Configuring disk for self maintenance.

Here's the scenario
I have two 5887's with numerous SSD's in each.
I've added two ESLS' with numerous newer SSD's in each.
The older SSD's are too expensive to maintain. Hence the new ones. Resale
value of the old ones is two Hershey bars and a Coke so we're going to
keep them.
We've added the newer ones to the ASP.
We're in the process of removing the older ones from the ASP and will put
them into a secondary ASP.
They're currently configured for RAID 5 with a hot spare. With two RAID 5
sets on the old disks and two RAID 5 sets on the new disk.
Since we're self maintaining I thought of
- Stopping raid.
- Restarting RAID 5 with hot spare
- but leaving a disk or two as non configured and not in the RAID set.
These additional disks would be cold spares. Leaving them in the machine
would keep them from getting lost. It would also keep them from getting
mishandled. And, if I needed to add them to replace a failed drive it
avoids the hands on operation.

The other option is to just leave the RAID 5 with hot spare going and no
additional non configured units. If one fails and fires up the hot spare
then I
- remove the failed drive from the ASP
- remove an additional drive from the ASP.
- stop raid
- start raid 5 with hot spare again leaving the failed drive out of the
raid set.
- At some time physically remove the failed drive.

Comments?

Rob Berendt