Thanks for the quick reply Neil, I tried the suggested syntax, excluding the array-size in order to have mdadm give me the value - but it did not. I also tried grabbing the current array size from df, but I got an error about being unable to change array size in the same operation. So just to confirm I'm understanding you correctly ; mdadm -G /dev/md127 --raid-devices 5 --backup=/root/backup - should generate an error that provides the array-size value? On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 3:34 PM, Neil Brown <neilb@xxxxxxx> wrote: > On Thu, 20 May 2010 07:45:23 -0600 > "Keith ." <lukano@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > >> Does mdadm 3.1.x not support shrinking the number of disks in a RAID5 array? >> >> I have successfully converted my 6x1.5tb RAID6 array to a 6x1.5tb >> RAID5 array. The issue that I now face is that one of those 6 drives >> is failed / removed, and as a result - the new RAID5 array is down >> it's parity drive. >> >> I knew I was short a disk when I started the process, but I was under >> the assumption that mdadm now supported shrinking of RAID5/6 arrays. >> Am I mistaken, or can anyone throw some suggestions at me so I can >> give it a try? > > It should work. > > mdadm -G /dev/mdX --raid-devices 5 --array-size=XXXXX > --backup=/root/backup-file > > If you don't give the 'array-size' value mdadm will tell you what it has to > be. You need to be sure that all your data is already within that space. > > NeilBrown > -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
