Error Handling Failed Devices
I've been testing BTRFS and by-and-large the file system runs well. The most troubling issue I've run into so far is the inability to consistently recover from a failed device. If I simulate a failed device and try to balance media across the remaining drives I never get a consistent result.
#Sometimes I am able to delete the failed device and re-balance on the remaining drives but then the data doesn't balance properly and is apparently lost.
#Sometimes I am unable to delete the failed device and I am stuck with "Device Missing" message with unaccessible data on that drive.
#Sometimes I am able to delete the failed device. Add a new device. Re-balance, but the new array won't mount because of "wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sdx".
I am using the latest kernel as of 2011-04-06. I read in earlier messages that this functionality isn't quite working yet as planned - That deleting devices really only serves to remove a 'working' disk for use elsewhere. I don't find a lot of feedback on this seemingly huge problem with the file system.