New FreNas build, RAID setup, will this work?

[mrangelo]

Hi guys,

Ive been using a Centos box for years with
(2) 12TB Hard drives
(2) 6tb Hard drives
(1) 8tb Hard Drives
(1) 4tb Hard Drive

and I just purchased 2 more 12tb and I am thinking to build a FreeNas solution for the first time.
Ive been reading about ZFS and RAIDZ2 which I will like to have implemented. The issue I have is that except for the new drives all the other have content (pretty much full) and I am trying to figure out how to implement this without data loss.

My first approach is to build the FreeNas solution is to build it only with those 2 drives and then start copying from the others and add them one by one, BUT I dont think it will work to have a RAIDZ2 at the end of the day because for what understand it needs 5 drives right from the beginning?

Any other idea of how to approach this?

 

[Dan Tudora]

hello

in fact exist a solution for that problem
is dangerous but i think work
but you must buy another 2x12TB HDD
you want to do a 6X12TB HDD RaidZ2 pool ?? (that is optimal !!)
make pool with 4x12TB HDD like in
https://www.ixsystems.com/community/resources/creating-a-degraded-pool.100/
and after that transfer data to the pool and add/replace "fake" disk 1 by 1 with old 12TB disk and resilver
success

 

[mrangelo]

hello

in fact exist a solution for that problem
is dangerous but i think work
but you must buy another 2x12TB HDD
you want to do a 6X12TB HDD RaidZ2 pool ?? (that is optimal !!)
make pool with 4x12TB HDD like in
https://www.ixsystems.com/community/resources/creating-a-degraded-pool.100/
and after that transfer data to the pool and add/replace "fake" disk 1 by 1 with old 12TB disk and resilver
success

Thank you for your quick response Dan, the "Dangerous" part is the one I dont like haha.

I looked for info online and can't find info, can I make a RAIDZ2 with different size hard drives? let say the new 12tb, an 8tb, an 6tb etc. that will help me, maybe.

I have a lot of data to move around, ahh

 

[Spearfoot]

Thank you for your quick response Dan, the "Dangerous" part is the one I dont like haha.

I looked for info online and can't find info, can I make a RAIDZ2 with different size hard drives? let say the new 12tb, an 8tb, an 6tb etc. that will help me, maybe.

I have a lot of data to move around, ahh

Yes, you can create a RAIDZ2 pool with different-sized hard drives -- but the capacity will be limited by the size of the smallest disk in the group.

 

[Dan Tudora]

hello
hay spearfoot. you a right
but not with drive with data :D (I think data is importance. do you have backup??)
just read. and read. make a VM or 2 on the another calc/laptop
adjust your skill. try anything. try again. wait. sleep. wait. try again. (on VM of course)
and IF you sure make a try again
success

 

[HoneyBadger]

The short answer is that what you want to do (start a Z2 pool with a smaller number of drives and then "expand" it) isn't possible, outside of the risky endeavor suggested by @Dan Tudora

I understand you have a large number of disks already but the real question is "how much actual data is on them" - are they configured with any redundancy now (eg: the 2x12TB are in a mirror, and there's 11TB between them) or is it a stripe/JBOD/span arrangement (2x12TB with 11TB on each)? If there's a small enough amount of data, this could be done with some creative juggling, potentially a single additional drive, and minimal risk-taking.

Ultimately - what is your desired end state for drives and usable space? A 6x12TB RAIDZ2 will give you approximately 48TB of usable space (less some overhead) but requires the purchase of two more 12TB drives.

 

[Dan Tudora]

The short answer is that what you want to do (start a Z2 pool with a smaller number of drives and then "expand" it) isn't possible, outside of the risky endeavor suggested by @Dan Tudora

I understand you have a large number of disks already but the real question is "how much actual data is on them" - are they configured with any redundancy now (eg: the 2x12TB are in a mirror, and there's 11TB between them) or is it a stripe/JBOD/span arrangement (2x12TB with 11TB on each)? If there's a small enough amount of data, this could be done with some creative juggling, potentially a single additional drive, and minimal risk-taking.

Ultimately - what is your desired end state for drives and usable space? A 6x12TB RAIDZ2 will give you approximately 48TB of usable space (less some overhead) but requires the purchase of two more 12TB drives.

hello
the question is in OP post
Ive been using a Centos box for years with
in what manner
soft raid
HW raid
anything
moor date to help