Storage Spaces - Remove Physical Disk from Simple layout

Question

I am running Server 2012 RTM with a single storage pool containing 4 drives - 2.73TB, 1.36TB, 465GB and 148GB. There is a single virtual disk created, with thin provisioning, using the Simple layout, with a current maximum size of 2.73TB, and with 1.32TB
allocated. I want to remove the 148GB drive and replace it with a 465GB drive. When I right-click the 148GB disk and select Remove, I get a warning that Windows will attempt to rebuild any virtual disks that store data on the disk I'm trying to remove, and
that in order to succeed, the storage pool must have enough free space to accommodate the data from the disk I'm trying to remove. There is more than enough space in the virtual disk to accommodate whatever files may be stored on the 148GB disk - over 1TB
unallocated. However, when I confirm that I want to remove the disk from the pool, I get the following message:
This physical disk is used by one or more virtual disks that use the Simple (no resiliency) layout. To remove this physical disk, delete the following virtual disks: Simple
Surely the fact that it's a simple volume (rather than mirrored/parity) shouldn't affect the ability to move the data off the disk? It appears that disk removal is implemented as a simulated drive failure, forcing a rebuild of the resiliency data, rather
than by simply moving the data off the disk onto other available disks.
Additionally, after I've attempted to remove the disk, it's now been marked as 'Retired'.
Is there any simple way to remove this disk?

Answer 1

Same problem here, but I have some workaround for the problem.
But, even in Windows Home Server with its awesome disk extender (predecessor of Storage Spaces) you had to take the shares (meaning volumes in our case) offline so you could take out the disk from the pool.
Agree that it would make more sense to be able to remove disk from the pool online and the technology is most likely is already there: online cluster moves with defragmentation API was there for years and ReFS moves clusters online when it detects disk errors.
Anyway here is the process that may work for you if taking volume offline is an option in your case:
Try to remove physical disk in Server Manager - it will fail with abovementioned error, but the disk will go into "Retired" state.
Now provision a new Virtual Disk and a volume of your choice. Most likely you will pick the same disk and volume type as you already had, but this is the chance to change the topology. You should be able to do this since you have a lot of physical disk
space, especially if you used Thin provisioning.
It looks like at this point retired physical disk is not included into the new Virtual Disk provisioning, but it is still accessible via existing virtual disk.
Copy over all files from your old volume to a new volume.
Now delete old Virtual Disk.
If you want - change disk name and volume letter of new virtual disk that you created and new volume to what you had before.
Now in Disk Manager take failing physical disk offline.
Replace failing disk, initialize new disk and add it to the pool.
Note: for me sometimes removing disk in via Storage Pool management GUI does not mark it as "Retired". In this case you can open PowerShell as Admin and assuming you want to remove PhysicalDisk2 - run the following command:
Set-PhysicalDisk -FriendlyName PhysicalDisk2 -Usage Retired
HTH