Expanding from 1 to 3 drives

[ChewyD]

Hi all,

I currently have 1x 3tb drive setup with some data on it probs around 25% usage.

I am looking to buy 2 additional drives so that I can set up raidz1 with all 3 drives.

I am assuming I am unable to just add the 2 drives and setup all 3 as raidz1 without losing the data, so I am looking to move the data off the drive before doing so.

My question, is there a quick way I can move the data off the drive, like putting the drive I'm my windows pc and taking the data off. Or do I have to move the data via the network router?

Truenas 12

 

[Heracles]

I currently have 1x 3tb drive setup

Not good at all : single drive vDevs are not to be used. Better to go to a different storage solution if all you have is a single drive...

I am looking to buy 2 additional drives so that I can set up raidz1 with all 3 drives.

There is no way to convert a single drive vDev to a Raid-Z1 vDev. You will have to empty that drive, destroy the pool and re-create from scratch.

Other point is that Raid-Z1 is not recommended for drives that size or larger. In case of a failed drive, ZFS must read 6 TB of data without a single error in order to re-silver the pool. A single error out of these 6 TB may corrupt up to the entire pool.

I am assuming I am unable to just add the 2 drives and setup all 3 as raidz1 without losing the data, so I am looking to move the data off the drive before doing so.

Right you are.

is there a quick way I can move the data off the drive, like putting the drive I'm my windows pc and taking the data off

The drive is formatted with ZFS. You would need a ZFS-capable system to read it. Also, because it is your only drive and you will not survive any error without loosing it all, I do not recommend you messing around that path. Go safe and transfer everything over the network.

 

[ChewyD]

Thanks for your reply.

I need 4 drives for raidz2 and can't afford the additional cost for the additional drive yet, which is why I'm going raidz1 as 1 redundancy is better than none .

Safe and slow it is.

Thanks again

 

[danb35]

You will have to empty that drive, destroy the pool and re-create from scratch.

Well, you could create a degraded pool on the two disks, transfer the data over, then resilver the existing disk into the new pool:

Creating a degraded pool

WARNING: HERE BE DRAGONS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING, DO NOT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. IN FACT, IF YOU NEED THESE INSTRUCTIONS, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T FOLLOW THEM. There are a few cases where it may make sense to create a...

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But not really a plan for n00bs.

can't afford the additional cost for the additional drive yet

That's your decision to make, of course, but be aware that you can't convert RAIDZ1 into RAIDZ2 down the road. Though I suppose you could follow the same procedure again if you were brave.