate would end up at W and the other duplicate on X. 2. I believe USB is not optimally suited for permanent continuous storage. Connections may break sometimes. Christopher would know better but IMO YMMV (and you don't want it to vary for something this critical). Yes, I guess you would have to clear out X first. Assuming W and X already exists as Pools (but checjk with Christopher as I have not done this before): 1. Create Pool V 2. Add W and X 3. Turn duplication X2 on 4. Now it is important to realise that the content of W is not in V!!!!! Crucial to understand this. 5. To get it to V, you *could* move the contents of all poolpart*** folders on the HDDs underlying W to the poolpart*** folders on the same HDDs that are underlying the V Pool. It is a bit hard to explain why/how but the thing to know is that if a HDD is part of a Pool that is again part of a Pool, that HDD will have a nested Poolpart.*** folder. The first poolpart.*** is the folder for W, the second for Pool V (I really think and am pretty sure). It is in fact possible to get files stored on W through V and on W seperately as well (just like you can store data on a HDD that is part of a Pool outside of that Pool the HDD is part of. 6. Then use re-measure to force rebalancing and it will duplicate all data on W (that is part of Pool V!) to pool X.

I am sure there is but noticeable? Absolutely not. If not all data is duplicated then you could define two different sized pools. There is a file placement balancer iirc where you would check both child pools for duplicated but only the larger child pool for unduplicated data. Backup the HDDs of the larger child pool.

Sure. So DP supports pool hierarchies, i.e., a Pool can act like it is a HDD that is part of a (other) Pool. This was done especially for me. Just kidding. To make DP and CloudDrive (CD) work together well (but it helps me too). In the CD case, suppose you have two HDDs that are Pooled and you use x2 duplication. You also add a CD to that Pool. What you *want* is one duplicate on either HDD and the other duplicate on the CD. But there is no guarantee it will be that way. Both duplicated could end up at one of the HDDs. Lose the system and you lose all as there is no duplicate on CD. To solve this, add both HDDs to Pool A. This Pool is not duplicated. You also have CD (or another Pool of a number of HDDs) and create unduplicated Pool B witrh that. If you then create a duplicated Pool C by adfding Pool A and Pool B, then DP, through Pool C will ensure that one duplicate ends up at (HDDs) in Pool A and the other duplicate will en up at Pool B. This is becuase DP will, for the purpose of Pool C, view Pool A and Pool B as single HDDs and DP ensures that duplicates are not stored on the same "HDD". Next, for backup purposes, you would backup the underlying HDDs of Pool A and you would be backing up only one duplicate and still be certain you have all files. Edit: In my case, this allows me to backup a single 4TB HDD (that is partitioned into 2 2TB partitions) in WHS2011 (which onyl supports backups of volumes/partitions up to 2TB) and still have this duplicated with another 4TB HDD. So, I have: Pool A: 1 x 4TB HDD, partitioned into 2 x 2TB volumes, both added, not duplicated Pool B: 1 x 4TB HDD, partitioned into 2 x 2TB volumes, both added, not duplicated Pool C: Pool A + Pool B, duplicated. So, every file in Pool C is written to Pool A and Pool B. It is therefore, at both 4TB HDDs that are in the respective Pools A and B. Next, I backup both partitions of either HDD and I have only one backup with the guarantee of having one copy of each file included in the backup.

HI Jeff, how large is the Pool, the backup destination and do you use duplication? Edit: Ah, the original post says it does. In that case, you might rearrange your Pool hierarchical. E.g. unduplicated Pool A: DIsk 1 and Disk 2 unduplicated Pool B: DIsk 3 and Disk 4 and DIsk 5 Duplicated Pool C: Pool A and Pool B. Then you would backup either the HDDs of Pool A or those of Pool B, whichever takes your fancy. THis is what I do with my WHS2011 Server (although, it is rather small storage-wise)

Yes. Each HDD will have a hidden poolpart* folder that you can see by having explorershow hidden files. Within that folder, you have your normal folders structure on each HDD. A single HDD may not have all Folders in case the duplictaes are stored on the other two HDDs but if there is a file on a HDD then it is placed in a folder that is understandable to you. Edit: Misread, you are not duplicting. Yes, remove a drive, put it in another system, view hidden folders and files and within the poolpart folder the folderstructure will be as you see it, e.g., Vacartions\US\2014 etc.

I dislike the new lay-out. It shows fewer threads at once. Seems more fancy but is less functional IMHO.

Aside from underclocking, you can also try to undervolt (assuming MB supports this). For the i7-6700HQ in my lappy, it makes a *huge* difference (-140mV CPU and -110mV iGPU saves 15-20W when under full CPU load).

Just wondering but wouldn't it be easier to partition the SSD into an OS and an DP/CD partition?

Yeah, although the 3x5.25 and 1x5.25 to 3.5" boxes cost quite a bit as well. I have those already but if I did not I would seriously consider going the rackmount route. Especially as the othjer HW seems OK and the budget appears to be there.

Tanks for finding https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133188%C2%A0, I like that one on the face of it as it has five hot swap external already and another backplane/HDD converion kit can get me another 5 using three 5.25" external slots. And then another kit would up that by 1 more 3.5" and 1 2.5" There's "only" 8 in the https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133361and if you need to change/replace one it is opening the case.

So, uhm, by next week?

So in my case, I guess, that could mean that I have a Pool that consists of 1 SSD, 1 regular spinner and 1 Archive HDD and files would reside on the SSD until they get older. move to regular spinner, get older, move to Archive HDD? Balancing rules would accomplish this and meanwhile keep duplication, to the extent possible, within one tier? I think I am a +1 for this (and that is saying something as I am opposed to many/most suggestions made here ). I just wonder whether, e.g., SQL Server DBs would be able to be relocated as SQL Server tends to lock the files pretty darn well.

"Never underestimate the bandwidth of a truckload of tapes" - but the latency....oh.

Funny that, back in my C-64 days, tapes were all the rage and the cheapest storage available!

It really depends. Is the data on the drives critical and not backed-up? -> Replace! But if you have backups and/or use DP with duplication then you can leave as is for now. It is not so much the #of re-allocated sectors but whether the number increases. I would run another scan in a couple of days and if the number increases then I would consider taking the HDD out of service entirely. You might try a re-format then and see how it comes back but in my limited experience, once the sector count goes up regularly it is simply dying.

So what is a good way to clean? I have used compressed air and it certainly clears a lot of dust but a tiny layer of dust seems to stick to fans and MB anyway. Do you guys turn it off before cleaning? I have considered, uhm, contact spray? but just wasn't sure if that'd be a good idea.