Installing larger HDD's

[ericg75]

Searching TrueNAS Core support for assistance with UPGRADING my existing HDDs. I have 2 WD 6TB HDDs configured for storage and suddenly I am running out of space. Additionally, there is an SSD for OS. I have looked for a tutorial or a post on step-by-step process to REPLACE these 2 6TB HDD's with 2 12TB HDD's. Am hoping I can add two new 12TB HDDs and COPY over all from the 2 6TB HDDs. Please advise.

 

[winnielinnie]

99% capacity?

You need to see if there are any snapshots or extraneous files that you can safely delete. You never want to find yourself knocking on the door of 100% capacity.


As far as expanding your storage, you can either:

• BEST: Expand your 2-way mirror into a 4-way mirror, and then safely detach the 6-TB drives, then "grow" the pool to acquire all available storage space (which will now be 12TB.)
• GOOD: Or, attach --> detach --> attach --> detach --> grow
  • Your 2-way mirror vdev will go from 6T/6T --> 6T/6T/12T --> 6T/12T --> 6T/12T/12T --> 12T/12T
• RISKY: Or, detach --> attach --> detach --> attach --> grow
  • Your 2-way mirror vdev will go from 6T/6T --> 6T --> 6T/12T --> 12T --> 12T/12T
  • This is a riskier method, since you will temporarily downgrade to a single-drive "stripe" vdev. And if anything goes wrong, you'll lose all your data. You should only resort to this if you do not have sufficient ports available and you have an up-to-date backup of all your data.

 

[ericg75]

Okay. I do find some large files that I am TRYING to delete. I hit delete, but nothing is happening yet...
I follow your best, good, and risky methods overall-but; Are there any more in-depth process steps I can use- specifically for the 'best' method?

 

[ericg75]

I may be good to go with just deleting the files I found. I do not need (or want) my PC BACKUP files to be on my NAS...as they are written directly to an external USB HDD AND SYNC'd up to Dropbox.

 

[winnielinnie]

Are there any more in-depth process steps I can use- specifically for the 'best' method?

Could have sworn it was on the old version of the official documentation, but for the life of me I cannot effectively search or browse the new Docs.

It's all feasible within the GUI.

DO NOT "ADD A VDEV". (This is not what you want to do in your desired outcome.)

Basically, you go to your pool's Status page, and then click the "Extend" option for the three-dots of your MIRROR. Add the 12TB drive. Then repeat this "Extend" step for the other 12TB drive. (When it's done resilvering, you now have a 4-way mirror.)

Wait until it is 100% finished "resilvering". Be patient. This will take a while to essentially mirror 6TB worth of data. No need to rush or get impatient.

After it's done resilvering, you can continue.

You now have a 4-way mirror, with 6TB useable storage.

Now you can go back to the Status page and (CAREFULLY) "Detach" each undesired 6TB drive from the 4-way mirror, which will bring it down to a 3-way mirror, and then again to a 2-way mirror.

Finally, on the main "pools overview" page, you can click the cogwheel and select the "Expand Pool" option.

You should now have a 2-way mirror with a pool storage capacity of 12TB.

 

[ericg75]

Thank you very much. I shall use this IF I find I need to increase my storage capacity.

 

[ericg75]

Update from here: I have deleted several large backup files from my NAS...bringing it down to 84% USED. That should cover me for a short while- I have a ton more photos to add to my NAS- so I am walking myself thru the process of expanding my HDD space- as per your directions above.
I am not seeing "MIRRORs" on the Pools status page. I have but 1 pool (tank), under that I see DS1 filesystem and iocage filesystem. It is not clear to me what/where MIRROR is. I did attach some screenshot files of my screens. FYI: This is probably going to be the extent of my competency level going forward. If there is a better resource-- then lay it on me.

 

[winnielinnie]

To clear up any ambiguity:

The specific pool's "status" page is accessed via:
Storage --> Pools --> (locate your pool) --> cogwheel --> Status
(This is where you can managed the pool's vdevs and drives.)

The overall pools "overview" page is accessed via:
Storage --> Pools
(This is where you can access functions of any pool in your system, including a pool's status page.)

 

[ericg75]

Yes-- that cleared it up for me. :) I'm walking through the process a few times BEFORE I pull the trigger.

 

[ericg75]

Update: New HDDs (2-12TB) to arrive next week. Don't know if this can remain open till I'm done.

 

[ericg75]

And I am not familiar with the term "resilvering". I assume it is akin to formatting?

 

[winnielinnie]

And I am not familiar with the term "resilvering". I assume it is akin to formatting?

It basically means to populate the new drive with what the removed/missing/failed drive would have looked like. (For mirrors, it's basically a copy of any of the existing members in the vdev. For RAIDZ, it uses the data + parity from the other members to rebuild the replacement drive.)

 

[ericg75]

Okay- Success in adding the 2 new 12TB HDDs. Went about 15 hours, and then it did a check function- all is well and operating as expected. Now I have 48% free space! I thank you for your assistance and patience. This is RESOLVED and the ticket may be CLOSED.