Windows Storage Spaces: plain file system?

[Homerboy]

Can I physically pull a drive out of the pool and pull files off of it in any other windows environment?

 

[Dahak]

Yes*

* but depending on how you set it up, you many need Win8+ for it to read them, if you selected to format the drives with ReFS
and all files may not be on that particular drive, again depending on you spaces setup.

If your pool/space is setup as mirror, then the files will be the same on both drives

If you setup parity between drives, then some files will be on one drive and some on the others

 

[Homerboy]

Yes*

* but depending on how you set it up, you many need Win8+ for it to read them, if you selected to format the drives with ReFS
and all files may not be on that particular drive, again depending on you spaces setup.

If your pool/space is setup as mirror, then the files will be the same on both drives

If you setup parity between drives, then some files will be on one drive and some on the others

So I have the option of ReFS or NTFS when formatting? I realize that some files might not be on every drive etc depending on duplication/mirroring options I choose... I just want to make sure that the files are able to be read as "plain files" on the drive if I were to pull the physical drive out and plug into another machine

 

[Dahak]

So I have the option of ReFS or NTFS when formatting? I realize that some files might not be on every drive etc depending on duplication/mirroring options I choose... I just want to make sure that the files are able to be read as "plain files" on the drive if I were to pull the physical drive out and plug into another machine

Yes, then you would choose NTFS and if you plug the drive into another computer you can read the files

 

[nhocstrasser]

Is it possible to replace a drive you pull with a new drive that is larger and have storage spaces use the additional space?

 

[JackMDS]

Is it possible to replace a drive you pull with a new drive that is larger and have storage spaces use the additional space?

It depends on how the Drive system was configured.

The safe way is to Back up all the Files in storage in the Normal way using a drivae in enclosur or to another computer. The put the new Drive clean the remaining drive Configure the Mode that you like and backup the File back to the server.
------------
I would suggest the same to the OP.



😎