Hi Everyone,

 

After suffering a total loss of my cache pool hosting docker, VMs, etc, thru a combination of back luck and bad choices in a moment of desperation, i'm thinking of rebuild my UNRAID from scratch, with everything set up fresh, thus eliminating any lingering issues/bad configs/etc lurking in the background.

 

My specific question is the following, i have about 40TB of data, stored across 4x data disks and 1x parity drive, if i were to use a new USB to install a fresh UNRAID image, import my key to this new USB, can i then add my existing data disks to the new UNRAID install, while keeping my data instact and being able to access it normaly ?

 

What i was thinking of doing is:

1. create new UNRAID USB stick

2. set up as trial version (initially)

3. add my 4x data disks to the new UNRAID install as data disks (with no parity drive)

4. start the array (and check that all my data is still there)

5. stop array

6. add parity drive to array 

7. start array and let it build parity

8. start installing new docker, VM images and start configuring everything 

 

As you might have realised, my uncertainty is regarding adding my existing data disks to this new UNRAID install, without UNRAID formating the drives.

 

If this plan is totally wrong and its not possible that way, and i would end up loosing all my data, please let me know!

 

But if there is a way of "transplanting" my existing data disks to a new UNRAID Install, please let me know, because the only other way i could think of is adding a new data disks to the new UNRAID install and then copying over the data from my "old" UNRAID data disks.

 

Thank you very much in advance for any advice on this, and if my noobness on this topic is annoying, please excuse that as well!

this can not be done easily, was a pain when I tried something similar. While technology possible, its recommended to use the unraid webui to set and control disks.

As the unraid flash drive disk cfg contains extra side data that maps what drive is xyz. it would be better to use new config saving the disk array assignment.


Found in /boot/config
Example files you would have to maintain...
disk.cfg super.dat
and the pool folder depending on aray and disk setup....


I would direct more towards the Unraid webUI tools new config:


as if you made a unraid flash drive backup the data on disk assignment is saved in the config folder and data is not lost. Since your doing an overhaul to the disk arrangement it will be hard to maintain the disk data. A more experienced Unraid /Forum user may be better able to assist you here.
 

do you have a unraid backup what so ever to copy the config folder over?

if not unraid should see the fomated disk but you will need to mimick the same disk aray and setup. If ZFS you will need to install the zfs mater plugin and import. If disk array assign teh disk arcoding to your previous disk 1 and parity. Unassgned disk can be used to help mitgate and move between restup of the array.

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply @bmartino1, but after reading thru what you're saying it seems like one wrong move and i've lost my data and i don't trust my knowledge to make certain that doesn't happen. I will just rebuild the cache pool with new SSDs and start installing docker, VM, etc and configuring it back up. Then, i will consider doing a fresh UNRAID build at some point and then copying all the data over to the new build, thus guaranteeing no data loss.

 

Again, thnak you very much for taking the time to help!

Edited October 21, 20241 yr by sharrensen