P9X79 Pro - Migrating Raid from 3x2tb disks to 3x5tb disks

Andy_K · Aug 10, 2017

So, I have a 4tb Raid array made of 3 2tb disks, and it's quite full,

I've got 3x 5tb disks which i want to use as my new raid setup (10tb with redundancy)

Is there any way to have all six disks in use at once, (two raid arrays) so I can easily move the data from one array to the other?

mcnumpty23 · Aug 10, 2017

could use windows storage spaces

kind of like a software raid but much more versatile

assuming you have a version of windows with storage spaces

your current raid is it run off the motherboard raid?

or a nas?

or raid card?

Rookie_MIB · Aug 10, 2017

As long as you have enough sata ports for the HDDs to be connected, you can create multiple independent RAID arrays in the BIOS.

Andy_K · Aug 10, 2017

mcnumpty23 :

Currently the three are setup via intel rapid storage, i'd rather keep it that way, so could I setup and windows software raid for the 3x 5tb's and then move that raid to the intel rapid storage?

Andy_K · Aug 10, 2017

Rookie_MIB :

That's kinda the issue,

the board is listed as having the following ports:

Intel® X79 chipset :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), white
4 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), blue
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Marvell® PCIe 9128 controller :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), white
ASMedia® ASM1061 controller :
2 x Power eSATA 6Gb/s port(s), green

So as i'm using 3x blue ports, i'm not sure I can build a raid 5 with the remaining ones - unless maybe via software which i guess i can then migrate back to the blue ports once the data is copied.

mcnumpty23 · Aug 10, 2017

Andy_K :

some one else posted that you could make more than 1 raid array

never tried that to be honest so they might be right i have only ever made 1 at a time

or does your current array allow removing 1 drive--adding a 5tb waiting till it sorts that out

then removing another 2tb and adding a 5tb etc

or could image your current raid

plug in the new drives and load the image to them

mcnumpty23 · Aug 10, 2017

and no if you made a storage space of 3 x 5tb

you cant then unplug them and plug them into the raid controller

but if you were using storage spaces problems like you have now wouldnt occur

as you can tell it a maximum size in the beginning

even if your drives didnt add up to that--ie you could tell it it was allowed a maximum size of 100tb if you wanted to even though your drives only come to 15tb--which means if in the future say 20tb drives were cheap you could just add them

and you can add drives of different sizes no problem with no space lost like raid

mcnumpty23 · Aug 10, 2017

and storage spaces can use any sata port not just the raid ones

and can do redundancy

even double redundancy if have enough drives

13thmonkey · Aug 10, 2017

^ agree with storage spaces, setup a 3 drive redundant space (tell it is as big as it will allow) with the 5TB's move data from the raid array to the space, add the 2TB's to the space in total 14TB of redundant storage that is portable and not locked down to your specific raid controller.

Alternatively buy another 5TB disk, backup the 3x2TB array onto it, then create the new raid array and restore from the backup, then use the spare 5TB as a backup, remember raid is not a backup, raid is about availability.

mcnumpty23 · Aug 10, 2017

nice to see i am not the only fan of storage spaces

its a very versatile solution--much more so than the motherboard raid controller

and one most people arent even aware of in my experience

13thmonkey · Aug 10, 2017

mcnumpty23 :

I had a WHS 1.1 instance and liked the disk pooling, v2 was rubbish or only worked with external fixes, so when SS came up it seemed perfectly normal to me. Just keep adding storage...

Andy_K · Aug 11, 2017

Thanks to both of you, looks like there are a number of possible options!

mcnumpty23 · Aug 11, 2017

Andy_K :

you are welcome

hope one of those ideas works for you

Andy_K · Aug 18, 2017

FYI - the gradual migration one drive at a time, although slow - is getting there, just one disk left to go.

after that I should be able to extend the array hopefully! and gain the remaining 6tb's of room!

mcnumpty23 · Aug 18, 2017

Andy_K :

glad to hear

though bet you will be glad when the last ones done lol

Andy_K · Aug 18, 2017

mcnumpty23 :

Hell yes! It takes forever!!! then i'll do a full scan of my old disks and get them up on ebay if they all work perfectly!

mcnumpty23 · Aug 18, 2017

Andy_K :

mcnumpty23 :

Hell yes! It takes forever!!! then i'll do a full scan of my old disks and get them up on ebay if they all work perfectly!

i always secure erase mine before ebaying them

that takes a long time too but just cant be too careful with your data

Andy_K · Aug 18, 2017

mcnumpty23 :

Andy_K :

i always secure erase mine before ebaying them

that takes a long time too but just cant be too careful with your data

Yeah i'll do a multi-stage 'Zeroing'

13thmonkey · Aug 18, 2017

Why ebay them? why not add them to the space? Did I already ask this, what's the backup plan?

Andy_K · Aug 18, 2017

13thmonkey :

3 x 5tb in raid 5 = 10tb of space
the other 3 x 2tb aren't really necessary any more, and cant add them to the same array because of the size, so may as well ebay them!

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