OS flash drive comprimised, need help with next steps

[Art4security]

Unraid server I built a number of years ago has been absolutely rock solid. I created a backup of the flash drive on the array just in case, but this was before the days of Unraid Connect.. wish I had stayed on the ball and gotten that worked out, will do this time if I can get it back but... 

 

Long story short, UPS attached to the server failed and after replacing it my flash drive is unreadable.

 

I was running a very old version of Unraid (6.9.2 latest I can confirm), and I'm needing some help getting my license ported to a new drive and hopefully pulling the backup from the array (hoping it's there somehow, otherwise I will have to go off ancient screenshots to try to recreate the array)..

 

I know I put myself and my parents in this spot, and I will do what research I can this week to try and make sure I do better next time, but anybody who can help me with next steps before I bite the bullet and pay for one-on-one time, I'd really appreciate it.

[Vr2Io]

You can install Unraid to new USB stick and running in trial. This only aim to get the backup from array. The problem is you don't know the backup locate at which disk. To simplify, install UD to mount disk and found it.

 

After that, restore to same USB and confirm the licence migrate to this stick, and then perform parity check/sync to ensure array consistent.

[deadnote]

Have a look here : https://docs.unraid.net/unraid-os/manual/changing-the-flash-device/

[Art4security]

Thank you both! This gives me some solid next steps to try and take care of the issue, and with any luck we will be back up and running later tonight. I will report back when I have gotten it live again. Thank you so much for your help!

[Art4security]

Ok, so update:

I got a new key flashed with the newest version of Unraid and I have a zip of 6.9.2 sitting in the wings. I've gotten the machine booted, and I've installed UD and mounted the drives but I still can't see them when I look at the server from my laptop.. 

 

I unfortunately do not know the proper order of drives in the array and I don't want to try starting the array since I feel like I will lose data possibly..

 

I think I know which drives were my parity drives (99% sure), so if I start the array with "parity is already valid" checked will it be able to tell me if I have the order of the other drives correct? I am reasonably sure I have most of the 7 drives in the right location, just 2 that are a total coin toss.. I think..

 

Man, this is turning into a bigger head scratcher than I thought and I am beginning to get worried that I REALLY blundered not having better backups.

 

Any further help would be amazing folks.

[Vr2Io]

42 minutes ago, Art4security said:

I've gotten the machine booted, and I've installed UD and mounted the drives but I still can't see them

Only parity disk can't mount, all data disk will mountable and you can check the content in GUI. Once you find the backup image, then download it to your laptop and perform restore.

 

As mention, you don't need assign disk to array and also shouldn't do that. This used to ensure don't make mistakes and also not necessary.

Edited August 23 by Vr2Io

[Art4security]

Thank you Vr2lo, ive mounted all disks (besides parity) and the backups show across all the drives. Once mounted, I don't know how to go about copying the /config folder over to the flash. I was hoping I could view the mounted drives via my laptop but no dice so far...

 

Am I overthinking this?

[Vr2Io]

First, I have assume the backup was a single image file, but according your descriptions it likely was a branch directory and file backup of the USB, does it correct ?

 

 If that, you need assign all disk to array to get whole directory and file from different disk. Don't assign any disk to parity.

Edited August 23 by Vr2Io

[Art4security]

ah, so I should keep the parity drives separated out and assign all the disks to the array and start the array unprotected so I can mount a share and get the config folder?

 

That sounds doable!

[Vr2Io]

Just now, Art4security said:

ah, so I should keep the parity drives separated out and assign all the disks to the array and start the array unprotected so I can mount a share and get the config folder?

 

That sounds doable!

Yes

[Art4security]

Vr2lo you are the man!

 

I assigned all the drives in random order, kept the parity drives unassigned and everything just booted, including my VMs!! I can't believe it actually works without restoring backups or anything!

 

So now the question is, (after I've created a backup of the array files), how do I log about adding in the parity drives (I guess as new drives?) so I can get the array protected?

[Vr2Io]

The backup already have original disk assignment and all config.

 

So, restore it to new USB and bootup should got all back, unless the backup is outdated or mismatch original config.

[Art4security]

Thank you sir! I am copying the backup folder now and will try restoring the config file portion to the USB tonight. 

 

You've been extremely helpful. Thank you!

[Art4security]

So another wrinkle.. I really failed. I failed to save the most recent flash backup to the array... it is lost. 

 

SO.. I have no way to rebuild the array exactly as it was.. that said, the array can be booted and it works without parity disks, so can I just rebuild the parity around the current config and crate a new backup from that? Will I lose anything? Seems like it should work but I'm worried the first time the mover is invoked it is going to completely bork the machine because disks are now in a different order.. is that silly?

Edited August 23 by Art4security
typo

[Vr2Io]

14 minutes ago, Art4security said:

I just rebuild the parity around the current config and crate a new backup

Sure you can rebuild the parity, just ensure all data disk found and correctly assign to be data disk, no file lost. Then assign remain disk be parity and it will rebuild parity on that disk.

 

For VM ( if Windows VM, you can boot orignal image, but it will lost licence ) and other setting / config, you need re do all.

Edited August 23 by Vr2Io

[Vr2Io]

12 minutes ago, Art4security said:

but I'm worried the first time the mover is invoke

You have pool ? If no pool then no mover would invoke.

[JonathanM]

If you have docker containers, the customized templates are stored on the flash drive, so those will need to be redone. Many times they will run with their last config, but they won't update or edit properly.

[Art4security]

Thank you both. I have to say I was incredibly surprised when I picked a somewhat random order for the disks and everything booted up without a hitch, especially on the newest OS version. 

 

I will go about parity rebuild tomorrow night. I do have a cache pool, and that is where the VMs reside. The cache is set to be moved to the array.. which is the main thing that worries me about invoking the mover.. I don't know if it will get moved to a different location, or will somehow scramble the array. Is that silly? I would have thought that the cache is periodically clearing itself and that boot up of the VMs would rely on the array in some way, but now I'm not so sure. I'm wondering if the VMs are ever really moved from the cache pool, or if they are statically linked to them making the move to array un-necessary/useless. I also have some data set to move to only certain disks. I'd be happy to do away with this and not segment the array at all, if it made any difference. Something told me that segmenting sections of the array would be better health wise for it, but I'm now wondering if it would be healthier overall to just let the mover utilize the entire array randomly.

 

So far, I'm surprised to see that I haven't had anything that appeared to be missing at all data or functionality wise from the array. All data structures appear intact and retrievable. Some data migration operations invoked from the VMs seem to be a little slow but I could be imagining that. Since yesterday, I have been incrementally backing up manually to an external disk data that is crucial to operations. 

 

I don't mind buying new Windows licenses or redoing the dockers, I was only running a couple dockers and they likely needed major updates anyway. The box was truly built to be a only a file storage solution that could be accessed by two work stations simultaneously as VMs onboard. It has worked so well for the last five years I've grown farther and farther from needing to support it. It's last uptime check and disk swap (done back in January of this year) was I think after 3 yrs of solid use. During that swap I failed to backup after everything was running. I meant to after a period of stability, but let it go much too long and well... total blunder.

[JonathanM]

24 minutes ago, Art4security said:

The cache is set to be moved to the array..

That's not really a thing, each share has it's own settings that determine what the mover will or won't do.

 

Go to the shares tab, and look at the storage column for each share in question. Also click on "calculate", it will show you where the share exists currently.

[Art4security]

Had a look at shares, it's definitely changed a bit since last I looked at it 😅.

 

I see that there appear to be warnings next to all the shares that deal with the array and not just the cache, hoping this has to do with no parity being in place.. I'm also going to upload a copy of most recent diagnostics here now if anyone cares to have a look for gotchas that could cause issue with parity sync. 

 

I think I'm ok but.. still feeling a little worried about starting a new parity sync.

corridantower-diagnostics-20240824-1404.zip