I have an existing server that is running low on storage, is difficult to upgrade storage on, and is ageing out.  So I am building a new server that will newer hardware and be much easier to expand in the future.  The new server will get some new drives plus some of the drives from the old server and assume all the functions of the old server.  The old server will keep some of its drives and act solely as a data backup for the new server.  Note I have an old Synology DS411+ that acts as a backup now but will finally be decommissioned at end of this project and its drives will go into the old Unraid backup server.

 

Existing server:

• License: Legacy Unraid OS Pro Lifetime 6.12.14
  • Will acquire new Lifetime license as part of this project, but part of the question is whether it goes to this server or in the new server.
  • Don't plan to move to version 7 during this migration.
• Array (all spinners, xfs):
  • 2 x 18 TB (one is parity)
  • 2 x 12 TB
  • 2 x 10 TB
  • 2 X 8 TB
• Cache (all SATA SSD, btrfs):
  • 2 x 1 TB
  • 1 X 2 TB
• Unassigned devices:
  • 1 TB NVME
  • Plex app data and transcode lives here due to a performance issue with cache at one point in time that has since been resolved but never moved Plex back to cache.
  • Also have several VMs on here for performance.

New server:

• Array:
  • Will start with new 4 x 24 TB drives (precleared on a tertiary system, 1 will be parity)
  • Will move the 2 x 18 TB and 2 x 12 TB drives from the old server.
• Cache:
  • New 2 x 2 TB NVMEs (RAID1)
  • This will hold what is currently on the existing system cache plus unassigned NVME (ie, cache, appdata including Plex, and VMs)

 

Looking for advice/best practices as it pertains to the following:

• Should I start by just pulling all the drives (array/cache/unassigned/boot) to the new server?
  • Note I have plenty of room in the new server to do this.
  • Everything should come up as if it was the existing server, right?
  • Then I would use unbalance to clear out the 10 TB and 8 TB drives, remove them, and transfer back to old system.
  • Then I would add in the new 4 x 24TB drive making one of them the new parity.
  • Then I would transfer stuff from the SSDs and old NVME to the new NVME cache.
  • Finally I would rebuild the old server with the new Unraid license and the 10/8 TB drives plus the drives from the Synology.
• Or should I just use only the new drives into the new system using the new Unraid license?
  • I would need to transfer over the network (rsync probably) the array data (66 TB) from the existing server to the new server.
    • It wouldn't all fit but there is plenty of room on the Synology for the extra.
  • Then I would transfer the 18/12 TB drives from the old server to the new servers array.  Maybe run unbalance to evenly distribute the data in the array.
  • Then I would restore appdata from a backup (using Appdata Backup plugin).
  • Then I would transfer VM images from existing server to new server.
  • Finally I would rebuild the old server with the new Unraid license and the 10/8 TB drives plus the drives from the Synology.

 

Note that I have friends and family that I share my Plex server with, so I want to minimize downtime of Plex as much as possible but I also want to proceed in the safest, cleanest, and easiest fashion.

 

I think the first option is the way to go but I am curious what the Unraid community thinks.  While I know all these steps are well documented both in the documentation and in the forums, any extra details on how to best do the various steps would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Brentdog

Edited December 10, 20241 yr by brentdog

ICH777 recently made a plugin to sync data and maintain setting between 2 unraid systems.



rclone plugin is good here too to rsync data for the plex library.
When doing the move I recomend sftp and filezila 

Depends on how you want to handle new server disk setting and pool.

I would actual setup a zfs raidz2 (1 vdev) with the disk setup on unraid beta v7 RC1 ditch the arry and go zfs only. mby 1 disk as a btrfs cache disk...
 

I would recommend new disk drive to age and MTF and runtime to failure, that way the new server has a bit more longevity due to the age of the hardware. You can even set this up on a trial USB before going after a license (Trial stops at 6 disk...)

Edited December 10, 20241 yr by bmartino1

@bmartino1 Thanks for the responses.

That plugin looks interesting but doesn't show up for me in Apps.  Maybe because it is a beta.

 

I looked a little at zfs for the array but isn't something I really need.