StableBit DrivePool F1655

Merge multiple pools into a single pool.

When to Use

When you have more than one pool with a lot of content, and you would rather have a single pool.

This is an advanced procedure. Only proceed if you fully understand every step below.

Please have backups of all your data.

If you are not sure about this and still wish to do this, then please contact Support, so we can set up a remote support session to assist you.

Steps

1. Stop the StableBit DrivePool Service.

   To do so, run "services.msc", and find the "StableBit DrivePool Service". You can right click on it and stop it that way, or select it and click the "Stop" link in the left-hand sidebarEnable "Show Hidden Files" for the system.

   • Note: This is necessary, as we will be moving around files. But if you have realtime duplication or immediate balancing enabled, this will start moving files around and duplicating as well. That is not what we want. We want to move everything first, and then let DrivePool do it's thing.
2. "Unseed" one of the pools (do this with the pool with the least number of disks):
   1. Open the "PoolPart.GUID" folder (where "GUID" is a random sequence of letters and numbers). You should see a folder and file layout that mirrors the pool (or part of it at least).
   2. Move the contents of the Poolpart.GUID folder out of this folder.
      • This moves the contents out of the pool effectively, as the software uses these folders as the actual contents
   3. Once the PoolPart folder is empty, delete the folder.
   4. Repeat this for each of disks in the one pool
3. Start the "StableBit DrivePool Service".
   • This is required, as we cannot interact with the software while the service is not running.
   • Starting the service now should cause the pool in question to "disappear", as there are no disks in that pool anymore.
4. Add the now unpooled disks to the remaining pool.
5. Stop the StableBit DrivePool Service again.
6. Seed the existing Pool:
   1. Expose hidden folders in your file manager of choice (Windows Explorer, or Total Commander, etc...).
   2. Now go to each of the drives, and move the contents of the disks into the "\PoolPart.xxxx\" folder, on the same disk.
      • For example, find the "G:\Files\" folder, and move the "Files" folder to "G:\PoolPart.xxxx\".

        After doing this, you should have a "G:\PoolPart.xxxx\Files" folder. And you may notice that it immediately shows up in the pool.

      • Repeat this for each disk in your pool
   • Once you've done this, you should see all of your content in the Pool directory.
7. Manually refresh the pool statistics:
   • For StableBit DrivePool v1.X, reset the settings:
     • Do this: StableBit_DrivePool_Q2299585
     • Start the StableBit DrivePool Service
   • For StableBit DrivePool v2.X, remeasure the pool:
     • Start the StableBit DrivePool Service
     • In the UI, click "Pool Options", and select the "Remeasure" option.

   This will verify the duplication integrity of the pool and re-measure all the files.

You're done. You should see the contents of both pools in the one remaining pool.

Notes

In case you run into issues during this process, especially the file moves:

• Q5510455 - Reset the NTFS permissions on the pool. Useful if you run into access denied issues.
  • If you are still running into disk access errors, run a CHKDSK pass on the disk, as this may correct any issues. This may move files to a "found.###" folder in the root of the drive, in some cases.
• Q2299585B - Reset DrivePool Settings. If drives aren't showing up to add, and they are not dynamic disks.