Been reading for the last 2 days trying to educate myself on this process. I essentially have just a NAS box that has been working for the last 2 years. NAS for data and zotac box for the heavy lifting to TV/XBMC (or now KODI)

 

UNRAID V4.7

(6) 2TD drives (5 data/1 parity)

Parity check ok as of 3 days ago.

 

I believe these are "shares"? When I look at windows explorer I see disk 1-5 and then these folders below (disks are physical disks folders are "shares" if my understanding is correct.)

BLU RAY

MOVIES

TV SHOWS

KIDS

 

Reason for upgrade:

1) Better interface (if it doesn't have a checkbox or button...it is usually beyond my tech level)

2) Automate/control tasks like "powerdown" and "automatic parity checks" (read #1)

 

Here is my understanding/idea:

1) Maybe run SMART reports on drives? or is that not needed? (I have to figure out how to do it first...Also don't remember last time it was done.)

2) Already verified that I have 64 bit processor

3) According to guide this must be a "clean install"

4) Make notes of Flash Drive data

5) Make notes of HD serial numbers and locations

6) Make notes of add-ons (I don't have any that I am aware of)

7) Upgrade to v6, by formatting  flash and preparing it with v6, booting it

 

I got confused where I read "All of your data will be safe, and you will probably not have to redo your parity drive either. But you WILL have to reassign your drives, and re-enter all or most of your system settings, users and passwords."

 

I heard "ALL YOUR DATA WILL BE SAFE" but then didn't understand or got scared reading that entire guide in multiple areas about "ASSIGNING" drives and how you can mess that up! Also not sure what is meant about "system settings, users and passwords". I don't have any "users or passwords" other than just the default Tower: root (password blank). What is an example of "system settings"?

 

I did read about file system ReiserFS, XFS, or BTRFS. I guess I have ReiserFS with version 4.7? How do I find out which file system and I don't need to change them with version 6, correct?

 

I did my due diligence in reading guide but feel it is best to ask stupid questions now BEFORE I mess anything up instead of after when it is harder or impossible.

 

Thank you

Quick notes for you:

 

First, make a note of the serial number of your Parity Drive.  That is VERY important as you must assign that drive as the parity drive BEFORE you start the array in version 6!!!! 

 

Second, copy the contents of your flash drive to a folder on another computer.  This would allow you to restore to the the old version. 

 

Third, be sure that you have a copy of your license file in a safe place BEFORE you wipe the Flash Drive!

 

I would not think you should have to run another parity check if you are planning on upgrading with the next day or two.

 

The more notes that you have on your present configuration, the more comfortable you will be when you are actually doing the upgrade.  SO write or print-screen each screen of your present GUI.  You want to be sure that you know what your server is named and whether you have assigned an IP 'fixed' address or are allowing your router to assign one. IF you have a fixed address be sure that you know what it is!!!!

 

Fourth, before copying the ver 6.x.x files to your Flash Drive, you should reformat the Flash Drive.  You will then have to make the drive 'bootable'.  For Windows XP, click on the file 'make_bootable' on the Flash Drive. A DOS window will open and run the 'syslinux' utility on the Flash. For Windows Vista or Windows 7, right-click on the file 'make_bootable' and select 'Run as administrator'. The 'syslinux' utility will write the Master Boot Record and create a small hidden file named 'ldlinux.sys' on the Flash device, making it bootable.

 

Make sure that current unRAID .key file is in the config folder on the flash device. (Version 6 requires that the .key file be in the config folder! )

 

You can now install install the Flash Drive and boot the server.  It will default to a server name of 'Tower'.  You should be able to find the server in your browser and the new GUI will be displayed.  Now on the 'Settings' page, set up the Server name under 'Identification'.  Under 'Network Settings', make any necessary changes there.  Note that there is a 'Help' button on the GUI page to assist you. 

 

On the 'Main' page of the GUI, you will have to assign your drives.  This is the point where you MUST assign the SAME parity drive from your 4.7 setup as the parity drive in the 6.0 setup!!!!

 

You can now start the array on the 'Array Operations' tab.

 

The order of the data drives is not really that important unless you were restricting certain shares to certain drives.  Your shares will be detected automatically.  (Few people seem to be using 'disk shares' to access from the outside world.  Should you be one of those few, it would be important to you to properly assign each physical disk to the proper disk number using the serial numbers of the drives as a reference.)

 

Since you are coming from 4.7, you will have to run the 'New Permissions' utility on the 'Tools' page. 

 

Your array should now be operational.  However, you should now go through all of the tabs on the 'Settings' page to both familiarize yourself with what is there and to adjust things so that they are working the way you expect them to.  (Remember that the built-in 'Help' is your best friend while doing this!)

 

At this point, you should be to the point where this thread will help you:

 

    http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=39032.0

 

At the end of the first post is a link to the WIKI if you have not already located it.

 

 

 

...

Reason for upgrade:

1) Better interface (if it doesn't have a checkbox or button...it is usually beyond my tech level)

2) Automate/control tasks like "powerdown" and "automatic parity checks" (read #1)

...

I did my due diligence in reading guide but feel it is best to ask stupid questions now BEFORE I mess anything up instead of after when it is harder or impossible.

Most important reason to upgrade: People will have a hard time helping you with any problems if you are running a version they haven't seen for years (if ever).

 

Continue to ask questions if you are unsure of anything.

I got confused where I read "All of your data will be safe, and you will probably not have to redo your parity drive either. But you WILL have to reassign your drives, and re-enter all or most of your system settings, users and passwords."

Having just done 5 > 6 I followed the "Restore saved configuration files" section and copied across the .cfg and config/shares, etc. stuff - and it all worked with no reassignment necessary. I think this also is supposed to work for 4.7?

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrading_to_UnRAID_v6#Install_the_unRAID_upgrade

I got confused where I read "All of your data will be safe, and you will probably not have to redo your parity drive either. But you WILL have to reassign your drives, and re-enter all or most of your system settings, users and passwords."

Having just done 5 > 6 I followed the "Restore saved configuration files" section and copied across the .cfg and config/shares, etc. stuff - and it all worked with no reassignment necessary. I think this also is supposed to work for 4.7?

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Upgrading_to_UnRAID_v6#Install_the_unRAID_upgrade

 

I never ran any version before one of the early beta 5.0 versions which was current when I first discovered unRAID.  I did have a glance at the WIKI's (that I located) for updating from version 4.7 and the links are below:

 

      http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php/Migrating_from_unRAID_4.7_to_unRAID_5.0

and

      http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=UnRAID_Server_Version_5.0-beta_Release_Notes

 

You could try to install your version 4.7 copies of  ident.cfg, network.cfg, share.cfg, into the /config folder, and any .cfg files in the config/share folder.  If it does not work properly, overwrite those files with the ver 6 versions of those files into those two folders from the downloaded zip file. 

 

As I said earlier, the most important thing to be absolutely certain of the serial number of the disk that you are using for the parity disk in version 4.7 and be absolutely certain that that disk is assigned as the parity disk in version 6 BEFORE you start the array.  If you do that right, everything else is a matter of configuration.

Thank you to everyone...Glad I asked these questions.

 

New questions:

1) File system....how to check what I have and since I am not having problems I can leave it alone, Yes?

2) Name of server...What if I wanted to title it "Death Star" instead of "Tower" hee hee...how and where do I do this (does the space cause a problem)?

3) Should I get server up and running and THEN try #2 above?

4) SMART reports. How often do they check (I just had "default" settings from Lime Tech)?

5) Do I need to do or check SMART before I upgrade to 6+ (meaning is it similar to parity check, to do one and THEN make changes)? Or are SMART reports not needed?

 

Thank you all for the help

Thank you to everyone...Glad I asked these questions.

 

New questions:

1) File system....how to check what I have and since I am not having problems I can leave it alone, Yes?

2) Name of server...What if I wanted to title it "Death Star" instead of "Tower" hee hee...how and where do I do this (does the space cause a problem)?

3) Should I get server up and running and THEN try #2 above?

4) SMART reports. How often do they check (I just had "default" settings from Lime Tech)?

5) Do I need to do or check SMART before I upgrade to 6+ (meaning is it similar to parity check, to do one and THEN make changes)? Or are SMART reports not needed?

 

Thank you all for the help

 

#1 It will be reiserfs.  Leave it alone.  To change it, you would have to copy all of the data off the drive and then remove the drive from the array, then add it back into the array, format it and copy the data back.  (Changing the format destroys all of the data on the drive!)  Any new drives that you add will be formatted as XFS (unless you change the default.)

 

#2  I would change it after you get into the GUI on ver 6.  From the Help on 'Server Name'.  "Windows networking refers to this as the netBIOS name and must be 15 characters or less in length. Use only alphanumeric characters (that is, "A-Z", "a-z", and "0-9"), dashes ("-"), and dots ("."); and, the first character must be alphanumeric."  I would not use a blank.  I would think an underscore would work...  (Personally, I would use 'DeathStar' and avoid any possible problems with other devices on your network that you might want to have connect to your server.  I am an old windows networking person and I have seen just a few too many problems with 'cute' names!  You should know that Windows (and SMB) error messages are very, very cryptic at best and when you get one almost impossible to find a solution to the real problem.  But it is your choice...)

 

#3  Yes

 

#4 You will find that Smart Tests are actually a part of the GUI.  You can easily check the attributes for every drive as well as running the long and short tests if you need to.

 

#5    If you ran a parity check without errors recently, I (personally) would not bother.  Remember, version 6 updating process is not going to change anything on the drives until you actually run the 'New Permissions' script.  The only gotcha could be if your parity drive happens to have HPA partition on it.  (I believe earlier of versions of unRAID did not actually check to verify that the parity drive was the largest drive in the array!) 

Thank you Frank1940 and others for answering questions.

 

Got a new one.

 

I reference your mention of not having "cute names" for computers but I didn't listen...well sort of.

 

Did upgrade 4.7 to 6.XXX (5 days ago) and verified that all computers can see/talk to each other, verified that I can watch movies, tv, etc. Then decided to get cute and just change name of "Tower" to "DeathStar" (No spaces). Hit "apply" then "Done" did a clean shutdown and reboot of all machines, viola! All machines can see/talk to each other.

 

BUT...the zotac box (win 7) used to run KODI that can see server (windows networking) can't see the server within KODI (meaning can't watch movies or tv shows). Obviously this sounds like a KODI issue unless I missed something very minor? I also have NOT changed names back to original setting. Doing that I still may have the same problem?

 

Any ideas?

 

Thank you Unraid team for assisting a noob through the Unraid upgrade progress, it REALLY helped! If I get this figured out next obstacle is to try out dockers to simplify sickbeard/sab. Baby steps...

 

 

BUT...the zotac box (win 7) used to run KODI that can see server (windows networking) can't see the server within KODI (meaning can't watch movies or tv shows). Obviously this sounds like a KODI issue unless I missed something very minor? I also have NOT changed names back to original setting. Doing that I still may have the same problem?

 

 

I am not really sure you have stated the problem clearly or If I have just a bit obtuse at this point.  I assume that you are running KODI (Which I have never used) on a zotac box that is using win 7 as the OS. 

 

Are you saying that you can see the unRAID server from this box when you are using Windows Explorer?

 

But that KODI can't find the unrAID server named 'DeathStar'?

 

If the answer is 'yes' to the first and 'yes' to the second, I would suspect a problem in the KODI setup. 

 

If the answer to either (or both) is 'no', you probably have a entered Windows networking hell! Post back if that is where you are and I will attempt to give you some hints on how to 'fix' the problem.  (More like witchcraft then science...) 

 

One quick thing is to be sure that you have setup that you unRAID server can become the Local Master.  (Go to 'Settings', 'SMB', 'Workgroup Setting' and turn on "Local master browser:". )  You really want your server to end up being the Local Master as it can overcome a lot of SMB issues!  It takes, at least, a half hour for the election process to filter through most Windows networks so patience is necessary.

Here is a link to system/GUI plugins which were developed by the GUI designer:

 

      http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=36543.0

 

I would suggest the 'Local Master' as one which everyone who uses SMB should install !

 

The 'System Buttons' ones is another one which is really very useful! 

Thank you Frank.

 

I don't think I am in "windows networking hell" because I verified I could see all files for any and ALL computers! I have no idea what "Local Master" under SMB settings means but I did check that the UNRAID server is set as "Local Master" and it was set that way before this problem happened (set up day one of upgrade).

 

KODI is new name of XBMC (Xbox Media Center).

 

Windows networking works...I believe problem lies with KODI (aka XBMC). I have NOT tried to go back to old names because with my luck it will WORK and just piss me off even more!

 

Also just to clarify...OLD SETUP:

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

DeathStar PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

Tower PC (Unraid server)

 

NEW SETUP (or what I would like to work)

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

RebelBase PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

DeathStar PC (Unraid server)

 

Looked at post you gave me about plugins...According to the general theory isn't the direction of UNRAID supposed to use dockers moving forward?

 

 

Looked at post you gave me about plugins...According to the general theory isn't the direction of UNRAID supposed to use dockers moving forward?

Not everything is suited towards Docker.  Alot of things (generally system / UI enhancements) only make sense as a plugin.

 

Also just to clarify...OLD SETUP:

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

DeathStar PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

Tower PC (Unraid server)

 

NEW SETUP (or what I would like to work)

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

RebelBase PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

DeathStar PC (Unraid server)

 

 

My (wild A$$) guest at this point would have to do with the fact that the PC that you used to run KODI was named 'DeathStar' in the 'old setup' and you have named the server in the 'new setup' as DeathStar.  I would bet that somewhere in the configuration files of KODI is the name 'DeathStar' and its is confusing KODI which is causing a silent error.  I seem to recall that KODI has a 'catalog' file of the things that it can play.  If it looking for that file in the wrong place and finding an empty file...

Also just to clarify...OLD SETUP:

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

DeathStar PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

Tower PC (Unraid server)

 

NEW SETUP (or what I would like to work)

Millennium PC (windows 7)

Alderaan PC (windows 7)

RebelBase PC (windows 7 zotac box strapped on back of TV since it is a tiny box)

DeathStar PC (Unraid server)

Try changing the space before PC to an underscore character for all your boxes. That will accomplish 2 things, one, it will eliminate the naming collision that Frank referenced, and it will eliminate the other possible issues that can come up when you have spaces in network names. While most times a space is not an issue, some times it can cause strangeness that is very hard to diagnose.