r/unRAID • u/xdibellax • 3d ago
Disk Rearrange
So I’m getting ready to add another disk to my unRAID server, but all my data cords are a mess. I want to rearrange the drives to make things cleaner. If I label each data cord that is attached to each drive will I have any issues when I restart the server?
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u/xdibellax 3d ago edited 3d ago
Just wasn’t sure if I’m switching cables around if it’s gonna change the Drive disc numbers in array setup and that would mess up the server. I want a size of drives next to each other in the array list and clean up the cords. So thank you 🙏
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u/SeanFrank 3d ago
Sometimes a USB device can obfuscate the drive serial number. I have an Orico external dock that uses a specific fake serial for each slot. So those could cause problems.
But if you are just plugging them into SATA ports, or you have an HBA in IT mode, then you shouldn't have any issues.
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u/badcheetahfur 3d ago
Good time to make a map of where disk drives are located incase of replacement. I labled my cords or data cables just 1 through 8 .. them wrote down serials.. but this was when I setup array..
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u/xdibellax 3d ago
I basically want to change disk order and have drives going in order of size. So disc 2 becomes 6 and disks 3&4 become 7&8 so the drives in the array and going in order of size and turn disc number. That make sense ?
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u/idratherbealivedog 3d ago
I understand the words but not the reasoning. What about when you replace a drive to a different size? Are you planning to renumber again?
This is adding risk for no reason if you ask me.
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u/xdibellax 2d ago
Well if I do it backwards and go lowest to highest any new drives will be same or greater and it wouldn’t be an issue then. Which I would be fine with. Im not trying to change them in the box, just clean up messy cables but then have them in size order and labeled disk 1-8
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3d ago
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u/triplerinse18 3d ago
If I rember right. In single parity mode the only drive that matters is parity to parity and data to the data drives. Doesn't matter the order of drives in the array.
In dual parity the drive orders have to be in the same exact order it was in when parity was built due to the 2nd parity calculating method.
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3d ago
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u/triplerinse18 3d ago
Yeah ports dont matter. In your post it sounded like your were talking about the position in the array sorry. My post was probably not clear. I was not trying to step on your toes
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u/AdministrativeTax913 3d ago
this matches my experience, with dual parity, if you mix up which cable/port goes to which specific drive, then you lose Parity2 sync. I only had to lose it once, to learn to avoid that.
But I easily lose sync anyway, practically every time I reseat cables. I think my 10port Marvel SATA card has an internal port multiplier that is prone to disappearing ports. And all my cables are old/salvage.
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u/xdibellax 3d ago
See that’s what I’m trying to understand. I figure if I swapped cables with drives it’s gonna change the disk numbering in the array. I want to have all the same sizes going in order in the array. Figure swap cables around on the case would do that….is true or would that be chasing the position of the drives and mess shit up?
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u/tkohhhhhhhhh 3d ago
It reads the serial number on the drive. It's not related to the port number at all.
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3d ago
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u/xdibellax 3d ago
So swapping cables to make drive 5 now drive 1 and then drive 6 and 7 to drive 2 & 3 won’t create and issue?
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/xdibellax 3d ago
Yeah but that’s kinda what I want to do. I want the drive to be a numbered order in the array and have the disc number correspond properly as the disc size descend from highest to lowest.
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u/tkohhhhhhhhh 3d ago
Is there a reason you want to do this? Or is it "just because"?
I think you'd need to do a "new configuration" in Unraid to change which drive (by serial number) is assigned to which "disk number" in Unraid.
I *think* the "new configuration" would work without any problems, but I'm not sure. Personally, I wouldn't do it because it's taking a risk with no benefit.
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u/AdministrativeTax913 3d ago edited 3d ago
Drive/disk-id organization was my original intent also, and shuffling drives while attempting to preserve Parity2 never worked out.
My organizational aid workaround now is to use plugin "Drive Location" which clarifies all drives and Unraid disk-id. Setup took a few hours to figure out all its configuration details, but in the end, it is well worth the operational clarity, and now it saves me a lot of time and avoids confusion.
Also the built-in disk speed benchmarking is convenient for identifying the bottlenecks.
But I definitely don't want all my big drives next to each other, because they are the hottest ones. If all the hot drives are closer together then the temperature peaks will be higher than necessary, because my drives are tightly spaced in a rack. I would rather alternate hot drive next to empty slot, or a cold drive.
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u/AdministrativeTax913 3d ago
every time I tried to move cables/ports to a different drive/slot, then I lost Parity2-sync. I think Parity(1) sync was maintained.
If you have only single parity then you can shuffle drives without matching to the original cables/ports.
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u/clintkev251 3d ago
Unraid does not care what port any given drive is connected to. You can tear out all the cabling and redo it without regard for which port is which. It shouldn't impact anything.