Currently I am using Windows 10 as a NAS solution. I would like to move to Unraid, on the same machine. I'm seeking some help about how to migrate.

 

My setup contains of three disks:

1) 128 GB SSD (containing Windows right now)
2) HD of 3 TB (about 40% free)
3) HD of 14 TB (about 51% free)

 

I already started by splitting the 14 TB drive into two equal partitions (50/50 NTFS vs XFS). Thinking I would be able to move the contents of the NTFS partition over to the XFA partition and then enlarge that partition so it spans the whole disk. After that, I would like to add it to Unraid. I think it should be an array, but since I don't have a parity drive it could also be a cache. I was thinking I could also add the 3 TB disk to the array later on.

 

Is this indeed the way forward? Will Unraid adopt the 14 TB disk without destroying its contents? Should it be an array or a cache? Any other recommendations or pointers to succesfully migrate?

 

Thanks for any advice!

Edited August 27, 20232 yr by Emphyrio
Clarification

3 hours ago, Emphyrio said:

I already started by splitting the 14 TB drive into two equal partitions (50/50 NTFS vs XFS). Thinking I would be able to move the contents of the NTFS partition over to the XFA partition and then enlarge that partition so it spans the whole disk. After that, I would like to add it to Unraid.

That likely won't work, Unraid requires a specific partition layout and MBR signature, IMHO best bet would be for you to empty one of the disks by moving  data to the other ones, let Unraid format that disk XFS, then you can use UD plugin to move the data from one of the NTFS disks, then add another one and so on.

Thanks for your reply. I will need to get me some extra storage hardware for this migration then. Too bad but I will manage 🙂

41 minutes ago, Emphyrio said:

Thanks for your reply. I will need to get me some extra storage hardware for this migration then. Too bad but I will manage 🙂

Look at it as the perfect opportunity/excuse to get an external HDD for backup. 😁

 

Or if you are going the internal route, a disk to use as parity disk after the migration. Not the same as a backup, but it will cover for one failed disk.