Author Topic: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo  (Read 13140 times)

Chrishannah8386

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Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« on: November 04, 2011, 05:41:43 AM »

Hello

 

I have had a look around and i cant see the answer to my question (forgive me if i'm being dim)

 

I have a LS-WXL Linkstation duo

 

it currently has a 1TB and 2TB drive inside, these are aproaching 93% capacity i have noticed issues with the Media server when the drives are more than about 95% full, therfore i am thinkning that i would like to swap the 1TB for a second 2TB (increasing the NAS to 4TB in all).

 

Q1: is Can i swap the 1tb hard drive and re-flash the OS onto a new HARD drive without wiping the existing 2tb drive?

Q2: is there a way to read the existing 1tb drive if it's not inside the linkstation (i believe the drive uses a linux sector configuration like ext1 or something like that) which cannot be read from windows (i already tried some months ago).

 

my ultimate goal is to replace the 1TB with a 2TB then transfer the info from the 1tb (that was previously in the hard drive) back to the nas.

 

alternatively i believe it is possible to plug in an external HDD into the NAS, what is the maximum capacity of this and does it need to be formatted in a particular way i.e fat32/ext1/ntfs

 

Thanks in advance

 

Chris

P.S. I'm running the latest 1.54 firmware


ESCHER

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2011, 11:02:13 PM »

First of all, make sure you have a backup.

 

I assume you are using "normal" mode (JBOD).

Switch the LS off.  Swap the drives. Reboot, you will have an E20 error because of the new drive.

Using web admin, format the new drive.

 

A better way is to "remove" the drive via Web admin, but the data in the drive will be deleted.

Then install the new drive and format it via Web admin also.

 

You can read the "old" drive with a PC running Linux.  The data is in partition 6, formatted XFS as raid component.  You need the package mdadm.

 

Yes, you can attach a USB drive, at least 2TB is supported.   You can format is FAT32, but remember that max file size is 2 GB.


Chrishannah8386

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2011, 12:43:53 PM »

 

Ok Can i ask, do i need to backup everything the whole 3tb because that will definatly be an issue for me and possible deal breaker...

 

Is it possible therefore for me to swap the 1tb for a 2tb format it so it works all ok without wiping the other drive, i know that i can re-install the admin without wiping the drives but i do believe that the only way to format one drive is to format both of them at the same time is this correct?

 

huummm


ESCHER

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2011, 01:11:22 PM »

Backups are supposed to be routine maintenance.

You have to be prepared in case something goes wrong.

As certain as you and me will die sooner or later, hard drives will fail.

 

I have tested the scenario and updated the previous post.

Forced firmware update is not necessary, just format the new drive.

I think something has changed with the new firmware versions.

 

The data in the drive that stays installed is not touched.

The data in the removed drive also stays unharmed.

So in theory, there is no need to restore.

 

Another way to read the data, would be to install the 1 TB drive in another LS-WXL unit as the only drive.

But, be aware, if you do so, you will have two units with the same name and maybe IP address on the network.

 


Chrishannah8386

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2012, 03:51:24 AM »

Hello,

 

I know it's been a while, i still havent upgraded my disks (expensive hard drives are preventing me) reading over my previous posts and your replies i'm planning to

 

one question: you mentioned that "A better way is to "remove" the drive via Web admin, but the data in the drive will be deleted." is this possible to remove this drive phisically then add the new drive format that via web admin without removing the old one from web admin set up this drive then

 

take out the 1tb

 

test that i can access this information partition from my computer (i'm assuming because its formatted as an XFS that i will run a linux machine either from a VM or from a usb/CD drive and make sure i can read the attached 1tb HDD)

 

then i will replace the 1tb drive with a 3tb drive and then format that drive using the web admin setting this up (assuming this is possible as you said "Forced firmware update is not necessary, just format the new drive." ) transfer the information over from my 1tb to the 3tb while 3 is in the nas, then (if required) put the 1tb back in the nas then remove from web admin swap the 1 for the 3 again and this should work?

 

i dont know if i can remove the 1tb from the web admin while it is not in the nas and i do not have any way to test this.

 

Will this work, also how do i format one drive from the web app is it obvious? i havent looked for a few months but i saw a decent 3tb HDD for not a lot of cash.

 

apologies if this made no sence its complicated it is a mash up of what i understand and a process to fit in with what i understand.


Chrishannah8386

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2012, 07:49:04 AM »

A friend has suggested Cloneing the 1tb Hard drive would this work as a relevent solution since the drives would be identical i assume this would work fine but there is no frame of president.

 

Regards


Chrishannah8386

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Re: Replacing a Hard Drive Ls WXL linkstation duo
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2012, 08:07:28 AM »

OK i have cloned the 1tb hard drive onto a 3tb hard drive then i expanded the main data parttition into the unallocated space stuck it back in the linkstation and this did work.... the linkstation however thought that the size was still 1tb and still at 97% full. so i then figured that if i removed the disk from web admin and then i could select (rediscover disk) and this would look at my HDD and say "oh it's bigger than before better allocate that size"

 

this as you might have guessed did not work, so i preeeded to format the 3tb disk in the linkstation using the web admin, for some reason i thought this would do the job and while i can actually put stuff in the 3tb drive in the nas navigator its showing me as having 2 drives and one is 3tb one isnt readable (i assume this is beause i removed the 2nd disk from the Array 1) and this additional disk has not filled the gap i thought that i might be able to get away without completely re-building the arrays (which wipes them).

 

I really dont like this machine its a lot of trouble!!