Is it possible to create a single zone RAID0 with different size member disks?

Is it possible to create a single zone RAID0 with different size member disks?

[Fisher]

Hi,

I got four disks with different size each,

first I created a raid0 and I found that nr_strip_zones larger than 1,

but I think I would convert it to raid4/5/6 someday in the future,

so I need nr_strip_zones to be 1,

then I tried to add --size to specify the used size of each disk when creating the raid0,

but the raid0 to raid4 conversion failed because nr_strip_zones still larger than 1,

Is there any way I can create a single zone raid0 with different size member disks?

Thanks,

Re: Is it possible to create a single zone RAID0 with different size member disks?

[Roman Mamedov]

On Fri, 10 Apr 2020 09:29:19 +0000
Fisher <fisherthepooh@protonmail.com> wrote:

> Is there any way I can create a single zone raid0 with different size member disks?

I'm not sure about the actual zones issue, but the easiest workaround seems to
be to just create a same-sized partition on each disk, and then do RAID0 of
those partitions.

It might be a good idea regardless (RAID of partitions instead of raw disks),
because that way unrelated operating systems and LiveCDs you might boot on the
machine will not see these as empty uninitialized drives, but will properly
detect what they are used for, and to what extent.

In fact you can even use the remaining space on each disk for partitions of
other purposes -- or to make more RAIDs. Say, if you got disks of:

  2TB
  2TB
  3TB
  3TB

You can make one 4x2TB RAID0, and one 2x1TB RAID0 from the tails of 3TB disks.

Or 4x2TB RAID5 and 2x1TB RAID1.

Then run LVM on top of it all to join both into one large volume.

-- 
With respect,
Roman

Re: Is it possible to create a single zone RAID0 with different size member disks?

[Wols Lists]

On 12/04/20 10:12, Roman Mamedov wrote:
> You can make one 4x2TB RAID0, and one 2x1TB RAID0 from the tails of 3TB disks.
> 
> Or 4x2TB RAID5 and 2x1TB RAID1.

This last would be way the best.

Remember, with raid-0 you only need ONE failure to trash your partition.
And with say four disks, you quadruple your chances of said failure.

What size are these disks? And given the price of disks, if you're
trying to combine small disks ( <1TB typically) what's the point? It'll
probably cost more in electric to run all these disks than to just buy a
new large disk and bin the old ones.

Cheers,
Wol