** Forgive if this has been Covered** Looking to copy everything to new hardware (drives, MB, enclosures ETC) from one to another box


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upon looking (quickly mind you) i want to completely copy one unraid server to another. Can not transfer physical drives(different size, current 3.5 moving to 2.5 enclosures) but moving from 500GB to 1TB enterprise units (16 of them) :)

My thoughts on this was to configure a test box, install all of my dockers and copy the file structure over as it sits on my current unraid system (recently new Pro user and extremely noob) but picking it up fast. 

is there a documented way to accomplish this and then when all said and done, decommission old hardware and move usb to new hardware and invoke my current license?

 

Again I'm sure being a noob to unraid, I'll take the heat :P  (insert spoon feed answers here <-- )

Thanks

Bill (Wiseone001)

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I doubt there is a guide that would fit as it is a specific request. Generally people tend to change MB, CPU etc. but keep the drives.

 

However, I am sure we can provide answers and guidance on this use case.

 

As base information, I think we would need :

  • your diagnostics (Tools/Diagnostics) as it provides tons of information on your actual system
  • an idea of your file structure
  • what the system is used for, the dockers/VMs you run, ...

I am sure I forget stuff, but we can build a plan from that.

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Sounds like a solid plan (set up new server with trial license temporarily).

 

Do you have a way to physically connect the new drives one or more at a time to the current box?

 

If so, then you could mount and format the new data drives in UD, rsync each drive, then physically install in new server fully populated. Run it up, assign and build parity, that would take care of the parity data array.

 

Migrating the containers might be a tad more complex, where do you have container appdata set right now?

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3 hours ago, ChatNoir said:

I doubt there is a guide that would fit as it is a specific request. Generally people tend to change MB, CPU etc. but keep the drives.

 

However, I am sure we can provide answers and guidance on this use case.

 

As base information, I think we would need :

  • your diagnostics (Tools/Diagnostics) as it provides tons of information on your actual system  (Will Supply as soon as I get a new system up and hope that will be tonight maybe tommorow) I know you will want for both systems.
  • an idea of your file structure
  • what the system is used for, the dockers/VMs you run, ...   (Please see comment under)

I am sure I forget stuff, but we can build a plan from that.

As above, I will get this information for you as soon as i construct the second box, hopefully that is today..

file structure? how many disk's and how big the storage arrays are? i can tell you i plan on making it double parity, (2 1TB hard drives), Double cache Drives 2x 120Gig SSD) and the remainder of the 12 hd's will be set up as my array at 12 TB..

My use is multi platform, i have dockers for usenet, for VPN access, i will be running VM's for my active directory domain, my exchange and my PXE services, on top there should eventually be FTP and some sort of media service for movies/TV and Jukebox service.  

This is the simple down and dirty config for my unraid.. I know as a noob I will expand but i already know how i want it to work. i just to gain the experiance with it to make it do the things i want it to do like pxe boot a desktop pc into a virtual enviroment all from within a server 2019 DC VM... i want to store my physical servers as a vm and decommision my old hardware. 

3 hours ago, jonathanm said:

Sounds like a solid plan (set up new server with trial license temporarily).

 

Do you have a way to physically connect the new drives one or more at a time to the current box? (no) but original Server Still active and Backup services running daily

 

If so, then you could mount and format the new data drives in UD, rsync each drive, then physically install in new server fully populated. Run it up, assign and build parity, that would take care of the parity data array.

 

Migrating the containers might be a tad more complex, where do you have container appdata set right now? (in its current default folder. i do have it backed up but it is mostly stock under the hood. tried not to deviate as i wanted and thought i may have to rebuild from scratch.)

unfortunately, I can not maintain structure as the hard drives are different form factors.. im increasing in storage size but decreasing physically size of the hard drive.. going from 3.5 SATA to 2.5 SAS,  now keep in mind its a fully functional unraid right now and loaded up as i built this using the trial period, now have the pro license, i want to build(more like copy) everything as it is to the new hard ware platform and then use my legit pro key to turn it up. then decom the old one.

 

 

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One plan would be not to install the parity drives until you have populated the array with the data from the old server.   (That will increase the write speed to the array by a factor of two or more!) 

 

I would then consider just copying the data over the network.  It sound like you have less than 12TB of data which means the copy time would be about 36-40 hours (if my math is correct!)

Edited by Frank1940
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You are correct I probably have less then 4 gig of data on a gig back bone Network. With a true switch. File copy shouldn't take that long with 4 gig connections running from one box to another. But that seems like a good idea. Configure without parity, then add parity. Ok

Now for the USB with the pro key on it. Just move it to the new server? Or is there a file structure I need to copy from the new box to the old key so I keep my settings, configs etc.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

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11 minutes ago, Wiseone001 said:

Now for the USB with the pro key on it. Just move it to the new server? Or is there a file structure I need to copy from the new box to the old key so I keep my settings, configs etc.

Depends. Remember the cardinal rule that the *.key file is paired with the specific USB stick, so if you get the new box up and running exactly the way you like it all things included on a trial key, then you would copy the config folder from the trial key, delete the *.key file that goes with that trial stick, delete the config folder on your current licensed stick making sure to keep a backup, restore the new server config folder to your licensed key, copy the *.key file that goes with that stick back into the config folder, done.

 

The config folder holds all your customizations, and 99% of the files in there are text files, so browse around and get familiar, you might figure some stuff out.

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ok, hate to say im a def noob here, i copied everything folder wise and thought i copied the info from the usb key, but i can not get the system to come online. 

i want to wipe the newly constructed server, then rebuild with a temp key, from there make an exact duplicate of my active box.is there a sure method of duplicating the old system to the new system and then transfer my good new pro key to it? so that i can power off the original box and just power on the new one? configs and shares and VM's?

want to make it identical just on new hardware drives included.

 

Please and thanks for the repetitive nature of this question.

Bill

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2 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

And what is the version number of your Old Unraid server software?

ok so i did a thing. 

I wiped out the new test box and in the process of building it up again, I want the cleanest install i can have since the others are all configured from testing unraid and Ver is 6.9.2

 

here is where im at now, new hardware is up and running, i want to transfer its config as it sits to the USB i registered and purchased with the pro key on it., is there a way to copy an eval server and its configs to the licensed usb drive with the pro key?   so flow chart cause im even getting confused.

 

current running server <<--  has usb key with pro license

New hardware configured Basically) <<--   Eval USB key

 

Want to bring config from eval system --->> to USB Key with pro License -->> take pro license USB --->> insert into new hardware --->> Boot new hardware with pro license

 

 

My options?  is there a simplified way of doing this? i dont want to generate a new license key for the usb thats in the drive (holding incase of usb failure)  want to take usb key from original system and plug into new hardware and be up and running

 

Thanks

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18 minutes ago, Wiseone001 said:

My options?  is there a simplified way of doing this? i dont want to generate a new license key for the usb thats in the drive (holding incase of usb failure)  want to take usb key from original system and plug into new hardware and be up and running

 

 

Have you read this:

 

      https://wiki.unraid.net/Manual/Changing_The_Flash_Device

 

Read through this section of the Manual/WIKI and pay attention to this section:

image.thumb.png.12acf73867321297e97bc8a790f4ce5f.png

Note that doing a replacement of the .key file a second (or more) time(s) within a twelve month period is not that big a deal.  I have never heard of a reasonable request being denied.  It can take a few hours to a day depending on when your request is made. 

 

 

EDIT:   One more thing.  Always make a complete backup of all your Unraid flash drives before you do any modifications to any Unraid flash drives.  (Murphy's Law:  You will never need any backup of data that you made in caution of something going wrong!)

Edited by Frank1940
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9 minutes ago, Frank1940 said:

 

Have you read this:

 

      https://wiki.unraid.net/Manual/Changing_The_Flash_Device

 

Read through this section of the Manual/WIKI and pay attention to this section:

image.thumb.png.12acf73867321297e97bc8a790f4ce5f.png

Note that doing a replacement of the .key file a second (or more) time(s) within a twelve month period is not that big a deal.  I have never heard of a reasonable request being denied.  It can take a few hours to a day depending on when your request is made. 

 

 

EDIT:   One more thing.  Always make a complete backup of all your Unraid flash drives before you do any modifications to any Unraid flash drives.  (Murphy's Law:  You will never need any backup of data that you made in caution of something going wrong!)

 

While i can appreciate this, is there a simple way of just copying the contents of the Eval flash drive (which i assume contains all of the settings and configs for dockers etc) to the original flash drive with the license?

 

I know it does not seem like much but i'd rather not blacklist my usb drive for the sake of simplicity. im looking more at this as an exercise. but really want to get a clean install.

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I think there may be something related to config/super.dat (your disk assignments) that won't transfer over from a trial key. Just make note of your disk assignments, don't keep config/super.dat, and it will make you reassign your disks. Be careful that you don't accidentally assign any data disk to any parity slot.

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So if I copy just the config folder too the USB key with the pro license, it'll bring the drives as configured as well as the info for dockers and VM? That's the only one I need to transplant onto the original USB with license?
Bill

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

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44 minutes ago, Wiseone001 said:

So if I copy just the config folder too the USB key with the pro license, it'll bring the drives as configured as well as the info for dockers and VM? That's the only one I need to transplant onto the original USB with license?
Bill

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 

Yes.

 

After coping across the config folder you should delete the licence .key file that applies to the other USB drive leaving only the one relevant to this drive to avoid any confusion later.

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