Backing Up MineOS Server Before Upgrade

[daword2011]

So I would consider myself to be "above average" when it comes to computer skills but need some assistance with my FreeNAS MineOS plugin. I originally started with a cheap FreeNAS box to see if I would actually use a home server. Long story short I am about to upgrade my server because I use it all the time. I am moving over to ECC RAM (I know I should have started with this) and a server board from what I have as well as expanding the storage. I currently have an Intel G3258 with 8Gb RAM on your typical desktop low-end MB and will be keeping the G3258 and moving to an AsRock E3C224 MB and 16Gb ECC RAM. Along with that, I will be adding 4 additional 2Tb drives the 6 existing drives I have in RaidZ2 and changing it to a RaidZ3 and 2 120 Gb SSD's mirrored for my jails.

I would like to move my jails to the mirrored SSD array. I know how to configure the jails to the array and I do not mind rebuilding my Plex and other jails. The only one I am concerned about is my MineOS server that is in my MineOS plugin jail. My friends and I have spent countless hours on that server and have done a lot of work in it. To my knowledge, there is no easy way to move jails since the system has so many connections to it that it will break if just "copied" over. I notice that the MineOS web UI has an archive feature but I am not sure where the data is archived and if I can manually copy that so that I can use it through the "import server" feature.

I have been trolling the forums for about 2 years and love my FreeNAS server. Just trying to wrap my head around how to backup this server so I can keep all of our hard work. Thanks guys, any and all assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jurgen Segaert]

All data related to MineOS is stored in jail directory /var/games/minecraft/ so if your jail root is configured as /mnt/tank/jails, then it should be in:
/mnt/tank/jails/mineos_1/var/games/minecraft/

There should/will be the following directories in there: archive, backup, import, profiles, servers. If you copy/backup that whole minecraft directory to somewhere outside of the jails, you can copy it back after you reinstalled the new MineOS jails.

As an alternative (and that's what I do) you can keep that folder living in your main data area, e.g. in its own dataset, and just mount it into /var/games/minecraft/ using the "storage" functionality in the jails-tab. That way you also have more options to backup your data using snapshots or to create a share to make it easier to add mods to certain servers.

 

[daword2011]

Thank

All data related to MineOS is stored in jail directory /var/games/minecraft/ so if your jail root is configured as /mnt/tank/jails, then it should be in:
/mnt/tank/jails/mineos_1/var/games/minecraft/

There should/will be the following directories in there: archive, backup, import, profiles, servers. If you copy/backup that whole minecraft directory to somewhere outside of the jails, you can copy it back after you reinstalled the new MineOS jails.

As an alternative (and that's what I do) you can keep that folder living in your main data area, e.g. in its own dataset, and just mount it into /var/games/minecraft/ using the "storage" functionality in the jails-tab. That way you also have more options to backup your data using snapshots or to create a share to make it easier to add mods to certain servers.

Thanks for the reply! I figured the data in the directory would be relevant I just thought I read somewhere that simply copying it to a new jail wouldn't work. I'll experiment with it a bit and set up another mineos jail and test what you recommended. I like the idea of having its own dataset and mounting it to the jail directory so you can easily access the file system using simple shares.

Also just so I'm not assuming, when you say to copy/backup the files in the minecraft directory you're talking going in through something like SFTP to grab the directory files themselves correct?

I'm also needing to upgrade the pool when I add new drives so it will be a big upgrade. Hoping FreeNAS 10 is out when I'm needing to do the upgrade :D

 

[Jurgen Segaert]

Yes, that MineOS data directory can be copied freely; the rest of the jail cannot. :p
You can use SFTP or WinSCP or alike and copy anywhere you like. The caveat with this is that, when you move it to a windows machine and copy it back, you may have to CHOWN it back to the appropriate group (either mcserver or games).

BTW: You probably already figure it out: the "archives" sub-directory contains the archives, and the import function looks in the "import" sub-directory. ;)

 

[daword2011]

Yes, that MineOS data directory can be copied freely; the rest of the jail cannot. :p
You can use SFTP or WinSCP or alike and copy anywhere you like. The caveat with this is that, when you move it to a windows machine and copy it back, you may have to CHOWN it back to the appropriate group (either mcserver or games).

BTW: You probably already figure it out: the "archives" sub-directory contains the archives, and the import function looks in the "import" sub-directory. ;)

I am a bit of a newb in UNIX systems but I know some of the basics. I think I've got almost everything down that I need to do, take files from archive, add archive files to import on new directory, then use the import function in web GUI to import the server.

I think my last question for the moment is: If not using something to pull it to a Windows machine then how are you copying within FreeNAS? I'm assuming using commands within the shell?

As you can tell this is when my newb starts to show

 

[Mirfster]

If not using something to pull it to a Windows machine then how are you copying within FreeNAS? I'm assuming using commands within the shell?

http://www.unix.com/man-page/FreeBSD/1/cp/