SOLVED Is a single disk from a RAIDZ volume readable?

[techmattr]

If I pull a bad drive from an array does it need to be wiped? Or is the data inherently unreadable?

 

[mattbbpl]

It's extremely difficult, but people have posted on here that some of the information can be retrieved at a high cost/effort. Due to the layout of a RaidZ volume, this data will be incomplete - scraps from a much larger whole.

If this question is for a security concern, wipe the drive.

 

[techmattr]

It's extremely difficult, but people have posted on here that some of the information can be retrieved at a high cost/effort. Due to the layout of a RaidZ volume, this data will be incomplete - scraps from a much larger hole.

If this question is for a security concern, wipe the drive.

That's what I thought. Currently the drive is undetected in any system I've tried. It suffered an instant clicky death. It spins and clicks but no detection. I know when I send it back to WD they will be able to read it though.

 

[Ericloewe]

That's what I thought. Currently the drive is undetected in any system I've tried. It suffered an instant clicky death. It spins and clicks but no detection. I know when I send it back to WD they will be able to read it though.

1. The guy processing the drive has no idea what ZFS is, much less that the drive might come from a RAIDZ vdev.
   
2. They have no reason to read any drives, much less yours.
3. Even if they did they'd have one heck of a hard time piecing anything remotely interesting together.

 

[Mirfster]

Nothing a couple well place 5.56 rounds couldn't take care of. ;)

 

[Ericloewe]

Nothing a couple well place 5.56 rounds couldn't take care of. ;)

I don't see bullet holes as helping one's cause in the RMA department...

 

[danb35]

Nothing a couple well place 5.56 rounds couldn't take care of. ;)

The last time I shot a drive, it was with a 7.62 instead. Quite an impressive result, actually, but (as @Ericloewe points out) it's highly unlikely the drive could be RMA'd after that.

 

[Mirfster]

I don't see bullet holes as helping one's cause in the RMA department...

Sure, take the fun out of it... :P

 

[techmattr]

1. The guy processing the drive has no idea what ZFS is, much less that the drive might come from a RAIDZ vdev.
   
2. They have no reason to read any drives, much less yours.
3. Even if they did they'd have one heck of a hard time piecing anything remotely interesting together.

Good points. Thanks for the confirmation.

Nothing a couple well place 5.56 rounds couldn't take care of. ;)

Sure, take the fun out of it... :p

lol. It'd sure give the RMA processing guys something to talk about. I usually do scrap my 1TB - 3TB drives.... 6TB are just too pricey to take that hit though.

 

[mattbbpl]

1. The guy processing the drive has no idea what ZFS is, much less that the drive might come from a RAIDZ vdev.
   
2. They have no reason to read any drives, much less yours.
3. Even if they did they'd have one heck of a hard time piecing anything remotely interesting together.

Yeah, in a typical home use scenario being concerned about it is wild overkill. I should have specified in my response that the drive needs wiped if it's one of those situations that requires that the drive cannot be read in whole or in part, such as something governed by company/government policy.

 

[Mirfster]

If really paranoid, you could do DD and then DBAN with like 5 passes. That should really take care of it.
Of course if the drive is failing (hence the RMA), then a big ole degausser for about 5 seconds on each side with at least 3 turns would work (unless it is a SSD)... ;)