Move RAID 5 from Mac Pro to Enclosure

I want to move a RAID 5 (3 disks) in an old Mac Pro (running OS 10.11) that was created with Disk Utility to an external enclosure that I can use with my MacBook Pro M3 Pro. I don’t have an enclosure yet, I’m thinking a DAS setup, because I need to know if there are any specific requirements before I buy something. I know just moving the disks won’t work, but I need to know what I need to do, preferably to keep my data intact. I’m mostly concerned about moving my old Aperture library to a file structure, but I’ve already found on here how to do that part. It is a lot of data to try to move via Wi-Fi (about 475GB).

Mac Pro, OS X 10.11

Posted on Apr 2, 2024 12:03 PM

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Apr 2, 2024 7:33 PM in response to Spitfirejd

When you create a disk Utility RAID, the drives are tagged with a Volume type of OTHER so that ordinary Drivers do not try to mount them. Their RAID-ness is written inside the partion information, along with the identifiers of the other RAID members.


You can remove the drives that make up the RAID, shuffle what slots they are in and install them in a different Mac, and it will still be a disk Utility RAID set of the same type, with the data intact.


This four bay enclosure looks to my eye like it would do the same 'trick'. It is from OWC, a Mac-centric company that prides itself on its support. Call them and ask!


https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MEQCTJB000/


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Apr 5, 2024 11:27 PM in response to Spitfirejd

Spitfirejd wrote:

Ah, I have not read this before. Do you know of any enclosures off-hand that can do that? Or at least what that method/mode is called so I can look for it? Thank you.

You need an enclosure that allows it to be configured for JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) so all the drives are independent so that software RAID can be used. I agree with @Grant on using OWC since they have been supporting Macs for decades.

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Apr 2, 2024 1:55 PM in response to Spitfirejd

<< I know just moving the disks won’t work >>


¿ how did you decide that?


what is a DAS setup? NEVERMIND


Direct-attached storage is called DAS because it is directly attached to the computer or server, meaning that the storage can only be accessed by the device that it is connected to and not over a network. A DAS system can comprise hard disk drives or SSDs inside a personal computer or server chassis or an external storage enclosure connected to a server.


another very high-powered term for a very ordinary concept.


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Apr 2, 2024 3:30 PM in response to Spitfirejd

<<. External enclosures include their own hardware RAID controllers and wouldn’t be able to read the disks. >>


SOME external enclosures REQURE the use of their internal RAID card, and present a single composite device.


Some enclosures can allow the drives to show through as individual drives, and that kind can be used to move the Disk Utility drives, unchanged, into an external enclosure where they will be seen as a Disk Utility RAID again.

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Apr 6, 2024 1:14 PM in response to HWTech

Thank you @HWTech. I called OWC and talked to someone about it and decided I’m going to get the enclosure @Grant suggested but I’m going to get some new Seagate Ironwolf drives and just copy my data over via Ethernet. My drives are old and only 1TB so I figure it’s the best way.

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Move RAID 5 from Mac Pro to Enclosure

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