Finding/getting back "unusable for duplication" space

[Beaker1024]

Edited due to finding more details: See 2nd post for question / help needed.  Thank you.

 

I've used my own work around for auditing my files and folders (RoboCopy in "list" mode compared to backup offline external hard drive).  I'm fairly confident I have not lost any important files or gained any junk files in my ShareFolders.

 

So before the error I only had Unduplicated and Duplicated Files on the 4 hard drives in Pool.  Now I have all sorts of "Other" data that I can't find/identify on the disks.

 

Can you help me get those drives back to having no "other" and no "unusable for duplication" space?

[Beaker1024]

Ok I've looked at this a bit more and I'm getting more and more convinced that this is a case of "Other" data being generated by DrivePool on my 4 Pooled disks.  I see they are uneven and would result in the "unusable for duplication"

 

My goal now is to see if I can remove all the junk generated by the massive file duplication and unduplication (possibly in Pool.Gui or MetaData folders??) that is now "Other data"  The DrivePool GUI interface calculates and see this other data but I don't when I explore the folders/files on the pooled disks (with show hidden and system folders/files as on).

 

Is it possible to get ride of this excess "other" files?  Reset the MetaData of System volume info or remove the extras?

 

BTW The total of new "Other" data that the 4 drives have now that was not there before is: 4.49 GB

 

Just to be clear I have never hard any data on these 4 disks that wasn't part of the DrivePool.  I am certain it is DrivePool itself that made this "other" data.

[Beaker1024]

I had a smaller 5th hard drive partition (partiion from OS physical disk) that I removed (default removal settings) from the same DrivePool (only use/have one pool) to simplifly my hunting this down.  It's been completely removed for about 12 hrs now and I see that DrivePool has left some folders and files still in a "Pool.Part.xxxxxx" folder on the removed partition.

 

Could the act of orphening files and folders also occurred during unduplication?  Could they have become "other" outside of Pool data?  Or maybe this symptom is seperate from what generated the "other" data on my main 4 drives.

[Christopher (Drashna)]

If you ahven't already, try "remeasuring" the pool (Pool Options -> remeasure).  

This will forcibly refresh the information and may fix the problem.

 

 

 

 

However, if you are seeing "other" data, that could definitely generate "unusable for duplication", depending on the exact setup.

 

Any data outside of the "poolPart.GUID" folder is considered other, as well as is "still in use" data, such as downloading/seeding torrents. 

 

You can see about deleting the system volume information folders, as that *may* help (you'll need to take ownership of the folder first). 

 

 

Also, running something like "windirstat" may be helpful here.

 

 

 

 

Additionally, if you could grab the logs from the system, just in case?

http://wiki.covecube.com/StableBit_DrivePool_2.x_Log_Collection

 

 

 

I had a smaller 5th hard drive partition (partiion from OS physical disk) that I removed (default removal settings) from the same DrivePool (only use/have one pool) to simplifly my hunting this down.  It's been completely removed for about 12 hrs now and I see that DrivePool has left some folders and files still in a "Pool.Part.xxxxxx" folder on the removed partition.

 

Could the act of orphening files and folders also occurred during unduplication?  Could they have become "other" outside of Pool data?  Or maybe this symptom is seperate from what generated the "other" data on my main 4 drives.

If you used the "Force damage disk" removal or the "duplicate later" options, it will actively leave data on the drive.

 

Otherwise, it may leave the PoolPart.GUID folder on the drive, and empty folders on it.  That is normal.

If there is actually data here, that may be a problem, and could be a symptom of whatever is causing the issue you're seeing.

[Beaker1024]

If you ahven't already, try "remeasuring" the pool (Pool Options -> remeasure).  

This will forcibly refresh the information and may fix the problem.

 

I have already tried this and the "other" data size (and there rest of the stats remain the same.  So no assistance there.

 

 

However, if you are seeing "other" data, that could definitely generate "unusable for duplication", depending on the exact setup.

I've upgraded to the newest beta (*.659) and a remeasure has made the "unusable for duplication" go away.  I still have unexplained "Other" data though.  But yes I was thinking the same thing.

 

Any data outside of the "poolPart.GUID" folder is considered other, as well as is "still in use" data, such as downloading/seeding torrents. 

These hard drives have never had anything be outside the DrivePool poolPart.GUID folder period.  Not sure about "still in use" these are all mostly archived files nothing being actively used (no one is watching a *.wtv file at the moment).

 

You can see about deleting the system volume information folders, as that *may* help (you'll need to take ownership of the folder first). 

System Volume Info Folders are all reading 0 in size but are also access deniied as you guessed.

 

Also, running something like "windirstat" may be helpful here.

Yes I'll have to take a moment to install it on my WHS2011 machine.

 

 

 

Additionally, if you could grab the logs from the system, just in case?

http://wiki.covecube.com/StableBit_DrivePool_2.x_Log_Collection

 

 

 

If you used the "Force damage disk" removal or the "duplicate later" options, it will actively leave data on the drive.

I used the "default" removal of a drive options so neither of the two options were checked.  I assumed that meant it would take its time and remove all the "Pool"art.xxxx" folders and files.  See attached image for screen capture

Otherwise, it may leave the PoolPart.GUID folder on the drive, and empty folders on it.  That is normal.

If there is actually data here, that may be a problem, and could be a symptom of whatever is causing the issue you're seeing.

 

The PoolPart. Folder dated 12/17 is from the removal and still has 75 files and 18 folders (~63MB of data).

 

 

Looking at the DrivePool GUI when you hoover over a drives bar graph and it pops up the Duplicated, Unduplicated, Other, etc... data.  I've been keeping an eye on things and the "Other" data that doesn't belong or have any reason to be there is slowing going away over time.

 

I had about 2.8 GB in "other" on a drive that is now reporting only 854 MB.

 

So bottom line right now is things are getting better and I"m looking forward to more Beta releases!

 

BTW Your scanner software saved my bacon (for an external drive on a different machine not this WHS2011) the other day and I inspired me to buy another license for another machine!

 

Thanks for everything!