oh ok so pretty much I don't need to bother with user shares at all at this point? I can just create folders as normal on one disk in windows?

Yes. You can enable user share when you have more disks; although, some don't use user shares.

If you turn on user shares and create a top level directory on any disk then that directory will appear as a share. If you are planning on expanding past 1 disk then you might want to start using user shares instead of disk1 for say your media players since you'd have to make that switch once you add a disk. For example, you might want to link to \\tower\Movies instead of \\tower\disk1 so you don't have to change the setup in the future.

 

Peter

 

well then everything else would be under Movies then wouldn't it?

Can you make more shares on one disk?

I'd want to have movies, music, pics, etc.

Yes. Each top level directory can be a user share.

I have a top level directory on each drive named Movies.Similarly for Concerts, and TV Shows. Movies, Concerts, TV Shows are all user shares. 

 

Using movies as an example, All reads are to \\tower\movies\xxxxxx. All writes are done to \\tower\diskN\movies\xxxxxxx where xxxxxxx is the name of a movie. All the files I want that pertain to a given movie are in the folder with the movie titles name.

 

As an example; in the folder \\tower\movies\avatar, which happens to be also addressable as \\tower\disk1\movies\avatar are the following files: Fanart.jpg (a 1920x1080 50% opacity picture from the movie used as a backdrop by the librarian); Cover.jpg ( a copy of the front cover for use by the librarian); movie.nfo (all info needed by the librarian and XBMC to display stuff e.g. actors, disk data, overview, release date; studios, etc.;  trailer.avi (a 3 minute trailer for the librarian to run if requested); Avatar.mkv (the actual movie); chapters.txt (an xml file that I use to advance to any desired chapter).

 

I did it this way to give me control over where things go.

I've just added a new disk, now I have 2 x 1.5TB data and 2TB parity

The 2nd disk was precleared and formatted, no issue

 

But when I go on explorer, I still see "only" disk1(\\tower) and 1,36TB capacity?

 

I thought I will see somewhere the whole new capacity (3.0TB)........ as a unique disk?

 

You need to stop the array, add the second disk, and start the array. Then disk2 should appear.

 

If you want to combine the capacity of both drives you need to configure a user share.

OK, with the first drive, I've created 3 user shares

TV Shows

Movies

Photos

 

I've started to transfer some files ( a lot actually)

 

What should I do now since I have 2 disks to see only "1 disk" as a big drive (2 x 1.5TB)?

Unless I'm wrong?

Stop the array.

Enable user shares (on the shares page).

Start the array.

 

You should then see the Movies, TV Shows and Photos when you browse to Tower.

 

Peter

Not sure to understand

With my first disk, I created the 3 user shares (TV shows, Movies and Pictures) and I mapped the drive and I could see on Explorer Disk1 (\\TOWER)(T:)

Everything works fine

 

Now I've added a second disk........................What should I do and see actually? Disk2?

 

I thought I should see 1 unique drive, with the same shares, but 2 times bigger....!!!!

Do you see disk2 on your network?

 

 

If you want to combine the capacity of both drives you need to configure a user share.

That' s weird

I could see under TOWER both disk 5 minutes ago

 

Now, I don't even see TOWER in my Netowrk places

 

In the WebGUI, under main, I can't see the temp fpr DIsk2, and the green dot next Disk 2 is blinking!!!

I don't know how to explain this any easier. Turn on user shares. You will see the user shares on the network.

You go to Tower on your network and you will see Movies and TV Shows and Pictures.  If you can not see Movies and TV Shows and Pictures on the network then you did not set up user shares.

 

The top directory on a disk becomes a user share ONLY IF you enable user shares. Otherwise, it's just a directory on that disk. This has all been explained in previous posts in this thread.

 

You will also see disk1 and disk2 on the network if you have the disk shares exported and not hidder. You do not see a bigger disk1. Disk1 and disk2 refer to each individual disk in the server, hence the ntework name disk1 and disk2 which perfectly match the interface when referring to the disk1 and disk2.

 

You can't map to disk1 and expect to see anything on disk2.

 

 

The blinky green dot means the disk is spun down. The interface does not display temps when the disk is spun down. It is perfectly normal.

 

You need to go to the interface and look at it. Then, go here and read the info.

 

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Un-Official_UnRAID_Manual

 

Peter

 

I don't understand: TOWER does not appear anymore in my network places...!!!

I still have disk 1 (\\TOWER)(T:) accessible, in where I can see and access the 3 shares (Movies, Photos and TV Shows

BUt on the other hand, on my tv with my WDTVLIVE, I can see TOWER with Disk1, Disk2, Flash, and the 3 shares...

 

So do  you know why TOWER is not in my Network anymore? What should I look for?

 

For the other questions, maybe I misunderstood: I don't have to map a drive (like disk1 or disk 2), but  just need to access my shares through Network (if I can see them)?

 

Thanks

 

OK, more informatin since this morning:

don’t ask me why but I TOWER is back in My Network place...Again, I really don’t know why it disappeared and came back (I’m running Win 7)

So now in My Network places, I can see Flash, Disk1, Disk2, TV Shows, Movies and Photos

 

When I started to build the server, I only had 1 disk

I created my 3 shares, with the split level suggested above in that thread, and subfolders from Explorer

 

I mapped disk1 (and now in Explorer I see  “Disk1 (\\Tower)(T:)”  because I thought it was the proper way

And I started to populate that disk with data

 

Now I have added another disk (Disk 2)

In my mind, I thought that Unraid will “simply” consider it as additional space for my current shares. And maybe this is what’s happening...

 

So now I wonder if I have to map that 2nd disk and thus see “Disk2 (\\Tower)(U:)”?

 

Because I’m thinking that I don’t need to map disk 1 and disk 2, I just need to map my user shares (TV Shows, Movies and Pictures)

Is that correct?

Actually, Flash, Disk 1 and Disk 2 could be “hidden”....Is that correct as well?

 

But since I created the user shares and folders and subfolders with only Disk 1, does that mean I have to modify something to be sure that new data will be written on Disk 2 as well ?

 

Hope I’m clear.....Sorry in advance for some stupid questions!!!!

 

You DO NOT access a user share by going to disk1. This is VERY important to understand - Data you access via a disk will appear in the user share, but data in a user share only appears on one disk. If your user share data is stored on disk2, you CAN NOT see the user share data stored on disk2 by accessing disk1. You also CAN NOT store data on disk2 by accessing disk1. Either I misunderstand your posts or you seem completely oblivious to this fact.

 

The user share is accessed when you go to Tower and click on Movies or Pictures, not by going to Tower and clicking on disk1. If you click on disk1 you are accessing the disk share. Each disk will only store some of the data in the user share when you are storing the content spread out over multiple disks. Say you have 5 disks storing movies for a total of 10T of movie storage. Accessing disk1 will only show the 2T of movies stored on disk1 and will NOT show the total 10T of movies.

 

I found W7 was somewhat iffy on finding my server for the first bit. Now, after using it a while it never has an issue finding it. I set my router to assign a fixed IP address to the server and that may help having it at the same address all the time.

 

We have no idea what your user share settings are. Therefore, how can we tell you if the user share will make use of disk2??

 

Peter

 

You DO NOT access a user share by going to disk1. This is VERY important to understand - Data you access via a disk will appear in the user share, but data in a user share only appears on one disk. If your user share data is stored on disk2, you CAN NOT see the user share data stored on disk2 by accessing disk1. You also CAN NOT store data on disk2 by accessing disk1. Either I misunderstand your posts or you seem completely oblivious to this fact.

 

The user share is accessed when you go to Tower and click on Movies or Pictures, not by going to Tower and clicking on disk1. If you click on disk1 you are accessing the disk share. Each disk will only store some of the data in the user share when you are storing the content spread out over multiple disks. Say you have 5 disks storing movies for a total of 10T of movie storage. Accessing disk1 will only show the 2T of movies stored on disk1 and will NOT show the total 10T of movies.

 

I found W7 was somewhat iffy on finding my server for the first bit. Now, after using it a while it never has an issue finding it. I set my router to assign a fixed IP address to the server and that may help having it at the same address all the time.

 

We have no idea what your user share settings are. Therefore, how can we tell you if the user share will make use of disk2??

 

Peter

 

 

Great post. As I had already figured that was how it worked your post cleared up a few things.

Anyways, I was wondering about french guys question on hiding disk 1, disk 2 etc. Seems like a good idea is that something you would suggest?

OK, I understand better now.....Thank you

I was probably confused after I've been using my DNS323 in JBOD for years, and I could map and use 2 disks as it was only 1

 

I guess I will hide Flash, Disk_1 and Disk_2, and I will map the user shares

 

I will look tonight at my user share settings and I will let you know. I will probably have more questions by the way

 

I will also probably assign a fix IP to my server (this is what I did to my DNS 323 NAS)

 

Thanks again

 

OK, here is more info

I have 3 user shares

MOVIES (High water, split level = 2)

TV SHOWS (High water, split level =1)

PHOTOS (high water, Split level =1)

 

Structure is as folow:

MOVIES

--BluRay

--DivX

--DVD

--Kids

 

TV SHOWS

--TV folders

-----Seasons

 

PHOTOS

--Years folder

 

Since I've added a 2nd disk, is there anything I should change?

 

Thanks

No, the settings look OK. The split level = 1 will keep each TV series and each year of pictures together on a single disk.

 

Peter

 

So does that mean the only data that will be written on Disk 2 is Movies, since user share Movies is split level 2?

Or does that mean a new TV Show folder can be created on Disk 2?

A new TV Series or a new year of photos will go on disk2.

 

Peter

 

A new TV Series or a new year of photos will go on disk2.

 

Peter

 

 

Files may not be written to disk2 immediately. File placement is based on disk utilization and allocation method (and split level). Files may be written to disk1 or disk2. Given your configuration, files will eventually be written to disk2, but don't be surprised if disk1 is used.

I'm transferring files to my server into Movies user share

I'll let you know what disk has be used