Re-mounting a single disk once removed from NAS

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NAS_n00b
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Re-mounting a single disk once removed from NAS

Post by NAS_n00b »

QNAP TVS-474, firmware 4.5.3.1652
Disk 1 + 2 - RAID 1
Disk 3 - Single Disk
Disk 4 - Empty slot

Hi, I am an absolute n00b and even lack full understanding of the terminology to properly phrase my question, so please take it easy. I understand there are a lot of backup options out there and most people recommend a USB external HDD hooked to NAS for what I want to do, however for various reasons I don't want to use a USB external HDD enclosure for my total loss offsite backup.

Goals:
1) Use RAID 1 to mirror my data to reduce risk of data loss by drive failure.
2) Use an internal slot with a matching HDD configured as a single disk + HBS 3 to create regular backups of the RAID 1. Single disk remains in the NAS and at risk. This is my immediate recovery.
3) Have a second HDD configured as a single disk stored offside that I periodically exchange with the single disk in the NAS (I purchased an extra/5th tray to hold the disk). This is my total loss backup and is expected to be several months out of date (its a home NAS so that's fine).

Problem:
I successfully created a backup of the data on the RAID 1 to the internal single disk. To test the ability to remove the internal backup HDD, I followed these instructions (https://www.qnap.com/en/how-to/knowledg ... orage-pool). I was not willing to test a disk swap with the NAS powered on, so after following the instructions up to step 6, I powered down the NAS, removed the HDD, powered the NAS on allowing it to boot up, confirmed the single disk was no longer available, powered the NAS down, after reinserting the HDD and powering the NAS back on, I tried to follow the instructions from step 6. From here however, Disk 3 is now visible (purple/free), but the option to 'scan all free disks' does not exist under Storage & Snapshots-->Storage-->Disks/VJBOD-->Recover. The only options I have are 'reinitialize enclosure IDs' (greyed out/not available) and 'attach and recover storage pool'. If I click 'attach and recover storage pool', progress increases to 100% until I get "Attach and Recover Storage Pool - No storage pools or static volumes were detected."

As this was only a test, it does not matter if I loose all the data on the single disk backup, however I would like to get this solution working and I would like to be able to re-mount the single disk and recover files from my HBS 3 backups.

Questions:
1) Where has 'scan all free disks' gone? This should allow me to detect the storage pool and restore it shouldn't it?
2) Is what I have stated under my goals possible? If not, what similar options could I use using only the internal slots (no USB external HDD)?
3) Is a powered on swap of a single disk possible/safe once it has safely detached from a storage pool? Is this what is called a 'hot swap' or is that specific to replacing one disk in a RAID array?

Thanks in advance.
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