Is there a need to backup the configuration?

[SimonAG]

If the USB drive holding unraid failed (unlikely but if it did) could I just install a new USB with unraid and then select the same disk configuration and it will detect the configuration and work? That didn't see possible to me as when you create a new array it needs to wipe the hard drives or am i missing something? 

 

If not what is needed to backup the disk configuration only?

[itimpi]

The config folder on the flash drive holds all the configuration settings.   Copying this across to a newly licensed USB drive will transfer all the settings to that drive.

[SimonAG]

14 minutes ago, itimpi said:

The config folder on the flash drive holds all the configuration settings.   Copying this across to a newly licensed USB drive will transfer all the settings to that drive.

 

OK, I see there is a way to move the license in the options. If I set up a auto backup of the config folder to my windows PC, in future if it fails I can just copy that back to a new usb? It did say in the documentation that if i use the flash drive backup it will break the existing USB drive. Can I load the license in once I have copied the config folder back over to a new USB without using that export option and breaking the existing usb? 

 

What is the path to the config folder, I connected over sftp but don't see it. Sorry if that is in the documentation. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by SimonAG

[itimpi]

You can transfer a licence to a new USB drive, but doing so blacklists the old one.   This is a separate activity to copying configuration information across.

[JonathanM]

49 minutes ago, SimonAG said:

What is the path to the config folder, I connected over sftp but don't see it.

It's /boot/config if you ssh in to the Unraid console.

[SimonAG]

Does the array need to be stopped or not in an array operation in order to get a good backup? To what extent will I need to keep the backup up to date, will it only be array operations like replacing disks or do I need to do it after every parity check? 

[JonathanM]

30 minutes ago, SimonAG said:

Does the array need to be stopped or not in an array operation in order to get a good backup? To what extent will I need to keep the backup up to date, will it only be array operations like replacing disks or do I need to do it after every parity check? 

If the array is running while you take a backup, then the files reflect that, and if you restore using that state it will show an unclean shutdown and want to do a parity check. No other issues that I can think of.

 

Any time you make a change to the settings, like users, shares, add containers, etc, you should keep in mind that the last backup won't reflect those changes.

 

The only devastating thing is if you change disks reusing your parity drive in a data slot (like what may happen when you upgrade parity size) and don't take a new backup afterwards, you risk overwriting that data disk as the backup will put it back in the parity slot.

 

I recommend destroying any flash backups made prior to disk slot changes, or if you really want to keep the backup at least wipe out the super.dat file so it can't ruin your day.