I want to setup a test array to see how stable this release is, and how it will work with my equipment (Esxi w. a BR10i passed through to the UnRaid machine).

 

My questions are:

 

1. License - I have two right now, and only have the Key file for 1 of them. My test array will need the Pro License. I have two USB keys. One that the key is tied to and one that I don't have the key for yet. The production array has the key that I have the pro License for. I'm thinking just make a back up of this, use the other (keyless) one as my "new" production array's flash, and use the one with a key to get 5.0-rc on. Is this logical?

 

2. pre-clearing - so I want to pre-clear these disks. since they are fresh, brand new, I do this before assigning to the array right? Are the instructions the same as they were on 4.7?

 

3. plug-ins - is the simple features plug-in OK to use for this testing? I remember when I went to 4.7, I had setup email notifications so that as each round finished, i'd get a nice report.. How can i do that with 5.0? I haven't found the instructions..

 

4. Once i'm satisfied with testing, and am ready to go prod with this, can I just click that dreaded button that we are told not to click (to reinitialize the array)?

 

Please advise. .. I purchased my Pro keys with friend a year go, waiting on 5.0... now that it's so close to being release, i'm getting very anxious. Unfortunately we lost him to freenas or one of the other flavors. Not sure what I am going to do with the spare key.

 

 

I want to setup a test array to see how stable this release is, and how it will work with my equipment (Esxi w. a BR10i passed through to the UnRaid machine).

 

My questions are:

 

1. License - I have two right now, and only have the Key file for 1 of them. My test array will need the Pro License. I have two USB keys. One that the key is tied to and one that I don't have the key for yet. The production array has the key that I have the pro License for. I'm thinking just make a back up of this, use the other (keyless) one as my "new" production array's flash, and use the one with a key to get 5.0-rc on. Is this logical?

 

2. pre-clearing - so I want to pre-clear these disks. since they are fresh, brand new, I do this before assigning to the array right? Are the instructions the same as they were on 4.7?

 

3. plug-ins - is the simple features plug-in OK to use for this testing? I remember when I went to 4.7, I had setup email notifications so that as each round finished, i'd get a nice report.. How can i do that with 5.0? I haven't found the instructions..

 

4. Once i'm satisfied with testing, and am ready to go prod with this, can I just click that dreaded button that we are told not to click (to reinitialize the array)?

 

Please advise. .. I purchased my Pro keys with friend a year go, waiting on 5.0... now that it's so close to being release, i'm getting very anxious. Unfortunately we lost him to freenas or one of the other flavors. Not sure what I am going to do with the spare key.

 

1)  Your key is going to be tied to the original USB thumbdrive that you registered with it.  So unless you are migrating the drives over, test with the free version on your new rig.  If you have two keys like you mention toward the end of your post, use one in each rig.

 

2)  Pre-Clearing I believe is the same, just make sure you get the newest version of the script if you are using 3TB drives.

 

 

1)  Your key is going to be tied to the original USB thumbdrive that you registered with it.  So unless you are migrating the drives over, test with the free version on your new rig.  If you have two keys like you mention toward the end of your post, use one in each rig.

 

2)  Pre-Clearing I believe is the same, just make sure you get the newest version of the script if you are using 3TB drives.

 

Thanks  - My test drives are smaller, so that's why I wanted to use the original key. The production rig only has 3 drives. The test one has 4 now, and eventually will have the 3 from the production one as well. I'm planning on moving data instead of going through the upgrade path ... it's a little convoluted, and even though I do have decent backups, I am still paranoid, and would, at the end of it all have two arrays with identical data and capacity - just in case.

 

no 3TB for me not yet anyhow.  i'm guessing simple features is the best way to get the emailing part of pre-clear working right? I think i used unmenu with 4.7.

 

 

1)  Your key is going to be tied to the original USB thumbdrive that you registered with it.  So unless you are migrating the drives over, test with the free version on your new rig.  If you have two keys like you mention toward the end of your post, use one in each rig.

 

2)  Pre-Clearing I believe is the same, just make sure you get the newest version of the script if you are using 3TB drives.

 

Thanks  - My test drives are smaller, so that's why I wanted to use the original key. The production rig only has 3 drives. The test one has 4 now, and eventually will have the 3 from the production one as well. I'm planning on moving data instead of going through the upgrade path ... it's a little convoluted, and even though I do have decent backups, I am still paranoid, and would, at the end of it all have two arrays with identical data and capacity - just in case.

 

no 3TB for me not yet anyhow.  i'm guessing simple features is the best way to get the emailing part of pre-clear working right? I think i used unmenu with 4.7.

 

Personally, I telnet into my unraid tower, run screen <in case I get disconnected it keeps running>, run a preclear_disk.sh -l <which lists the drives NOT used by unraid>, and then type preclear_disk.sh /dev/sd#  with whatever the drive letter is. 

 

I typically always have a telnet session open from my VM.  I can then login to my VM from work and keep an eye on it.

 

-Marcus

[quote author=MSattler link=topic=25901.msg225836#msg225836

Personally, I telnet into my unraid tower, run screen <in case I get disconnected it keeps running>, run a preclear_disk.sh -l <which lists the drives NOT used by unraid>, and then type preclear_disk.sh /dev/sd#  with whatever the drive letter is. 

 

I typically always have a telnet session open from my VM.  I can then login to my VM from work and keep an eye on it.

 

-Marcus

 

hmm i can do that also... but like the idea of having the reports so I can glance at them while standing around waiting for transport etc. maybe i should jsut have pre-clear write results to a file, i thought i saw that option somewhere.

I wanna say by default it writes it in the file system in a certain folder.

 

 

Completion reports are written to the flash.