Change storage configuration from striped to mirrored

[savagecooks]

Im a bit of a beginner when it comes to the setup of homelabs. I bought a small pc to start messing around with TRUENAS scale, this had one 1TB HDD (+1 256GB SSD for truenas scale) that I wanted to setup in order to learn the software and such.

This means I created a striped pool (I knew it wasn't recommended for the saving of sensitive data) and I started installing apps, virtual machines etc. A couple of months later I managed to get my hands on a 2TB HDD and I extended the striped pool instead of creating a mirror (Mistakes happen...). The point I am now is that I would like to be able to have some redundancy in case of drive failure. This is not possible with my current setup. I have tried finding ways of accomplishing this however I was not able to find a clear cut solution or step-by-step tutorial somewhere for achieving what I want.

What I would like to achieve is have my current apps, virtual machines and truenas scale settings along with a ZFS pool that has some redundancy. Im aware I might have to completely get rid of the data currently stored in my striped drives, I dont mind, but I dont want to go through the process of reinstalling all the apps/settings/VM's etc. What is recommended in my case?

Any input is appreciated.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Hello @savagecooks

Working on the assumption that you aren't wanting to buy more drives, if you have less than 1TB of data stored now, you can use the UI to remove the 2TB disk from your pool, and then perform the proper "attach" command from the Pool Status page against your 1TB disk - this will convert it to a mirror, but it will be limited to 1TB of usable space, as you've got a mismatched disk configuration.

Can you describe the hardware you're using? The statement of it being a "small PC" might mean you don't have room for any additional hard drives; and hopefully you aren't using anything like external USB drives at present.

 

[savagecooks]

Thanks for your quick reply.

I am not sure where i would remove the 2TB disk from the pool. I do have slightly less data than 1TB so I hopefully should have all the data on the first drive. If I go to Storage, there I see both of my HDD drives, (sdb -1TB, sdc - 2TB). However I don't see an option to remove the disk from my pool.

I have a micro-atx build with space for approximately 3-4 HDDs. It's running an i5-6500. All drives are internal SATA drives.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Under the Storage dashboard, choose Manage Devices beside the Topology section of your pool:

In the next window, select the drive you want to remove, and then click the Remove button:

Confirm the removal and let it complete, then select your 1TB disk and this time click Extend:

Select your 2TB disk, confirm, and you're all set. Let it complete the resilvering, and you now have 1TB of usable space on your 1TB+2TB mirror.

Later on, you can use this same Topology screen to Replace the 1TB disk with another 2TB, and you'll have a 2TB-usable mirror.