SOLVED How do you expand an existing ZFS volume (6 disks, raidz2) to 8 disks?

[Patrick Nichols]

Currently running FreeNAS 9.2.1.7-Release (x64) on a Xeon E5-2609 (2.4GHz)

• It is configured as a single ZFS volume with 6 4TB disks in a raid-z2 configuration (appx 13.4TB of storage).
• The server is running out of diskspace (92% utilized).
• The server has 2 additional bays available.

What is the proper process for adding 2 more disks so that I can simply increase the total size of the volume?


I'm nervous because this is the only copy of the data. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
PS. I'm hoping I selected the proper forum for this question.

 

[danb35]

This is an appropriate forum, although you posted twice, and it looks like your other post was deleted. Pity, since I'd already answered you there.

I'm nervous because this is the only copy of the data.

Then you already have a problem--RAID is not a backup, and if the data is important to you, you should have a backup.

What is the proper process for adding 2 more disks so that I can simply increase the total size of the volume?

Back up the data, destroy the pool, recreate the pool with 8 drives, restore the data. There's just no way to turn a 6-disk RAIDZ2 vdev into an 8-disk RAIDZ2 vdev.

 

[Patrick Nichols]

Thanks - the only challenge I have will be finding a reasonable way to backup >13TB locally. Any suggestions other than the obvious - HDD in another machine?

 

[Dice]

Any suggestions other than the obvious - HDD in another machine?

...dropbox unlimited? crashplan?
It will be a while tho x)

 

[Patrick Nichols]

Thanks for the replies - looks like I'll be using A LOT of old disks to backup everything once, then rebuild ... fun.

 

[Bidule0hm]

Or buy two 8 TB SMR drives ;)

 

[Mr_N]

buy another 4 disks and add a 2nd 6 disk raidz2 vdev :)