Super new here. Just ordered parts for my first build. I have a question but I am not sure which is the correct forum thread for it.

I have read that you can add drives with existing data to unRAID...

I have a two disk Synology NAS... I can't just pull those two disks out and plop them in my new server can I?

If the disks are reiserfs formatted with correct partitioning, then, yes you can add them as data disks. I'm guessing that does not apply to your current disks, so no, you can't add your Synology disks. If the synology disks are each separately in a format that a slackware linux install can mount, then it is possible you may be able to mount them as out of array disks in the unraid box, and copy the data internally to the unraid array disks.

 

It would probably be better to build the unraid box with new disks, preferably thoroughly tested in the unraid box using the preclear script written by Joe L. Then copy the data over the network, and compare the copied files with checksums before erasing the synology disks, and preclearing them for insertion into the unraid box.

 

That level of testing will take a considerable amount of time, but if you follow it through, you will have a high level of confidence that everything is working well, and your data is secure.

Even if they are reiserfs unRAID will not accept them as array disks. unRAID uses particular reiserfs format options. The disks are readable in other systems; but there is no chance that another system will format reiserfs that unRAID will accept. The disks can be mounted outside the array and the data copied to array disks.

Even if they are reiserfs unRAID will not accept them as array disks.

Good to know. I always assumed since they were readable with other boxes, it was possible to format them correctly in another OS so unraid would accept them. I guess unraid adds and maintains something in the preclear signature area to ID them as unraid formatted?