New user w/questions re: formatting drives, preserving existing content.

[Guest]

I'm setting up a new array/server. I currently have six total HDDs -- three of these were from a previous Windows environment containing my media library. Is there a way for me to access and transfer the content from these drives from within unRAID before ultimately formatting them and adding them to the array?

 

Additionally, I have an SSD as a cache but forgot to format the device before adding it to the array. Is it possible (and if so, how?) for me to format the drive within unRAID and reallocate the drive as the cache device?

 

Thanks for any and all assistance!

[outsider]

Many ways to skin a cat, but I would suggest starting with creating a 3 disk array to begin with using the non windows disks.

Let the system format them (1 parity and 2 data) and then mount one of the windows disks to the system and copy data to the user share.

Once the first windows disk's data is copied off, add it to the array (and format it) and repeat the process with the second and third windows disk. (copy data off it, then add it to the array)

 

 

[Guest]

Great thanks! I'll give it a go.

[JonathanM]

Many ways to skin a cat, but I would suggest starting with creating a 3 disk array to begin with using the non windows disks.

Let the system format them (1 parity and 2 data) and then mount one of the windows disks to the system and copy data to the user share.

Once the first windows disk's data is copied off, add it to the array (and format it) and repeat the process with the second and third windows disk. (copy data off it, then add it to the array)

Adding a disk to an array with valid parity requires a clear (all zeros) disk. If you follow the procedure exactly as outlined, it will work, however the array will be down for many hours every time to add a disk while unraid clears it so it will not invalidate parity.

 

Because of this lengthy downtime, there is a utility that will preclear the disk without requiring the array be offline before you add it to the array, and also thoroughly tests it to make sure there are no bad spots that could compromise a disk rebuild if another disk fails. Since unraid requires every bit of every disk to be read perfectly to reconstruct a single failed disk, it's important that the disks be flawless.

 

I recommend researching the preclear plugin, and utilizing it to preclear the 3 blank disks before you assign them to the array, and preclearing the 3 windows disks after you are sure all the data has been successfully copied to the array drives. That way you can be sure that the disks are good before trusting them with your data. A drive that has worked flawlessly in windows can have bad spots that are never used, but when unraid tries to use them they will fail because it requires the entire drive to be good.

[trurl]

Also see the Unassigned Devices plugin for mounting your Windows drives outside the array for copying.

[Guest]

I figured I would use terminal to transfer all files locally, but I'm looking to basically copy from one of the drives previously used in Windows to the array. How do I go about transferring to a specific share? Or is that even possible? If not, and I transfer the files specifically to a disk, how do I then assign those files to a share?

[trurl]

I figured I would use terminal to transfer all files locally, but I'm looking to basically copy from one of the drives previously used in Windows to the array. How do I go about transferring to a specific share? Or is that even possible? If not, and I transfer the files specifically to a disk, how do I then assign those files to a share?

All possible.

 

Any user share you create will create top level folders named for the share on cache or array disks as needed according to the shares settings.

 

Conversely, any top level folder on cache or array disks is automatically a user share named for the folder. If you don't configure a share it will have default settings.

[Guest]

All possible.

 

Any user share you create will create top level folders named for the share on cache or array disks as needed according to the shares settings.

 

Conversely, any top level folder on cache or array disks is automatically a user share named for the folder. If you don't configure a share it will have default settings.

 

So if I understand correctly, then I could potentially enter the following terminal command? This would take all recursive directories within the MOVIES disk and copy them to disk1 under the top-level /Movies directory?

 

cp -r -v /mnt/disks/MOVIES /mnt/disk1/Movies

 

Edit: better yet, I see the directory for the Movies share (/mnt/user/Movies), so I guess the command should be:

 

cp -r -v /mnt/disks/MOVIES /mnt/user/Movies

[Guest]

Thanks trurl - managed to use the Unassigned Devices plugin to mount and copy all files overnight to the appropriate shares.

 

Also thanks jonathanm for the heads up about preclearing. I will definitely be getting that setup before adding these other 9TBs to the array.