How to Configure Storage Spaces Pool with 3 Drives

JonDenver · 08 Mar 2023

Please direct me to a tutorial if one exists that answers my question:

I'd like to have 1 drive reserved unused to replace any failed drives, 2 mirrored drives installed in my PC, and a forth drive with a quarterly copy of the mirrored data that will be stored physically in another offsite location. That fourth drive would be brought back every quarter to the PC and exchanged with one from the pool and rebuilt with the current data.

It seems if I create the mirrored pool with 2 drives, adding a third erases the data on that drive, and then removing a drive from the pool also erases its data. Do I create a mirror with 3 drives(that doesn't seem to give me one copy of all data on each drive), and then just take the third drive out of the PC without removing it from the pool? How should I setup the pool for this functionality?

Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.2604)

dalchina · 09 Mar 2023

Hi, if you search the Tutorials section for Storage Spaces you can find related tutorials.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/

How to Configure Storage Spaces Pool with 3 Drives-untitled.png

The initial text of this one sets out the basic options for configuring s. space:
Create a New Pool and Storage Space in Windows 10

How to Configure Storage Spaces Pool with 3 Drives-1.jpg

More related tutorials are linked below the main text.

You can extend the size of your storage space by adding more drives.

JonDenver · 09 Mar 2023

Thanks! I've gone through those tutorials linked, but I'm still not sure about my specific situation. If I setup a three drive two-way mirror, should that result in one copy of all data on each of the three drives, or two total copies of the data spread across the drives drives?

Is there a way to add and remove drives from the pool without erasing them? It seems no.

dalchina · 09 Mar 2023

If you add a drive, as you say, data on it will be erased. So for example, if you had no other option and there was space on the exising storage space, you could copy data of that drive onto the storage space disks, then add the disk to expand your storage space.

JonDenver · 11 Mar 2023

Do you know the data distribution if I setup a two-way mirror with three drives? One full copy on each drive, or two copies spread onto the three drives?

dalchina · 12 Mar 2023

No, sorry. See e.g.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/an...way-mirror-quo
mirroring - How does windows (11) two way mirrored storage spaces work exactly? - Super User
for more on how data is mirrored and distributed.

Do bear in mind that Storage Spaces is fine when its working... few tend to use it. When things start to go wrong, or you wish to move a Storage Space to another PC, things can get difficult.

You should ensure you monitor the disks for any sign of failure. E.g. Crystal Diskinfo (free) set to alert you to signs of failure against thresholds.

Marie SWE · 12 Mar 2023

Hi

I might sound a bit negative now, but so be it.

do not use Raid or windows toy-raid for backup transfer. Raid is only for redundancy nothing else.
When a drive fails, you remove the broken drive and let the raid rebuild the new drive.
I suggest you use a file-Sync program or a disk imaging program to transfer data to another drive to bring off-site.

It is theoretically possible to rip out the second drive in a Raid1 setup and then put that disk in another Raid1 as disk0 and let the disk1 rebuild from disk0.
But i have never done that as you dont do that.. and rebuilding a drive almost takes longer time then a file-sync transfer.
as for Windows version of raid.. I have never used it as it is not good.. perhaps it a bit better then win7, but neee. i don't know of anyone that uses that.. not even Windows server uses the MS-software raid.