Removable archive storage

[zenn68]

Preface: i have FreeNAS 9.3 running on a Dell 2950 w/ 6 sata HDDs. Vol1=4 x 3Tb ZFS1
Vol2=2 x 2 TB mirror. All disk running off a 6 port backplane connected to an IBM M1015 in IT mode. All works well so far, no complaints.

Question: What I would like to do, if I can manage it without corrupting existing data, is "disable or offline" Vol2, remove the drives and use the now vacant slot(s) to insert a single 3Tb HDD, create and mount a volume on it, so I can use it to Archive some data for offsite storage. Then Replace the original drives and "enable or online Vol2.

I tried connecting the 3Tb disk to usb but data xfer is too slow, so leaving that as a last resort.
Im OK with having to shutdown and reboot to (swap) the volumes, and also if have to destroy and recreate the data on the quarterly 3Tb drive, but dont want to loose the Vol2 mirrored pair.
Any advice on how to go about this?

 

[danb35]

Any advice on how to go about this?

Offline ("detach") Vol2 using the GUI, install the disk for Archive, use the volume manager to create Archive, and copy data to Archive. When finished, use the GUI to detach Archive, remove that disk, and reinstall the two disks for Vol2. Use Import Volume in the GUI to re-import Vol2. You probably don't even need to shut down the server for any of these drive changes, but that would be the safest course of action.

 

[joeschmuck]

You probably don't even need to shut down the server for any of these drive changes, but that would be the safest course of action.

This would depend on the type or quality of backplane. If the drives are in a high quality carriers where the drive connectors are always mated with zero slop (side to side or even up and down) then you can get away with hot swapping drives. If when you insert the drive carrier and their is some side to side movement and you need to move it around to mate the hard drive, then it's a high risk as these can short out if not inserted very carefully. I speak from experience when a SATA connector melted both in the hard drive and inside the server. I had to spin that excuse and point the finger at the server manufacturer fro providing a substandard drive carrier.

 

[styno]

Have you considered booting a 2nd machine, creating a zfs pool on the disk and copy the data via zfs send/receive? If you do it like this you don't have to touch anything on the source machine.

 

[zenn68]

Have you considered booting a 2nd machine, creating a zfs pool on the disk and copy the data via zfs send/receive? If you do it like this you don't have to touch anything on the source machine.

Could I do this on just a plain linux box (Ubuntu or Debian)or do I have to install Freenas? Any resources you can point me to.

 

[zenn68]

Offline ("detach") Vol2 using the GUI, install the disk for Archive, use the volume manager to create Archive, and copy data to Archive. When finished, use the GUI to detach Archive, remove that disk, and reinstall the two disks for Vol2. Use Import Volume in the GUI to re-import Vol2. You probably don't even need to shut down the server for any of these drive changes, but that would be the safest course of action.

Thanks.. Thats exactly the info I'm looking for, just wasnt sure if Detach would then let me safely import the volume after.

 

[styno]

Could I do this on just a plain linux box (Ubuntu or Debian)or do I have to install Freenas? Any resources you can point me to.

Ubuntu comes with zfs onboard nowadays so in theory that should work. You can also install FreeNas on a USB stick and boot from that whenever needed.

 

[depasseg]

Thanks.. Thats exactly the info I'm looking for, just wasnt sure if Detach would then let me safely import the volume after.

Yes you can import it using the GUI after detaching (as long as you don't choose the "destroy" option when detaching).

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Any resources you can point me to.

http://zfsonlinux.org/