Hi there.

 

I'm currently in the process of evaluating unraid for my homeserver/nas/backup needs. Licensing for my homeserver/nas will be easy - there's already 13 storage devices in that machine, so Pro it is.

However I have a smaller, less powerful machine with 6 HDDs (and only 6 SATA ports for that matter) that I plan to use as a first tier backup machine for weekly backups. This won't be always on, only when doing a backup.

Second tier backup will be via external USB HDDs directly attached to this machine to back itself up monthly. And thus the question:

 

Do I need a "Plus" license for that smaller machine, because with the external drive for 2nd tier backups there will be more than 6 storage devices or is a Basic license enough for this, as long as the external drive isn't connected when booting the server/array?

 

If I understood the forum posts I found about this correctly, a Basic license might be enough, as long as I don't try to boot with the external HDD connected, but I could not find a satisfyingly current answer to this question, so I decided to post this question (again?). 

Also, I find the info on https://unraid.net/pricing regarding this point ("attached to the server before starting the array") not explicit enough. Maybe that's just me with english being my second language, but here I am and sorry if this is obvious to everybody else.

 

 

Best regards

buetzel

 

 

8 minutes ago, buetzel said:

as long as the external drive isn't connected when booting the server/array?

 

The important part is this from here:

 

Quote

Attached storage devices refer to the total number of storage devices you are allowed to have attached to the server before starting the array, not counting the USB Flash boot device.

 

If your external USB devices are not (!!!) attached at the time your backup NAS starts and its array of disks is started you are fine. So you need to attach your external disks later - after the NAS and its array of disks have been started.

 

If Linux/Unraid recognizes your external devices during boot or before the array of disks starts they do count against your license.

 

Here you'll find the Unraid array explained.

 

Depending on your primary language just hop over to the Multi Language Section and feel free to ask there.

 

So, basically, I understood correctly and will be able to use a Basic license for this machine.

I guess having to switch on an external drive after the machine is already booted and has its array started is not a problem for me, as I would be doing my weekly backup before the monthly one anyway, so that actually fits into the workflow just fine.

 

Thanks for clarifying that. 

 

As for the multi language section - thanks for the notice, but no thanks.

Firstly, I think a licensing question would be best discussed in the language of the company doing the licensing and secondly I found that information in basically any area of IT is easier found in english than in my native german language. Usually I'm pretty fine with english anyway and if I feel I might be not understanding anything fully it doesn't really hurt me to ask.

 

 

 

Welcome to the community @buetzel. I’m glad to see your question was answered. FYI- outside of English, the Unraid German forum is by far the most active, if need be. 😃

https://forums.unraid.net/forum/76-german-deutsch/

Thanks for welcoming me @SpencerJ.

 

It's good to know the german part of the forums is doing so well, but honestly I'm so used to using english in anything IT, I wouldn't even know what words to use for searching for things in german  

 

Also, me even noting that english is my second language might have been a mild case of impostor syndrome. Apart from actually talking english (real talking, not typing) I'm pretty much bilingual by now.