Gradually switching to XFS?

Hi everyone,

If i understand the situation (version 6, beta12) XFS is now working. I have just (successfully) migrated from 5.0 to 6.0beta12.

 

Question:

* Is it possible to run an array of "mixed" filesystems? I.e 12 disks (from before) with ReiserFS and add a 13th using XFS?

 

If so, i would be able to, disk by disk, migrate my array to only XFS?

 

I have a bunch of new (bigger) drives so the procedure would be: Insert new drive, format XFS, move files (using SSH/console) from an old drive (explicit drive, not the merged) to the new drive. Rinse-repeat.?

 

Have anyone this before?

 

Best regards

Yes; you can run mixed disks in any combination of RFS, XFS, BTRFS.

 

Yes, you can migrate your drives over to XFS if that is your desire, one at a time or at whatever pace you want.

A pointer, I realized the hard way today that a replacement drive for a failed disk can be only of that filesystem. For eg, I was a replacing a reiserfs disk and wanted to use this opportunity to format the replacement drive with a xfs filesystem. Although I did not get any warnings or error, none of the replaced drive contents were reconstructed! The catch is, the replacement drive filesystem can only be replaced with the same filesystem drive. Thankfully I had the older hard drive and was able to copy the data back. Just an FYI.

 

Hi everyone,

If i understand the situation (version 6, beta12) XFS is now working. I have just (successfully) migrated from 5.0 to 6.0beta12.

 

Question:

* Is it possible to run an array of "mixed" filesystems? I.e 12 disks (from before) with ReiserFS and add a 13th using XFS?

 

If so, i would be able to, disk by disk, migrate my array to only XFS?

 

I have a bunch of new (bigger) drives so the procedure would be: Insert new drive, format XFS, move files (using SSH/console) from an old drive (explicit drive, not the merged) to the new drive. Rinse-repeat.?

 

Have anyone this before?

 

Best regards

A pointer, I realized the hard way today that a replacement drive for a failed disk can be only of that filesystem. For eg, I was a replacing a reiserfs disk and wanted to use this opportunity to format the replacement drive with a xfs filesystem. Although I did not get any warnings or error, none of the replaced drive contents were reconstructed! The catch is, the replacement drive filesystem can only be replaced with the same filesystem drive. Thankfully I had the older hard drive and was able to copy the data back. Just an FYI.

 

Hi everyone,

If i understand the situation (version 6, beta12) XFS is now working. I have just (successfully) migrated from 5.0 to 6.0beta12.

 

Question:

* Is it possible to run an array of "mixed" filesystems? I.e 12 disks (from before) with ReiserFS and add a 13th using XFS?

 

If so, i would be able to, disk by disk, migrate my array to only XFS?

 

I have a bunch of new (bigger) drives so the procedure would be: Insert new drive, format XFS, move files (using SSH/console) from an old drive (explicit drive, not the merged) to the new drive. Rinse-repeat.?

 

Have anyone this before?

 

Best regards

As I mentioned on that other thread, formatting a drive is not part of the rebuild process. This doesn't really have anything to do with changing file systems. When you format a drive you create an empty file system, and parity will be updated to reflect that. Then no rebuild is possible.

 

Never format the replacement disk, whether to the same file system or to a different one. When the disk rebuilds it will rebuild the file system with all of its contents.

 

See here for more.