Replacing Disks in a ZFS Root Pool

You might need to replace a disk in the root pool for the following reasons:

• The root pool is too small and you want to replace it with a larger disk

• The root pool disk is failing. In a non-redundant pool, if the disk is failing and the system no longer boots, boot from another source such as a CD or the network. Then, replace the root pool disk.

You can replace disks by using one of two methods:

• Using the zpool replace command.

  This method involves scrubbing and clearing the root pool of dirty time logs (DTLs), then replacing the disk. After the new disk is installed, you apply the boot blocks manually.

• Using the zpool detach|attach commands.

  This method involves attaching the new disk and verifying that it is working properly, then detaching the faulty disk.

If you are replacing root pool disks that have the SMI (VTOC) label, ensure that you fulfill the following requirements:

• SPARC: Confirm that the disk has an SMI (VTOC) disk label and a slice 0 that contains the bulk of the disk space. If you need to relabel the disk and create a slice 0, see How to Replace a ZFS Root Pool Disk in Managing Devices in Oracle Solaris 11.4.

• x86: Confirm that the disk has an fdisk partition, an SMI disk label, and a slice 0. If you need to repartition the disk and create a slice 0, see Modifying Slices or Partitions in Managing Devices in Oracle Solaris 11.4.