Hello,

 

First of all, let me just say that I have used search, and the wiki, and I think I've gotten a basic grasp of split-levels just from that.

 

My problem is, when I first set up my Unraid server, I didn't know anything about split levels. Now I've read about it, I'd like to implement it, but of course my media is split up all over my drives. What I'd like to know, is what is the best way to re-organize it all in retrospect?

 

I have several top-level directories (user shares), but the one I'll use for this example is Movies. Here is my current structure:

 

\\Tower

  Movies

        Aliens

        Bad Boys

        Cloverfield

        Dumbo

        Eragon

        Fantastic Four

        Gandhi

        etc.

 

Each movie folder has several files in it - usually a .mkv, .nfo and a few .jpg.

 

What I'd like, is for the movie folders themselves to appear on whatever drive unraid sees fit, but for their contents to be grouped together. For example, I don't want Aliens.mkv on one drive, and Aliens.nfo on another.

 

From what I've read, this means I want split level 2, right? Movies is 1, moviename is 2, moviename.mkv is 3. Please correct me if I've got that wrong.

 

Now, I can set the split-level easily enough (assuming I've got it right), but the tricky part is how to get all the files already on my server into onto the correct drives. I have a cache drive, so perhaps I could try something with that.

 

I did have one idea - perhaps someone could consider it and let me know if you think it will work or not. Basically, I'd create a new user share (Say "Movies 2"), with the split-level set, and then, for each drive, go "mv /mnt/disk1/Movies/* /mnt/user/Movies/", cycling through disk1, disk2, disk3, etc. until all drives have been moved. All my files would then be re-written to the array, in the correct locations. Would this work?

 

Thanks for your help.

tl;dr?

 

Summary: I want to apply split-level, but already have stuff scattered all over my drives.

It would have to be "mv /mnt/disk1/Movies/* /mnt/cache/Movies/". Then run the mover to place the files correctly.

Thanks, I'll try that. Problem is, my cache drive is only a 150GB, so I can only do 150GB at a time this way. My array is ~10TB, so this could take a while!

 

How come it won't work the way I suggested? If the new share I create has "Use cache drive" set to "no"? Is it because Unraid tries to be cleaver and not waste time copying to itself? I was afraid of something like that.

UnRAID will not move files from array disk to array disk. Allocation settings are only used when writing new data to the array either directly or from the cache.

 

I suggest that you get a larger cache drive. You can use the larger cache drive as a ready spare or add to the array when needed.

Thanks, but with hard drive prices as they are at the moment I won't be buying any disks for a while.

 

Nevertheless, I'm going to try and accomplish this with my little cache disk, but before I do, I have one more question: Let's say I have the following situation:

 

disk1

-Films

--Alien

---Alien.mkv

 

disk2

-Films

--Alien

---Alien-Fanart.jpg

---Alien.nfo

 

disk3

-Films

--Alien

---Alien-cover.jpg

 

You get the idea. Now, do I have to go through all the drives to check for any "Alien" folders, move them all to the cache drive together, and then run the mover script, or can I just go through all my films on disk1, then disk2, then disk3, etc.?

 

Basically, what I'm wondering is weather I can do Alien.mkv first (from disk1 -> cache -> back to share), then later on, after the mover has been run, and Alien.mkv has been returned to the array, will Alien.jpg find its way into the same folder? When its turn comes?

 

Do folders created under a split-level scheme get priority over ones that may already exist on other drives?

 

I'm having difficulty phrasing my question, but here's an example of what I mean. Say I've gone through disk1 and moved all my movies off there onto the cache, and then back again to the array, this time with split-level enabled. Now, I come to disk2, and do the same thing. When Unraid is deciding where to place Alien-Fanart.jpg and Alien.nfo, will it place them with Alien.mkv (which I moved earlier), or is there a chance it may get put on disk3 with Alien-cover.jpg? Obviously, I want it to go wherever Alien.mkv went.

 

Can anyone help? Thanks for all the help so far!

From what I've read, this means I want split level 2, right? Movies is 1, moviename is 2, moviename.mkv is 3. Please correct me if I've got that wrong.

 

For this example you want split level 1. I have my server arranged the same way and that is what I use.

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=UnRAID_Manual#Split_level

 

(Problem in the wiki index, look above the link)