OK. I have a pre-clear running on my new 1TB drive right now. This drive will be my parity drive.

 

Here is what I plan to do:

 

I plan to buy another 1TB drive and make it my backups drive so that I can consolidate two other drives (500 gb and 300 gb) onto this one drive.

 

Now I want to use the 300gb drive for pictures and the 500gb for music. So I plan to add all 3 data drives to the system and then copy the data off the other 2 drives onto the 1TB drive and then move the pictures and music to the appropriate drives.

 

My question is this... When I install the 3 data drives in the UNRAID system, should I do all of the tranferring of data with the array stopped or started? I would think I would do it with it stopped so that the data gets set before the array is started and parity is checked.

 

Can someone please guide me here. I want to make sure I do things correctly.

 

Thx

OK. I have a pre-clear running on my new 1TB drive right now. This drive will be my parity drive.

 

Here is what I plan to do:

 

I plan to buy another 1TB drive and make it my backups drive so that I can consolidate two other drives (500 gb and 300 gb) onto this one drive.

 

Now I want to use the 300gb drive for pictures and the 500gb for music. So I plan to add all 3 data drives to the system and then copy the data off the other 2 drives onto the 1TB drive and then move the pictures and music to the appropriate drives.

 

My question is this... When I install the 3 data drives in the UNRAID system, should I do all of the tranferring of data with the array stopped or started? I would think I would do it with it stopped so that the data gets set before the array is started and parity is checked.

 

Can someone please guide me here. I want to make sure I do things correctly.

 

Thx

You will not have access to the data drives when the array is stopped.  They are not mounted.    If you do not assign a "parity" drive, then parity will not be calculated, and a full parity calculation will occur once you do assign it.  Once assigned, it should be left assigned...

 

If a parity disk is assigned to the array, parity is computed as the files are loaded onto the data disks... There is no additional step to get parity protection.

 

What file-systems are on the three data drives?  (I understand you want to copy the data from them to your new larger disk, but what file-system type is currently on them?  Is it NTFS? or a linux type?)

 

Joe L.

It is NTFS on all drives.

 

So I should start the array with no parity and assign the parity after all of the copying is done? Maybe I should only add the new 1TB drive to the UNRAID system with no parity and start the array. Then connect to the drive from my different windows machines and copy the data to it. Then add the other drives once the copying is done. Copy the music and pictures to the 2 drives then assign parity and start the array. Thoughts?

It is NTFS on all drives.

 

So I should start the array with no parity and assign the parity after all of the copying is done?

If you are re-using the NTFS drives in the array, then I'd get parity assigned first... Otherwise the only copy of your data is the new drive. (and new drives are far more likely to fail than drives that have been in service for a while)

 

If you install the unMENU add-on, you will be able to mount the NTFS drives and share them on the LAN by just clicking a button or two.  Then you can use windows explorer to move the contents.  Not the fastest, but the easiest.

 

If you want to do it all on the linux command line, instructions in the wiki http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Copy_files_from_a_NTFS_drive

OK I do have unmenu running, which is great BTW

I am still learning.

 

I was planning to use Windows explorer to do all of the copying.

 

I will be re-using the current backup drives for the music and pictures.

 

Can you outline the steps I should take to get the new 1TB drive loaded with the data from 2 other drives. I want to do this correctly.

 

Thx

OK I do have unmenu running, which is great BTW

I am still learning.

 

I was planning to use Windows explorer to do all of the copying.

 

I will be re-using the current backup drives for the music and pictures.

 

Can you outline the steps I should take to get the new 1TB drive loaded with the data from 2 other drives. I want to do this correctly.

 

Thx

In unMENU you can use the "disk management" page to mount and then share an NTFS formatted partition with just a few button clicks.

 

I'd mount the NTFS drives, share them on the LAN, then use explorer to copy the files to the new unRAID disk.  (You must copy them, not move them, since the NTFS drives will be read-only)

 

Once they have their contents copied, un-share them, un-mount them, stop the array, assign the parity drive and re-start it to let it compute parity.  Only at that point is it ok to re-use the old NTFS disks (and erase their contents) since it is in your array and protected by parity.    From that point on, DO NOT use the "restore" button as it has nothing to do with restoring data, but an initial config before you calculated parity.  Pressing it immediately drops parity protection and the array will have to re-calculate it when you next start the array.  Pressing "restore" when you have a drive failure will cause you to lose the data on the failed drive.  Always press "Start" when replacing a failed drive, or upgrading a drive to a larger size.

 

Repeat after me... Always use "Start" unless specifically instructed by somebody who knows the effect of the "restore" button.    99% of the time, you will only need it if removing a drive from the array and not replacing it with another.  See the wiki about the evils about the "restore" button.

 

I'd strongly suggest you preclear the old disks before assigning them to your array.  It will save a lot of array down-time and let you know of any issues before you start using them in the array. (Windows does not tell you of SMART errors)  Be careful with the preclear_disk.sh script... It will erase whatever drive you tell it to, as long as the drive is not assigned in your array.  If you migrated the data on drive A and not on drive B, but then tell it to clear "B" it is gone...  You can shoot yourself in the foot... you have to try hard, but it is possible.

 

Joe L.

Thx Joe!

 

I am awaiting my new WD Green 1TB drive to arrive and then the fun begins

 

Hey Joe,

 

I'm a new unRaid user and will be copying files from existing NTFS drives too.

 

I intend to attach the NTFS drives to the unRaid server, mount them and copy the files into the unRaid drives as you have suggested. I am comfortable enough with Linux to do the copying on the server itself for greater speed but not so comfortable sorting the files. So I plan to do the copy at the server itself but sort the files/folders using Explorer on my Win PC.

 

I know if I use Windows explorer to copy files between disk shares in Unraid, it is the same as copying the file to my Win PC then back again to unRaid, thereby being limited by the network speed. But if I move files within the same disk share, i.e. same hdd, using Explorer, is that also the same as copying/moving between disk shares? Or will the move take place locally at the unRaid server?

 

Thanks.

 

A move on the same physical drive takes place at the server and takes no time. A move between drives will cause the file to travel back and forth over the network. So, it should be quick to move the data to the drive at the server and then sort the drive using windows explorer.

 

Peter

 

Thanks for the quick reply! That's exactly what I intend to do. Will copy the data on the server and sort using Explorer.

OK I do have unmenu running, which is great BTW

I am still learning.

 

I was planning to use Windows explorer to do all of the copying.

 

I will be re-using the current backup drives for the music and pictures.

 

Can you outline the steps I should take to get the new 1TB drive loaded with the data from 2 other drives. I want to do this correctly.

 

Thx

In unMENU you can use the "disk management" page to mount and then share an NTFS formatted partition with just a few button clicks.

 

I'd mount the NTFS drives, share them on the LAN, then use explorer to copy the files to the new unRAID disk.  (You must copy them, not move them, since the NTFS drives will be read-only)

 

Once they have their contents copied, un-share them, un-mount them, stop the array, assign the parity drive and re-start it to let it compute parity.  Only at that point is it ok to re-use the old NTFS disks (and erase their contents) since it is in your array and protected by parity.    From that point on, DO NOT use the "restore" button as it has nothing to do with restoring data, but an initial config before you calculated parity.  Pressing it immediately drops parity protection and the array will have to re-calculate it when you next start the array.  Pressing "restore" when you have a drive failure will cause you to lose the data on the failed drive.   Always press "Start" when replacing a failed drive, or upgrading a drive to a larger size.

 

Repeat after me... Always use "Start" unless specifically instructed by somebody who knows the effect of the "restore" button.    99% of the time, you will only need it if removing a drive from the array and not replacing it with another.   See the wiki about the evils about the "restore" button.

 

I'd strongly suggest you preclear the old disks before assigning them to your array.  It will save a lot of array down-time and let you know of any issues before you start using them in the array. (Windows does not tell you of SMART errors)  Be careful with the preclear_disk.sh script... It will erase whatever drive you tell it to, as long as the drive is not assigned in your array.   If you migrated the data on drive A and not on drive B, but then tell it to clear "B" it is gone...  You can shoot yourself in the foot... you have to try hard, but it is possible.

 

Joe L.

 

Joe,

 

I got all 3 drives into the UNRAID system but I do not see where to mount them in UnMenu in the disk management page. I only see options to spin up and down and some other smart options.

The unraid page shows the 2 drives with NTFS as unformatted. Is this normal? I know there is data on them.

 

Please help. I want to get them mounted so I can start transferring the files to the new 1TB drive in the array.

 

Thx

You did not assign the drives like you assigned the parity and the data drive, correct?

 

I understand you have setup a 1T parity and 1T data drive. Those should be assigned and the array started.

 

Now, I think you go to the Disk MGNT tab in unMENU and in there will be an place to pick the drive and mount it. Once it is mounted you can then share it.

 

I can't remember but it's possible you have to go to the Package Manager tab and download and install the NTFS package to get NTFS support.

 

It's been a while and I'm not in front of my server so hopefully someone can give more details.

 

Peter

 

OK my problem is that I assigned them all to the array and started it.

I did not assign a parity drive yet.

So now when I try to unassign the ntfs ones and mount them via unmenu its says my configuration is invalid and I do not get the option to start the array.

 

What can I do now?

 

OK i got the new 1TB mounted with no parity and I chose to mount the ntfs drives in unmenu. Once they were mounted I clicked on the Share button next to it but I do not see the shares on my network.

I must be missing something obvious.

 

OK i got the new 1TB mounted with no parity and I chose to mount the ntfs drives in unmenu. Once they were mounted I clicked on the Share button next to it but I do not see the shares on my network.

I must be missing something obvious.

 

It might just be you are using a newer version of unRAID, and it needs a newer version of an unMENU plugin as described here: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2595.msg30513#msg30513

 

Unzip to the same folder with your other unMENU files, then re-start unMENU. 

 

Joe L.

That was the problem Joe

Thx

OK my problem is that I assigned them all to the array and started it.

I did not assign a parity drive yet.

So now when I try to unassign the ntfs ones and mount them via unmenu its says my configuration is invalid and I do not get the option to start the array.

 

What can I do now?

 

 

This is one of those times that you do press the Restore button. You've probably already figured that out though. The Restore button is used to remove drives from the array.

 

Peter

 

Once they have their contents copied, un-share them, un-mount them, stop the array, assign the parity drive and re-start it to let it compute parity.  Only at that point is it ok to re-use the old NTFS disks (and erase their contents) since it is in your array and protected by parity.

...

 

One addition to Joe L.'s instructions.  BUILDING parity is not the same as CHECKING parity.  There have been quite a few new users that have built parity, thought it was correct, only to find out later that due to incompatibility, bad cabling, or other causes, that the parity was not correct.  So after you build parity, run a parity check.  Only then should you feel you have a protected array and start reusing the disks containing your source files.

Man is it ever slow copying files from a NTFS drive to a disk array drive.

 

Man is it ever slow copying files from a NTFS drive to a disk array drive.

 

If you used windows explorer to copy the files from one drive to the other, then the data is being copied from the NTFS drive in the unRAID server, to your PC, and then back to the protected drive in your unRAID server.  It will never be "fast" copying it across the network twice.

 

All that said, it is not super fast copying an entire disk, no matter how you do it, if the disk is of any size, even if the copy command is issued on the unRAID sever and the LAN is not involved. .  If you are able to write the parity protected disk at 10MB/s, you will copy 600 MB per minute, or 360Gig per hour.

All 3 drives are in the array. 2 of them with the data are NTFS.

 

I can get to the mounted NTFS using this path:

 

/mnt/disk/sdc1

 

I can get to the disk array disk1 drive using this path:

 

/mnt/disk1

 

What other way could I do it that would be faster?

All 3 drives are in the array. 2 of them with the data are NTFS.

 

I can get to the mounted NTFS using this path:

 

/mnt/disk/sdc1

 

What other way could I do it that would be faster?

You can copy using the linux command "cp" as described in the wiki http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Copy_files_from_a_NTFS_drive

 

For your mount point you would

 

cd /mnt/disk/sdc1

cp -r * /mnt/disk1

 

You will need to change directory off of the disk before it can be un-mounted once the copy is complete, to do so, just type

cd

Thx Joe.

I will give this a try for the next drive.

 

Worked much better. A lot faster.

 

OK I got all my data copied to the drives in the array.

Now I want to assign my parity drive and compute parity.

 

I have a problem tho. Even tho the parity drive is 1TB and one of the other drives is 1TB, Unraid is not letting me assign it because it says it is not the biggest drive. I have no idea why the 1TB drive is bigger than the other but this sucks.

 

Here is a screenshot of the issue. What can I do? I want to compute parity. Thx