[SOLVED] Help to upgrade RAID 1 disks?

[Microfiche]

Figured someone here might be able to point me in the right direction?
I have 2 x 2 TB Seagate IronWolf 2TB NAS drives set up in RAID 1 on a Highpoint RocketRAID 62x SATA Controller. I have had zero issues with it in the last 4½ years and it is currently healthy. They are installed in a Windows 10 box that I built and run my Plex server on.
I just picked up 2 x 6 TB WD Red Plus drives that I want to replace the older 2 TBs with.
This was the first RAID I ever set up, and I have never rebuilt or repaired one, so can someone advise what steps I would take to make this happen? WOuld I clone the existing disk to the 6 TB and then build the RAID again from there? Thanks!

 

[kanewolf]

Figured someone here might be able to point me in the right direction?
I have 2 x 2 TB Seagate IronWolf 2TB NAS drives set up in RAID 1 on a Highpoint RocketRAID 62x SATA Controller. I have had zero issues with it in the last 4½ years and it is currently healthy. They are installed in a Windows 10 box that I built and run my Plex server on.
I just picked up 2 x 6 TB WD Red Plus drives that I want to replace the older 2 TBs with.
This was the first RAID I ever set up, and I have never rebuilt or repaired one, so can someone advise what steps I would take to make this happen? WOuld I clone the existing disk to the 6 TB and then build the RAID again from there? Thanks!

If you have the ports available, create a second RAID1 volume with the new drives, then copy all the data. After you have verified all the data remove the first volume and re-label the new volume to the same drive letter as the old one.
There is usually no easy way to "grow" a RAID1. When you put the first 6TB drive in, only 2TB will be used to rebuild.

 

[USAFRet]

Copy, not clone.
Then build a new RAID 1 with the larger drives, and copy back.

If the RAID 1 is actually needed.
You have a real backup of this data, correct?

 

[Microfiche]

Thanks all. I boot from this drive, so wouldn't I have to clone it? I do have a backup of the data, I was using the RAID for redundancy. Maybe that is goofy? I have little experience with RAID...

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks all. I boot from this drive, so wouldn't I have to clone it? I do have a backup of the data, I was using the RAID for redundancy. Maybe that is goofy? I have little experience with RAID...

Oh, this is your boot drive?

Well then...just "copy" won't work.

But...you've fallen into the RAID 1 trap.
It is NOT for any data preservation or security, but rather physical drive redundancy.

Far too many people think they are "safe" with a RAID 1. They, and you, are not.
It does nothing for all the other forms of data loss.


If you have a known good backup routine, this RAID 1 is mostly a waste of time and drive space.
99% of consumers do NOT need a RAID array.


How to undo this out to a viable non-RAID configuration....problematic.
A clone out to a single drive may/probably will carry the RAID config with it. Seeing only a single drive, it will report itself as degraded.

 

[Microfiche]

Ok, well I guess I try clone and see what happens! Thanks!

 

[kanewolf]

Ok, well I guess I try clone and see what happens! Thanks!

I would take this opportunity to do a clean OS install on an SSD and use the 6TB drives strictly for your media.

 

[USAFRet]

Ok, well I guess I try clone and see what happens! Thanks!

Clone to what, as the first step?

Your overall trail is to move from the 2x2TB to 2x6TB?

 

[Microfiche]

I am not sure why I assumed that it was the boot drive - I was downstairs working on a project and for some reason my head went there.
Weird, as all my computers have had SSDs for boot drives for years.
The RAID is NOT for a boot drive, it is only data, so I just have to copy the data to the new drive.
So I will just create another RAID 1 with the 6 TB drives (why not - I have the drives) and copy the data over.
Easy - thanks everyone!

 

[USAFRet]

Regarding a RAID array, the question is not "Why not?"....but rather "Why?"

 

[Microfiche]

Like I said at the start - redundancy. Yes, if I had a backup and the drive failed I could restore.
At least if it is mirrored and one drive fails, I can still use it, and simply rebuild the RAID.
This computer is my streaming service and we watch a lot. I don't want down time.
Yeah, drives hardly ever fail. However it has happened to me and it sucks.

Regarding a RAID array, the question is not "Why not?"....but rather "Why?"

 

[USAFRet]

And all the other forms of potential data loss?
Physical drive fail is only one of those.

I've also had drives fail...more than one.
Accidental formatting, corruption, virus, etc, etc....RAID 1 does nothing for those.

But, this is your system and data...go for it.

 

[DirkTheNoLongerDaring]

Oh, this is your boot drive?

Well then...just "copy" won't work.

But...you've fallen into the RAID 1 trap.
It is NOT for any data preservation or security, but rather physical drive redundancy.

Far too many people think they are "safe" with a RAID 1. They, and you, are not.
It does nothing for all the other forms of data loss.


If you have a known good backup routine, this RAID 1 is mostly a waste of time and drive space.
99% of consumers do NOT need a RAID array.


How to undo this out to a viable non-RAID configuration....problematic.
A clone out to a single drive may/probably will carry the RAID config with it. Seeing only a single drive, it will report itself as degraded.

RAID 1 makes a lot of sense for a boot drive. Not for data security, but so that if one drive fails you can still boot and run without having to rebuild your system. No down time at all. (when it works, of course 🙂)

 

[USAFRet]

RAID 1 makes a lot of sense for a boot drive. Not for data security, but so that if one drive fails you can still boot and run without having to rebuild your system. No down time at all. (when it works, of course )

If 100% uptime is actually need, then maybe.
For instance...downtime == lost sales.
That is not the case for the vast majority of users and systems.

If you can handle 30-60 minutes of downtime (recovering an Image to a new drive), the RAID 1 is not needed.

And the system with a RAID 1 still needs that downtime to rebuild the array after replacement of the failed drive.


And any RAID 1 also needs a good backup. Physical drive fail is only one form of data loss, and not even the most common.


A good backup routine covers not only physical drive loss, but also all the other forms of data loss. Accidental deletion, corruption, formatting the wrong partition, ransomware, etc, etc.