Adapt "parity will be erased" warning

[RobJ]

After using New Config, the warning "All data on the parity drive will be erased when array is started" appears.  Nothing wrong with this normally, but if the user clicks the checkbox for "Parity is already valid", the warning remains.  This has caused enormous confusion to one or more new or non-technical users, who cannot see past this warning that their parity drive will still be erased.  Most of us know what is meant when we click the box to say it's valid, but all that new users see and understand is that parity is valid AND the parity drive will be erased!

 

If the checkbox has a check, the warning should either be removed, or replaced with something like "All current parity data will be retained, not erased".

[bonienl]

I see what you mean and think is doable, but a new user, aka new system should never use the "parity is already valid" option 

 

[RobJ]

It wouldn't be applicable for a new system, so perhaps shouldn't even appear then.  But take a look at my newest suggestion, link below, makes the "parity is valid" checkbox almost obsolete, almost not needed any more.  It lets the system decide when parity is valid or not.  I think I'd still want it available, for the odd case where you reconstruct an array that used-to-be?  Like a lost super.dat?  Like a v4.7 array being converted, in a clean install?

 

   Allow drive reassignments without requiring New Config

[JonathanM]

1 hour ago, RobJ said:

makes the "parity is valid" checkbox almost obsolete, almost not needed any more.  It lets the system decide when parity is valid or not.

I would LOVE to see an action button instead of the checkbox. It would run a short (10MB?) non-correcting parity check with the current layout to see whether parity is indeed partially valid. If that came back clean, it would result in a message, "Parity 1 appears to be valid, would you like to trust it?" If it fails, a message "Parity 1 is invalid with the current configuration, would you like to start a parity build that will overwrite disk model serial XXX now?" appears, repeating those messages for Parity 2 if applicable. Not trusting a valid check would result in a full parity generation, and denying a parity build with confirmed invalid parity would result in an array start with the typical message of parity hasn't been checked yet.

 

There may be more combinations and permutations that are needed, but since computers are logical and we can get the information we need to help the user make decisions, I think it is in our best interest to get that information and attempt to steer the user to the proper answer.