July 20, 201411 yr FIRST: This was posted in "Virtual Machines - Xen" first, whoops. I have been happily running XenServer using grumpybutfun's excellent guide for months. But, I want to move to unraid native. The reasons are not technical, I just want to try the new version. I do hope to use what I have learned since I made the jump to XenServer, and figure out some new stuff too. I am running a ASRock Xtreme6 Z87 with a i5-4570 and 24GB of ram. In the current configuration I have a 128GB SSD that Xenserver sits on, a 1TB platter that my VM's live on, and then my array drives which are passed through to unraid running as a guest. I have four VM's, three ubuntu, and one Windows (without pass-through, only VNC). I run sickbeard/sabnzbd+ on one ubuntu (my PVR), openvpn and transmission on another, and plex on it's own. I have the system currently set up that I can SSH in to the PVR-VM and connect to the other VM's via tunnels and ssh to control things remotely if need be. I have purchased a new 250GB SSD to use as the cache/VM drive under unRaid 6. I want to set up one VM (or docker) for plex, sickbeard and sabnzbd, a Windows VM with a graphic card passed to it (which I have not bought yet), and maybe a SteamOS running a different graphic card at some point down the road. Might also want to set up a VM running pfsense (but will probably wait until 6 goes master first). I have a huge (80GB) plex database (lots of TV DVD rips) and I think it runs better, and puts less stress on the system when the database isn't on an array drive. My intention is to leave it running in a pristine VM with a 128GB allotted to it's vDisk for growth, instead of a docker setup. Mostly because I don't know anything about docker, and I know exactly how to make it work in a VM; it's my mission critical app—plex is why my wife puts up with me having a very expensive and time consuming hobby. I also want to do this with as little down time as necessary, and hopefully make everything run smoothly from the beginning. AND, maintain my XenServer setup as a fallback if everything tanks. So, I am going to post what I think I need to do, in the order I think I need to do it, and ask for advice. 1. I need to backup my plex database to an array disk, screenshot my unraid array drive setup, and mark drives and cables. 2. Install the new cache drive in the system, unplug the SSD and VM-drive used by XenServer (to maintain that setup as fallback), reboot with my second unRAID 6 flash drive with key installed. 3. Make sure that primary unraid services are functional: array drives work (parity will be trusted, but I have to look up how to do that), networking is functional, setup and install new cache drive in system as BTRFS. Reboot, make sure all still works. 4. create vDisk for the first new VM on the new cache drive; 5. create the Domain XML file; 6. create the VM, install TrustyTahr; test. (I have huge questions here about networking) 7. Assuming all works; install plex, copy database following their directions 8. repeat for VM2 and VM3 to replicate current setup (skipping docker entirely for now) 9. once current system is setup, then start futzing about with installing a new Windows VM with passthrough. Now, questions: 1. If I make the new cache drive btrfs, will I be able to add the old SSD to the "pool" once I have verified that the new setup works and I don't need to maintain the XenServer setup? 2. Is there a networking guide under unraid6/Xen? 3. Under unraid 6, I am assuming a VM connecting to the array would use SMB? But a docker app would connect natively? Pros/Cons? 4. Am I nuts for trying this when the current setup works pretty well? Okay. Thanks in advance for everything. I will be writing a step-by-step guide as I do this to make it easier for the next person too. All bits I can add from the collective genius that is the boards is appreciated.
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