Jump to content
  • 0

Will this work?


Joe Charm

Question

I am currently running WHS 2011 and on the box I have 4 drives, Disk1 is 500gig, Disk2 is 2T, Disk3 is 2T and Disk4 is 2T. All disks are at 98% used and are in Dispool1. I need to update Disk1 from 500gig to 2T. Can I take out Disk2, from the diskpool and insert a new 2T drive and make it part of the pool, do an evacuate on the 500G drive, pull the empty 500G drive and then put the old 2T drive back in have everything recognized correctly?

 My problem is that I don't have any external enclosure and I need to update the space. Are there going to be any issues that I need to be aware of before doing this? or is there some other better way of doing this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

The best way would be to remote the disk from the pool first.

 

If you are using duplication... using the "Duplicate files later" option may work well here. 

Worst case, use the "file placement limiter" balancer to only allow duplicated files on the 500GB drive. Then let it site for a while, and then remove it (using that "duplicate files later" option). Then replace the drive, and add the 2TB to the pool. Then it should immediately start duplicating. And viola, done. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

It would be nice to evacuate the drive first, the problem with that this that there is 500Gig of data in about 100Gig of space, which is why I am going through this routine. I guess that I should have spelled that out. I never use duplication as I think that it is unnecessary. I do take a backup, but backup and duplication just doesn't make sense to me for a home server..

 

I have to confess, I don't understand your option, it never takes into account the fact that there is no space for the 500Gig of files that need to be taken off of one drive and put on another, which is my main problem and the reason for my question. Would my original question work? or is there something better? or do I just not understand what it is that you are trying to tell me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Let me get this straight, you propose:

- 4 Hds in the Pool, no duplication whatsoever.

- Removing a 2TB filled drive from computer (not the Pool), ignoring missing disk msgs from DP

- Insert new 2TB drive, move all 500GB data to 2 TB drive, remove 500GB from Pool and then from computer

- Reinsert old 2TB drive and hope DP recognises it and all will be fine?

 

I don't know why it would not work but there are people here who can help you with this.

If you do backup, might you consider simply deleting contents on 500GB drive, remove/replace and restore to new 2TB drive? Or temporarily use the medium that you use to backup to?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Umfriend, I think that you have it, except that your point 2, the 2T drive is part of the pool.  This is the only way that I can think of that I can expand a full diskpool.  I am not sure how I would delete contents from only the 500GB drive? the whole issue is that I don't have 500Gig of free space in the pool to evacuate the drive.

I do have backups and I suppose that I could just take out the 500Gig drive, without evacuation, put in the 2T drive, add it to the pool and then restore the pool from backups. Is that what you are suggesting?

 

Reinsert old 2TB drive and hope DP recognises it and all will be fine? This is the part that kind of scares me :-)))

Also, without doing an evacuation of the 500Gig drive, are there going to be any lingering effects that I need to worry about? Is it going to keep asking me to reinsert the drive at every bootup, or anything like that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Joe, I got the 2T-part of Pool bit, hence the "ignore missing disk msgs" part.

 

I now actually think that might well be the best way to go. I am assuming that DP will let you write to the Pool even while a disk is missing.

 

My other suggestion was less well though through as deleting from the 500GB drive might cause balancing to transfer yet other files to it. That can be stopped but it just introduces more steps and risk factors IMO. So I would in that scenario:

1. Remove 500 GB drive from computer

2. Remove 500 GB drive from Pool (now the files are realy lost, DP accepts they no longer exist).

3. Change 500 GB drive for new 2TB disk and add to Pool

4. Restore files for Server, individual files, select 500GB drive, all files/floders within the poolpart folder and restore to other location being the Pool

 

I am assuming that you use the WHS 2011 standard server backup function and that it can in fact write to the Pool (AFAIK, it can not backup the Pool, only the underlying actual drives).

 

If any of this goes wrong, you can always (I think):

- Change the new 2TB back for 500 GB Drive; or,

- Borrow an external enclosure to copy from the 500 GB drive to the Pool.

 

Luckilly, there are people here who actually know about these things ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Umfriend, I think that you have it, except that your point 2, the 2T drive is part of the pool.  This is the only way that I can think of that I can expand a full diskpool.  I am not sure how I would delete contents from only the 500GB drive? the whole issue is that I don't have 500Gig of free space in the pool to evacuate the drive.

I do have backups and I suppose that I could just take out the 500Gig drive, without evacuation, put in the 2T drive, add it to the pool and then restore the pool from backups. Is that what you are suggesting?

 

Reinsert old 2TB drive and hope DP recognises it and all will be fine? This is the part that kind of scares me :-)))

Also, without doing an evacuation of the 500Gig drive, are there going to be any lingering effects that I need to worry about? Is it going to keep asking me to reinsert the drive at every bootup, or anything like that?

 

 

I'm guessing that you don't have a spare sata slot for the 2TB drive that you are planning to add or a friend who could lend you a USB caddy or enclosure?

Drivepool doesn't care if a drive is internal or external. If I'm not mistaken.

And I also perhaps think that you misunderstood Umfriend? The 2TB drive you plan to add surely Isn't already part of the pool?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Since Drivepool becomes read only when you have a missing disk I don't believe you can add a new disk like you want to.

 

But you can still stop drivepool service and swop in your new 2TB drive (if new initialize and format via windows) and copy the content of the poolpart.xxxxxxxxxxx folder on 500GB to the new drive.  Shutdown server remove new drive readd old, start server then force remove 500GB drive (might be able to just remove 500GB drive and leave new 2TB when reinstalling old 2TB drive and just remove missing disk from dashboard).  Then add new 2TB disk. Move content into new poolpart.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on new 2TB.

 

DP really has nothing to do with a copy from disk to disk in this situation.  Just ensure the service is not running during this process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

It would be nice to evacuate the drive first, the problem with that this that there is 500Gig of data in about 100Gig of space, which is why I am going through this routine. I guess that I should have spelled that out. I never use duplication as I think that it is unnecessary. I do take a backup, but backup and duplication just doesn't make sense to me for a home server..

 

I have to confess, I don't understand your option, it never takes into account the fact that there is no space for the 500Gig of files that need to be taken off of one drive and put on another, which is my main problem and the reason for my question. Would my original question work? or is there something better? or do I just not understand what it is that you are trying to tell me?

Joe, I know I'm probably going to repeat a few things that have been said here.... but....

 

I wasn't sure if you had duplication enabled or not. Because in this case it does make a difference.

 

For what you want to do... I'd recommend pulling the 500GB drive, and replacing it with the larger disk. DrivePool will pitch a fit about the missing disk. Remove it to clear the error. Once that's done, connect the 500GB drive to another system. Once you've done that, you'll find a hidden "PoolPart.xxx" folder on the drive. The contents of this disk will be laid out identically to your pool. Copy the contents back over to the pool/shared folders.

 

 

As for duplication, I honestly recommend always enabling duplication, when you have the option/ability. Yes, it takes up x2 the space. But if a drive fails, you don't have to worry about what you've lost, because you have a copy of the files elsewhere.  

Additionally, there is the "read striping" feature. It helps boost performance in a number of ways (reading from the faster drive, or reading and caching the contents in a way that boosts reads).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

So, my first suggestion won't work as DP will not let you write to the Pool with a missing disk (which makes sense IMO). But the second revised will/should work if I understand correctly. Just never delete anything (which I suggested in my first post, SHAME ON ME!). Drashna's amendment using another system, I think, has even less risk.

 

Someday I'll have a real test / mess around system to try things like these. For now, yours serves as that ;-)

 

Oh, and _if_ you've got the means to install enough capacity to enable duplication (which in your case would require 4x4TB drives it seems to me) than I would like to echo Drashna's suggestion. I'm learning a lot from him (and I'll replace my sys HD with an SSD someday).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I guess that my real lesson here is to upgrade before I reach this point. Not sure what I am going to do, but just taking the 500Gig from the server and then installing the new drive and copying from another system seems to something that I can accomplish. Then a new external enclosure might be the answer to my problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

@ummfriend: don't copy to the pool directly then.... use \\computername\x$\ over the network isntead. Where "x" is the letter of one of the disks in the pool. Then open/find the "PoolPart" folder and copy into that.

 

Externals are you friends. :) They make things much easier. Especially in this case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Yeah, I wonder about that: Why wouldn't I copy (from other system / external enclosure) or restore individual files to the Pool? Seems to me I want DP to deal with file placement etc.

 

Another related Q: Can I copy a bunch of files directly to a poolpart folder on one drive and would DP do balancing _and_ duplication (if set)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Q: Can I copy a bunch of files directly to a poolpart folder on one drive and would DP do balancing _and_ duplication (if set)?

 

A: Yes, although the balancing and duplication would only occur when DrivePool next performs its balancing and duplication consistency checks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Thanks. I guess I keep forgetting that DP is simply a very advanced layer over normal NTFS folders, so, nothing special ;-).

 

I could have known this as I know that if you replace a file on one of the drives, the check will find out that the two same files one the two drives are not actually equal (read somesuch in relation to restore of single HDD in Pool).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

I ignored the smiley, actually. :)

 

I just wanted to emphasize that data integrity is one of those things that are TOP PRIORITY. 

 

And syncing is fine, as long as it's one way. If it's mirrored/2way syncing, then yes, you may have issues.

That .... or just don't delete anything ever. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...