Tutorial: SageTV on WHS with 64K clusters in the drive pool...

[S_M_E]

If you're using the "format method" you need to do them one at a time, immediately after adding it.

[toony]

I seem to be having some difficulty here.

I added a 1tb drive to my pool so I have 1.3tb total, I follwed the tutorial and did the 64k. I started to copy files from a managed drive over but had to stop as I was doing something else and thought best to do it overnight.

I then started getting a pop up in the WHS console saying
"an unexpected error has occurred in the windows home server storage manager"
So I thought it would be best to remove the drive from the pool and re add it, format it again into 64k clusters. However it won't let me remove it, saying there is not enough space available to remove the disk safely, and that I should add another drive, turn off disk duplication or delete unwanted files.

As far as I know disk duplication can only be turned on or off by clicking a shared folder and properties... they are all turned off. The disk is healthy and WHS shows it's empty.

Am I doing something wrong here?

Also 2nd question, In Windows explorer, where I actually copy files to my pooled D: should it not show the size of both drives combined, 1.3tb and not just the size before I added the 1tb?

Cheers

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by toony

However it won't let me remove it, saying there is not enough space available to remove the disk safely, and that I should add another drive, turn off disk duplication or delete unwanted files.

As far as I know disk duplication can only be turned on or off by clicking a shared folder and properties... they are all turned off. The disk is healthy and WHS shows it's empty.

The generic advice regarding adding another drive, turning off duplication or deleting files, is just that, generic. If duplication is off then you're left with deleting files or adding another drive so you can safely remove the other drive without data loss but if it's healthy, what's the problem? Did you reboot the server or did the "error" just go away on it's own?

Also 2nd question, In Windows explorer, where I actually copy files to my pooled D: should it not show the size of both drives combined, 1.3tb and not just the size before I added the 1tb?

Yes, it now reports the total free space of the pool since it's no longer a landing zone. That's normal.

EDIT:
You should add files to the shares not the D drive.

[PLUCKYHD]

So are you saying I need to remove all the drives from the pool except one of the 1.5tb and then re-add them one at a time?

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

So are you saying I need to remove all the drives from the pool except one of the 1.5tb and then re-add them one at a time?

If there is no data in the pool (other than the duplicated Software share) then you can do it that way, or you can remove one drive, re-add it and format to 64K then repeat until they're all done. Other options include using the "convert method" or turning off all duplication and removing all pooled drives then adding them back and formatting to 64K one at a time.

[toony]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

The generic advice regarding adding another drive, turning off duplication or deleting files, is just that, generic. If duplication is off then you're left with deleting files or adding another drive so you can safely remove the other drive without data loss but if it's healthy, what's the problem? Did you reboot the server or did the "error" just go away on it's own?

I deleated the partial file transfer that I was doing and it stopped, no reboot.

Yes, it now reports the total free space of the pool since it's no longer a landing zone. That's normal.

EDIT:
You should add files to the shares not the D drive.

The WHS console shows the total but windows file explorer does not, only the size of the physical D: without the pool, that's normal correct.

Add files to the shares on the D: ? Through windows explorer?

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by toony

I deleated the partial file transfer that I was doing and it stopped, no reboot.

I would remove the drive, re-add it and reformat to 64K again, then reboot before adding files to the pool.

The WHS console shows the total but windows file explorer does not, only the size of the physical D: without the pool, that's normal correct.

No, Windows Explorer should report the free space of the entire pool but the capacity of just D. IE 300G capacity with 2T free (or whatever you have). It looks strange but that's how they do it now.

Add files to the shares on the D: ? Through windows explorer?

Never add files directly to the D partition. Always copy to \\server\share\folder instead. Even when working locally.

[toony]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

I would remove the drive, re-add it and reformat to 64K again, then reboot before adding files to the pool.

No, Windows Explorer should report the free space of the entire pool but the capacity of just D. IE 300G capacity with 2T free (or whatever you have). It looks strange but that's how they do it now.

Never add files directly to the D partition. Always copy to \\server\share\folder instead. Even when working locally.

You sir are the man! or woman if that be the case

I did everything you suggested and now all seems to be fine. I did notice before I read your post when I tried to delete files through explorer and D: it showed it being deleting but nothing happened. When I deleted the files through network places \\server\share\ all was good, WHS showed the free space and then I could safely remove the drive. Did the reinstall rebooted formatted rebooted and as I said all is good.

There's a bit of a learning curve here, but not that bad really.

Cheers!

[Beefcake550]

If you just want to clear off the D: drive, you could either look for LZreallocator (but I hear it doesn't work anymore), or you could grab my drive balancing program and just do the "Landing Zone clearing" part.

http://forum.wegotserved.com/index.p...opic=6466&st=0


-Brian

[toony]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

If you just want to clear off the D: drive, you could either look for LZreallocator (but I hear it doesn't work anymore), or you could grab my drive balancing program and just do the "Landing Zone clearing" part.

http://forum.wegotserved.com/index.p...opic=6466&st=0


-Brian

Cool, I did grab your app and will be using it to rebalance once I have the drives copied over... they're hard at work now.

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by toony

You sir are the man! or woman if that be the case

There's a bit of a learning curve here, but not that bad really.

I'm the grandfather...

It is different and a lot of people need to learn that you can't always do things on a new OS (like WHS in this case) like they do in the old OS. You really should do a little as possible using the WHS desktop, sometimes I don't remote in for weeks at a time.

[PLUCKYHD]

Sme I will try again tonight had to do another fresh install to get rid of the errors. After install I will remove all drives but one 1.5tb and immediately after adding I will have it open where i can format to 64k. (how do you know it is not moving files over there when it is added?)

hoping for better luck

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

(how do you know it is not moving files over there when it is added?)

If duplication is off and you haven't added any data to the shares yet then there's nothing to move. If there is data on a drive, removing it will move it to a different drive. The only time you have to worry is when the pool is too full and/or duplication is turned on.

[toony]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

I'm the grandfather...

It is different and a lot of people need to learn that you can't always do things on a new OS (like WHS in this case) like they do in the old OS. You really should do a little as possible using the WHS desktop, sometimes I don't remote in for weeks at a time.

Whats the best way to tranfer files to the server? FTP or through the Server connect app?

I'm running torrents, ripping bluray and newsgroup downloading on the server to a managed drive, I unrar mux whatever on the managed drive then copy to the \\server\share. Is that safe?

[S_M_E]

Originally Posted by toony

Whats the best way to tranfer files to the server? FTP or through the Server connect app?

I use Windows Explorer but I only use the \\server\share UNC paths.

I'm running torrents, ripping bluray and newsgroup downloading on the server to a managed drive, I unrar mux whatever on the managed drive then copy to the \\server\share. Is that safe?

You mean unmanaged drive, right? If it's in the pool it's managed. I don't use any unmanaged drives and I don't rip/mux/transcode/etc on the server, I use my workstation for that, then move the files to the server. Remember WHS is not a desktop OS, you should use the desktop as little as possible. If the apps you use support UNC paths then just point the app to the share you want to use.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

If duplication is off and you haven't added any data to the shares yet then there's nothing to move. If there is data on a drive, removing it will move it to a different drive. The only time you have to worry is when the pool is too full and/or duplication is turned on.

I don't understand this because all 5 of my 1.5tb drives show the same amount of space so I reformat them will all duplication turned off (nothing on the drives this is a new install) and all hell breaks lose.

[S_M_E]

Are you adding them one at a time and formatting them immediately after adding each drive or are you adding all of the drives first and then going back and formatting after?

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by S_M_E

Are you adding them one at a time and formatting them immediately after adding each drive or are you adding all of the drives first and then going back and formatting after?

Well they all get added on intsall to the pool and since they all showed the same storgae I assumed nothing was on them so I just reformated them (with replication/duplication turned off) and all hell broke lose.

This time I will try removing all buy one and when adding back I will immediately reformat. Then I will go back and do the last one once all other 4 are added.

Here is to hoping.

[S_M_E]

Wait...

If they were all there at install, just disable duplication, remove one drive, re-add it, then *immediately* format that one drive.

Then repeat that until all of the drives are done, just like the tutorial says...

[PLUCKYHD]

Yeah I think I was forgetting the "remove" part of it. I figured since it showed nothing on them and duplication was turned off I was good to go without the remove part.

Another question when is the best time to convert d to 64k?