Raid1 mirroring recovery

[konig87]

Hi everyone,
i'm not beginner in Nas4Free, but i'm not expert in Linux, kernels and so forth.
This is the first time for me that i create a software RAID1 mirroring with Nas4Free, i have 2 western digital 4tb + 4tb and after a while i configured, it works good, i storage files inside. No problem.
Then i decided to try to destroy array and recover it, that's because i want to try it before to put inside important data. A kind of Simulation of Disaster.
While in the past i used ZFS (no raid), if i take 1 hard disk and put in another PC, run a live cd of Linux Ubuntu, it automatically recognize the Drive and let me see inside, copy files and so forth.
Now i'm in a gmirror Raid, so when i try to put 1 of the hard disk in another pc in Ubuntu Live, it gives me error mounting and i cannot see my files.
So, if in the future one of 2 HDD will burn or die, or the hardware of the Nas will die (mainboard, CPU..) HOW can i recovery my files if Linux cannot mount partition?
Am i obliged to rebuild array with another 4tb disk using nas4free in the same machine? and what about if i will not have a 4tb inside to replace fast, and i cannot wait to order it?
i thought that in case of disaster, i could unmount 1 "alive" HDD and mount in another LINUX pc and it read files so i can copy fast in other disk, the most importan files, and then try to repair hardware. so, i have a copy of files in another HDD as "mule backup".
How can i read and copy files in a RAID1 mirroring using just one HDD because the other is dead?
Are there SOFTWARE to install in a Ubuntu PC that allows me to mount 1 of the 2 hdd and read files?
thanks, hope i explained clearly
konig87

[raulfg3]

software raid Mirror are not recommended ( it's possible to use but not recommended).

beter use ZFS Mirror, and repeat test to ensure you can access to your valuable data.

for your question, you can always boot N4F embeded on a USB key on other mainboard, you do not need same mainboard or SATA controller to detect Disk and be able to mount, you only need to use buttons in Disks|Management to import disk and to import software RAID.
http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=do ... management


You can use ZFS to import degraded pool and sync whit WebGUI (in case that you use ZFS mirror).

[b0ssman]

you made a mistake in assuming that nas4free runs on linux.

it runs on freebsd. the software raid of freebsd is not compatible with linux linux software raid.

[konig87]

Ok i just created a ZFS mirror (i didnt know i could, because i directly went to RAID SOFTWARE menu at the begin!), it works, there is 1 share and some files inside.
Then i shut down nas, cut off 1 HDD, run with Ubuntu 14 live cd, and i cannot see the Disk that i left connected inside.
With RAID software it appeared but it was not possible to mount, with ZFS raid it doest appear.
I tried with GPARTED, i can see the 4TB disk, but it is UNALLOCATED.
how is it possible?
i have run the ubuntu cd in UEFI mode, shall i run without uefi support? (i m sure this is not rilevant)
sorry for boring you


To b0ssman: ok you're right, but when i used ZFS without raid i could see and copy files with linux, so i assumed it was a little compatible.
So, when 1 of 2 hard disk wil die, HOW could i recover my data before to repair raid or create another one from begin? are there some software to install in another machine so i can see the "alive" HDD in case of disaster?

[crowi]

I think you mixed things up a little. Maybe you used UFS before without RAID, then you can see the content in ubuntu.
You need to install ZFS (e.g. FUSE) if you want to use it on ubuntu.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ZFS
It is natively implemented in FreeBSD and some others.

[b0ssman]

if one hd dies you will still be able to access the data from nas4free.

why would you think you need to move the hard drives to another system?

[konig87]

I downloaded ZFS from here: http://archive.zfsonlinux.org/downloads ... 4.1.tar.gz
but i don't know how to install, what are Terminal comands?
i read i can install from Ubuntu Software Center, but i have to activate something before (otherwise, in Search fiels, nothing appears when i search for ZFS), i'm using ubuntu 14.04, how to activate the download of third part software?

to b0ssman: you are right, but what happens if a disaster will damage 1 HDD and the System that i installed in another HDD,smaller?

in that case i would need to cut off the only 1 HDD alive, put it somewhere else (in another pc) and extract my data, before to begin again with another nas. if i install another NAS4FREE, it will not have mount point, will not have share (SMB), so if i put the only 1 HDD alive it could lose all data.
So, in case of disaster, i need first of all to put the "alive" HDD in another machine, copy data, and then come back and try to repair the nas, or the rebuild the ZFS raid!
can someone tell me if installing ZFS on a ubuntu (http://archive.zfsonlinux.org/downloads ... 4.1.tar.gz) will solve problems?
Thanks
PS: as i told, if i use ZFS without raid but simply zfs, an Ubuntu live can see hard drive and copy/paste files away, that's really good.

[raulfg3]

o b0ssman: you are right, but what happens if a disaster will damage 1 HDD and the System that i installed in another HDD,smaller?

no problem, data and boot disk are separate, as I previosly said, you can boot from a usbKEY (Nas4Free embeded) on any hardware that detect your Disk ( no needed that have the same SATA controllers or CPU) and boot and up your NAS, you only need to restore your previosly saved config.xml and import your pool, once done your data are accesible, and you can add one disk to rebuid your ZFS mirror pool.

[raulfg3]

Please atach one of the 2 mirror disk in test on your ubuntu machine and boot embeded Nas4Free on this PC, and test what I say.

[konig87]

you only need to restore your previosly saved config.xml and import your pool, once done your data are accesible, and you can add one disk to rebuid your ZFS mirror pool.

ok, so i have to Export my pool and my config.xml in a separate memory when i finished to configure Nas4FREE ? how to do that?
it would be very magic and it could end my problems, thank you for helping me

[b0ssman]

just backup the config from here. the same place that you restore it.
http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=do ... up_restore

[konig87]

ok, so it's the Backup and Restore from SYSTEM menu. i though it was a different button to backup POOL, maybe in DISK--> ZFS--> Pools --> Tools and chosing the right command.
it was easier than i thought.
I ask the last stuff and i ll let you live happy:
if 1 hdd die, and i replace with another new and good (of the same capacity of course), how can i rebuild the RAID1 array ? Thank you

[b0ssman]

have you actually read the faq?

http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=documentation:faq

[konig87]

Yes i ve done and it works fine.
So finally i understood everything about save data and rebuild Array in ZFS.
Thank you again.
While i was in FAQ pate, i read this:
http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=faq:0071
but there are Dead Link! i am now OffTopic, shall i open another Topic ?