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Can I pull one drive and install a larger drive (say 4TB or 6TB) and then get a data rebuild with access to the greater space?
No. You'll need to install two drives of the larger size (one at a time). The rule for capacity is "sum the disks and subtract the largest" That gives the same capacity with 4x3TB as it does with 3x3TB + 6 TB.
If you upgraded one drive to 6 TB, the system would resync, and the volume size won't change. The extra space is unused.
When you upgrade the second 6 TB drive (after the resync), the system first resyncs again - with no expansion. After a reboot, the volume will expand by 3 TB to 12 TB.
When you upgrade the third, the system expands to 15 TB, and after you upgrade the last it expands to 18 TB.
I always suggest working out the $/TB delivered by the upgrade.
For instance,
With WD40EFRX replacements, upgrading to 4x4TB would gain 3 TB of space for about $450 (current US pricing) that's $150/TB.
With WD60EFRX, upgrading to 4x6TB would gain 9 TB of space for $720. That's only $80/TB.
With WD80EFZX, upgrading to 4x8TB would gain 15 TB of space for $1305. that's $87/TB.
So right now, the most cost effective upgrade size for you is 6 TB. You can choose something else of course, but it is useful to know what the optimal size is.
Can I pull one drive and install a larger drive (say 4TB or 6TB) and then get a data rebuild with access to the greater space?
No. You'll need to install two drives of the larger size (one at a time). The rule for capacity is "sum the disks and subtract the largest" That gives the same capacity with 4x3TB as it does with 3x3TB + 6 TB.
If you upgraded one drive to 6 TB, the system would resync, and the volume size won't change. The extra space is unused.
When you upgrade the second 6 TB drive (after the resync), the system first resyncs again - with no expansion. After a reboot, the volume will expand by 3 TB to 12 TB.
When you upgrade the third, the system expands to 15 TB, and after you upgrade the last it expands to 18 TB.
I always suggest working out the $/TB delivered by the upgrade.
For instance,
With WD40EFRX replacements, upgrading to 4x4TB would gain 3 TB of space for about $450 (current US pricing) that's $150/TB.
With WD60EFRX, upgrading to 4x6TB would gain 9 TB of space for $720. That's only $80/TB.
With WD80EFZX, upgrading to 4x8TB would gain 15 TB of space for $1305. that's $87/TB.
So right now, the most cost effective upgrade size for you is 6 TB. You can choose something else of course, but it is useful to know what the optimal size is.
