Installation of new disk fails because it was part of another ZFS volume

[geronimo1958]

A quick message appears mentioning something about needing to use the "-f" force option.

How do I do that?

This disk and two others (WD Red 2.0TB) are replacing my old Seagate 1.5TB disks.

The new disks were tested in a FREENAS build but I forgot to detach the ZFS volume. I tried formatting in Windows but I still get the error indicating FREENAS still sees the old ZFS volume.

I assume I will need to go back to the command line.

 

[gpsguy]

The quickest way would be to use dd to wipe a portion at the beginning and end of the disk. I can't remember the syntax and I can't easily find it in the forum (though I know it's here). You could use DBAN (www.dban.org) with the quick option. It'll take hours, but it will do the job.

 

[geronimo1958]

I read in another post that a full format in Windows OS will work. I had tried a quick format which did not solve the problem. The full format will take a while.

All the reading I did make it seem very hazardous to use the FREENAS command line to solve the problem with risk of destroying everything if an error is made.

Push come to shove I will mount all of the replacement WD REd 2TB's into another FREENAS sys and do it there. Where I cannot screw up my good ZFS volume.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Push come to shove I will mount all of the replacement WD REd 2TB's into another FREENAS sys and do it there.

If you have access to another system, you have lots of options:

• boot a Redo Backup CD and use its Drive Reset utility
• boot an Ubuntu Live distro and run a single pass of badblocks
• with DBAN, you can quit it as soon as it finishes the first write pass
• I'm pretty sure WD's drive utilities include wiping tools
• Ultimate Boot CD includes DBAN and similar tools

 

[geronimo1958]

I assembled a temp FREENAS sys using the gigabyte motherboard is just replaced. Put the two WD Red 2TB disks into it and created a temporary mirror and tehne detached.

I am now reslivering with one of those drives. The third WD Red 2TB is almost finished with its full reformat. After the resliver is done I will try with that disk.

If that disk is still being a pain I will put it into the temp FREENAS . If that does not work I will look at your suggestions.

All of this would have been avoided if I had detached and destroyed the ZFS vol.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Good approach.