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I was thought we have commands which could update x-raid level.
No, X-RAID is automatic.
FWIW, if you were very skilled with the linux command line, there would be another path to get you to RAID-1. But it is pretty complicated, and I think the process I outlined above would be better for you.
Netgear does recommend making a backup before manipulating disks, and I recommend having an up-to-date backup all the time - as RAID isn't enough to keep your data safe.
Is that possible to do without copying all data out?
Not easily.
A much easier path is to
hot insert a new 8 TB drive into the empty slot
wait for XRAID to expand
The 2x8TB+2x3TB XRAID volume would be 14 TB - using all the space on the disks, and giving you a significantly larger data volume than the 8 TB you'd get with 2x8TB RAID-1.
But if you wanted, you could
switch to flexraid
create a jbod volume on a new 8 TB disk
copy the shares to temporary shares on the jbod volume using NAS backup jobs (matching settings)
remove any installed apps
destroy the main data volume and remove the 3 TB disks
format the older 8 TB disk in the NAS
add it to the jbod disk for redundancy (RAID-1).
rename the temporary shares on the jbod volume to match the original share names.
I was thought we have commands which could update x-raid level.
No, X-RAID is automatic.
FWIW, if you were very skilled with the linux command line, there would be another path to get you to RAID-1. But it is pretty complicated, and I think the process I outlined above would be better for you.
Netgear does recommend making a backup before manipulating disks, and I recommend having an up-to-date backup all the time - as RAID isn't enough to keep your data safe.
Re: I use x-raid (OS 6.9). I have 3 disks (raid 5). Can I change raid 5 to raid 1?
It's a lot more complicated when you have drives of mixed sizes. Right now, you have one RAID5 layer consisting or the two 3TB drives and a 3TB partition of the 8TB drive. You need a second layer with the 5TB partitions of the 8TB drives as well as reducing the RAID5 to RAID1.
Step one is a backup.
Step one is to first swap out one 3TB with the new 8TB. The NAS will now create a second RAID1 from 5TB partitions of each 8TB drive.
Once that has completed sync, turn XRAID off.
Now, remove the 3TB drive and use my process to change the (now degraded) 3-drive RAID5 to a two-drive RAID1.
Note that you are now stuck in FlexRAID mode. The NAS will refuse to put you back in XRAID because you have an "expanded volume" (multiple layers).
Frankly, starting over with the two 8TB and restoring from backup is a lot easier and cleaner as well as making future expansion easier. Probably faster, too. The downside is that you won't have access to the files while it's going on.
It's a lot more complicated when you have drives of mixed sizes. Right now, you have one RAID5 layer consisting or the two 3TB drives and a 3TB partition of the 8TB drive. You need a second layer with the 5TB partitions of the 8TB drives as well as reducing the RAID5 to RAID1.
Step one is a backup.
Step one is to first swap out one 3TB with the new 8TB. The NAS will now create a second RAID1 from 5TB partitions of each 8TB drive.
Once that has completed sync, turn XRAID off.
Now, remove the 3TB drive and use my process to change the (now degraded) 3-drive RAID5 to a two-drive RAID1.
Note that you are now stuck in FlexRAID mode. The NAS will refuse to put you back in XRAID because you have an "expanded volume" (multiple layers).
Frankly, starting over with the two 8TB and restoring from backup is a lot easier and cleaner as well as making future expansion easier. Probably faster, too. The downside is that you won't have access to the files while it's going on.
Thanks for reply me. Why I need do like this?
After swap out one 3T with the new 8T disk. Can I do not create the 5TB RAID 1 volume?
Still one 3T RAID 5 volume. Use your method to remove the 3T disk.
After that, expand the 3T RAID 1 volume to 8T RAID 1 volume.
Re: I use x-raid (OS 6.9). I have 3 disks (raid 5). Can I change raid 5 to raid 1?
You cannot create a volume from the 5TB partitions via the GUI, even if you are in FlexRAID mode. If you are in XRAID mode, it will be done for you, but it won't remain a separate volume, it will be combined with the existing volume via BTRFS. But that's what you want. You want the volume expanded such that there is room for the files when the reduction that will take place when you remove the last 3TB drive occurs.
You can create a separate volume from the 5TB partitions via SSH via SSH, but there are lots of hidden folders and files the OS uses that won't be there. And if you put anything in it, you will not be able to later combine it with the RAID1 of the 3TB partitions and retain the data in both. You'd also end up having to delete the current primary volume, which contains apps and personal folders. Even when everything is done via the GUI, that doesn't go smoothly. The folders are created on a new primary volume, but the actual apps are not moved and individual personal folders are not created.
I don't think you understand at all how the ReadyNAS uses BTRFS to expand and combine RAID groups into a single volume. When you do a vertical expansion (put in larger drives), it does not expand the existing RAID. It creates an entirely separate MDADM RAID but puts no separate file system on it. Instead, it uses BTRFS to combine it with the existing RAID.
If all your data will fit on the 3TB RAID after you remove one drive from the RAID5, there is another option. But if you have that little data, I don't know why you'd jump through all these hoops instead of just backing up, starting anew with two 8TB drives, and restoring your data,
I don't know why you'd jump through all these hoops instead of just backing up, starting anew with two 8TB drives, and restoring your data,
@kamanwu: I also don't know why you are wanting to jump through so many hoops. FWIW, if I were in your shoes, I'd just add the new disk to the existing array. Hot-insert it, wait for the resync to complete, and you are done. Though I guess I don't really understand why you are so determined to switch to RAID-1.
But if you really want 2x8 TB RAID-1 for some reason, the direct path is to
connect the new 8 TB disk to a PC (either with SATA or an inexpensive USB adapter/dock)
back up all the data to the PC, perhaps using something like Teracopy or FreeFileSync
Destroy the existing volume, and remove the two 3 TB drives
Do a factory reset with just the old 8 TB disk in place
Reconfigure the NAS (recreating shares, etc)
copy the data back from the new 8 TB drive
hot-insert the new drive into the NAS, and format it there
It would then be added to the new data volume (creating the RAID-1 volume you want).
Although you need to take a day or so to complete the copying, this is by far the lowest-risk option. It also gives you a completely clean file system.
I don't know why you'd jump through all these hoops instead of just backing up, starting anew with two 8TB drives, and restoring your data,
@kamanwu: I also don't know why you are wanting to jump through so many hoops. FWIW, if I were in your shoes, I'd just add the new disk to the existing array. Hot-insert it, wait for the resync to complete, and you are done. Though I guess I don't really understand why you are so determined to switch to RAID-1.
But if you really want 2x8 TB RAID-1 for some reason, the direct path is to
connect the new 8 TB disk to a PC (either with SATA or an inexpensive USB adapter/dock)
back up all the data to the PC, perhaps using something like Teracopy or FreeFileSync
Destroy the existing volume, and remove the two 3 TB drives
Do a factory reset with just the old 8 TB disk in place
Reconfigure the NAS (recreating shares, etc)
copy the data back from the new 8 TB drive
hot-insert the new drive into the NAS, and format it there
It would then be added to the new data volume (creating the RAID-1 volume you want).
Although you need to take a day or so to complete the copying, this is by far the lowest-risk option. It also gives you a completely clean file system.
Thanks again. I might use this solution path.
The reason I do not want to copy all files out, then rebuild NAS, then copy files back is:
I do not know how to keep all files exactly same as before (include timestamps / ownership / permissions of each files/folder).
But I think it should be doable. I just need google and learn how to do it.
Re: I use x-raid (OS 6.9). I have 3 disks (raid 5). Can I change raid 5 to raid 1?
Here is one way retain all file timestamps, permissions, etc.
Format your USB drive on the NAS with EXT format. That's a native Linux format, so supports all the permissions directly instead of having to "translate" them to NTFS or whatever.
Copy files using SSH cp with the -a (archive) and -r (recursive) options. You could do all of data (or whatever your main volume is called), but doing it by share is probably best. Alternately, you could use rsync backup jobs, but that's going to take longer and doesn't really add a lot for this specific case.
If you have installed apps you no longer use, uninstall them.
Save the configuration of your NAS to some place handy. Not on the NAS, of course.
Do a factory default with the two 8TB drives installed. Insure that the main volume is named the same as your current one (data by default in XRAID).
Re-install any apps that you do use. If you do not do this now, items in the configuration backup may crash your NAS when restored.
Restore the backed up configuration. Verify all the shares are there, as you do not want to create top-level directories where shares (which are BTRFS sub-volumes, not standard directories) should be.
Restore the files via cp with the same options.
The easiest way is to back up and restore to another NAS, but I'm assuming that's not in your budget.
Here is one way retain all file timestamps, permissions, etc.
Format your USB drive on the NAS with EXT format. That's a native Linux format, so supports all the permissions directly instead of having to "translate" them to NTFS or whatever.
Copy files using SSH cp with the -a (archive) and -r (recursive) options. You could do all of data (or whatever your main volume is called), but doing it by share is probably best. Alternately, you could use rsync backup jobs, but that's going to take longer and doesn't really add a lot for this specific case.
If you have installed apps you no longer use, uninstall them.
Save the configuration of your NAS to some place handy. Not on the NAS, of course.
Do a factory default with the two 8TB drives installed. Insure that the main volume is named the same as your current one (data by default in XRAID).
Re-install any apps that you do use. If you do not do this now, items in the configuration backup may crash your NAS when restored.
Restore the backed up configuration. Verify all the shares are there, as you do not want to create top-level directories where shares (which are BTRFS sub-volumes, not standard directories) should be.
Restore the files via cp with the same options.
The easiest way is to back up and restore to another NAS, but I'm assuming that's not in your budget.
No, I do not have another NAS. I do not have other place to backup the NAS data except the new 8T disk.
I do have an old Linux sever running Ubuntu 20.4. I plan to install the new 8T disk in that server, and do a data backup (rsync or scp?).
Re: I use x-raid (OS 6.9). I have 3 disks (raid 5). Can I change raid 5 to raid 1?
@kamanwu wrote: I do not have other place to backup the NAS data except the new 8T disk.
That is something you should take care of - either getting another 8 TB internal drive to put in linux server for backup, or maybe getting an external drive that you can connect to the NAS.
Re: I use x-raid (OS 6.9). I have 3 disks (raid 5). Can I change raid 5 to raid 1?
Yes, you can create the new volume with just one 8TB and later add the second so you can use it in the interim as your backup. But the other steps I outlined with respect to backing up and using the saved configuration still apply.
