Change HDDs in S2D Cluster to all SSDs - Windows Server 2022

Daniel-9361 0 Reputation points
2023-12-19T11:12:00.57+00:00

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

I need help switching from HDDs to SSDs in a two node S2D cluster.

There are currently seven HDDs installed as capacity drives and five SSDs as journals (cache) per node.

Now I want to replace the HDDs with SSDs and add the existing SSDs to the capacity tier.

I tried to retire a HDD, and replaced it with an SSD.

After that the SSD is automatically used as journal disk.

How am I able to change the HDDs to SSDs without building the S2D cluster completely from scratch?

Thank you very much.

Windows Server Storage
Windows Server Storage
Windows Server: A family of Microsoft server operating systems that support enterprise-level management, data storage, applications, and communications.Storage: The hardware and software system used to retain data for subsequent retrieval.
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  1. Ian Xue (Shanghai Wicresoft Co., Ltd.) 29,891 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2023-12-20T07:32:05.6033333+00:00

    Hi Daniel,

    Hope you're doing well.

    Due to the resource limitation of the Forum and the S2D's configuration. The best way is to go to the Microsoft Customer Service Center to open a Premier-level case so that with their permission level and resource, Microsoft could provide you with better help on your request.

    At the same time, I also found a relevant document for you reference:

    Replacing a Failed Physical Disk in Storage Spaces Direct on Windows Server 2016 | Windows OS Hub (woshub.com)

    Hope my answer can help you.

    Best Regards,

    Ian Xue

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  2. Net Runner 505 Reputation points
    2024-01-31T19:13:30.5233333+00:00

    Hi,

    Unfortunately, you can not replace HDDs with SSDs within an existing S2D pool that uses SSDs for journaling purposes.

    Suppose you have a sufficient number of free disk slots in your servers. In that case, you can add all the SSDs into both servers, create a new separate S2D Pool that uses SSDs for storage, migrate your data from the old hybrid pool to the new all-flash one, and then destroy the old pool and repurpose the released SSDs for the new pool as well. If all slots are occupied, your only option is to back up all the data, remove the S2D pool (not the cluster), replace the disks, and create a new pool from scratch.

    As an alternative to a 2-node S2D cluster, you may try using a virtual SAN software https://www.starwindsoftware.com/vsan that does not have the above limitations and allows you to reconfigure your storage on the fly when required.

    Best of luck with your project!

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