[help][raid] Advanced disk upgrade

[ordo]

Scenario:

I have a QNAP TS-459, running a 4x1TB array in RAID 5.
I want to upgrade the drives to 3TB drives. This is not a problem, but I want to do it over a while, not all at once.
I have bought 2x3TB drives for now. I have already swapped one in so there is a RAID5 array with 1x3TB+3x1TB resulting in the same size as before (~3TB available storage).

Can I, without losing anything (assuming everything goes right), remove the single 3TB from the array, leave the 3x1TB in a degraded state. I will then create a single disk volume from the 3TB drive, copy everything over from the degraded 3x1TB array, then remove the 3x1TB array. Then add another 3TB drive and make the single disk array into a RAID1 mirror.

Can this be done?

Afterwards I will add another 3TB drive and migrate to a RAID5 with the same available storage, and even later add the last 3TB drive and expand.

In my mind it sounds logical and doable, but can this be done in reality with a QNAP TS-451 running the latest firmware?

EDIT: I should note that I have talked to QNAP support and they said to backup everything, then erase the array and start over...

[Don]

No you can't do that. Since you have a 4 bay system and all 4 bays are used for the raid array when you remove a drive and insert another on of the same size or larger the raid array will be rebuilt automatically.

[ordo]

So the only way is either to switch all the disks at once (or rather one at a time) - OR backup, destroy array, create new array then restore?

I was hoping there was a saner way.

[P3R]

So the only way is either to switch all the disks at once (or rather one at a time) - OR backup, destroy array, create new array then restore?

Yes.

Assuming you have no other backup possibilities this could be a relatively safe way to make the change:
1. Connect one of the 3 TB disks externally via eSATA or USB and backup all data to that disk.
2. Reinitialize the NAS with the other 3 TB disk as a single disk volume.
3. Restore all data to the NAS.
4. Backup all data again to your three 1 TB disks.
5. Use Online RAID Level Migration to change from a 3 TB single disk volume to RAID 1.
'

[ordo]

I think I will try to do this. But I have some follow-up questions:

Can I initialize the empty 3TB disk via eSATA?

I now have a RAID-5 array with 2x3TB + 2x1TB, and one 3TB backup destination on eSATA.

How can I make sure that I really copy EVERYTHING from the 3TB RAID-5 volume to the external 3TB disk?
Afterwards, should I then just remove the 2x1TB and re-initialize the 2x3TB as RAID-1?
Then how can I make sure that I restore EVERYTHING from the external eSATA backup to the new RAID?
Then of course, I should plug in the last 3TB and migrate/expand to 3x3TB RAID-5 - what are the steps here? Just normal, plug it in and add it to the array (can you do that on a RAID-1 or do you migrate right away?)

Alternatively, after I backup everything to the eSATA-drive, I can remove all the other drives and just plug in the backup as a single volume and expand from there?

What is the best/easiest way?


Thank you so much in advance!

[P3R]

Can I initialize the empty 3TB disk via eSATA?

You can format the the disk for use as an external backup disk. Nothing else.

I now have a RAID-5 array with 2x3TB + 2x1TB, and one 3TB backup destination on eSATA.

How can I make sure that I really copy EVERYTHING from the 3TB RAID-5 volume to the external 3TB disk?

Well the only one that knows what data you have and can make sure everything is backed up is you.

For plain shared folders it is probably best to use the Backup to External Drive feature and backup all the shared folders in use. For other types of data (if applicable) there are other specific ways to backup.

Make sure you understand what data you have and how to backup all that data before starting!

Afterwards, should I then just remove the 2x1TB and re-initialize the 2x3TB as RAID-1?

Yes.

Then how can I make sure that I restore EVERYTHING from the external eSATA backup to the new RAID?

Once again that is your responsibility. Since there is no dedicated restore feature, it is easiest to use the Web File Manager and manually copy files from the external disk to the internal shares.

Then of course, I should plug in the last 3TB and migrate/expand to 3x3TB RAID-5 - what are the steps here?

Follow the documentation on Online RAID Level Migration to migrate from RAID 1 to RAID 5.

Alternatively, after I backup everything to the eSATA-drive, I can remove all the other drives and just plug in the backup as a single volume and expand from there?

No! As all disks used internally will automatically be repartitioned and formatted, you would lose your complete backup!

[ordo]

Thank you P3R for replying!

I will scratch the last possibility

I think I will ssh to the box and just cp -a stuff from the array to the mounted eSATA-disk - Do you know what I should copy besides the shares, to keep QPKGs and their settings? If I didn't have everything set up exactly the way I want it, I would just set it all up from scratch, but it really runs beautifully now, so I want to keep all settings etc.

Thanks again!

[P3R]

Do you know what I should copy besides the shares, to keep QPKGs and their settings?

That would of course be totally ** on which QPKG you use and I have no idea with any of them anyway. You can look in each of the individual QPKG-forums if a backup procedure is documented. If not, ask the question there.

[ordo]

Thanks again P3R!