Migrating Disks to New System (but not System Pool)

[seb101]

Hi folks,

I'm planning to move my disks into a new FreeNAS server hardware over the next few days. I understand under normal circumstances this should be relativley painless (power down, move everything, power on, maybe reconfig network) however my situation has a couple of things that I can anticipate being a PITA.

1) My system pool is currently on drives that cannot make it across to the new system (due to being MSATA and the new board not having MSATA, in the new build this will be a pair of SSDs). In this case, will a good old 'backup and restore' onto the new system work in place of this? If not... what are my options? Can I move the system pool onto the data drives on the old system first, move the drives, then move it again to it's new home on the new system?

2) In the old server drives were attached direct to MB, in the new system they will be attached via an LSI HBA (in IT mode) is this likely to cause any issues? (I am assuming not due to GPTID addressing).

Thank you!

 

[Dan Tudora]

hell
1) Yes, can move first the system pool to the data drive. After that install the same version of FN and restore config
2) Not a problem
succes

 

[seb101]

hell
1) Yes, can move first the system pool to the data drive. After that install the same version of FN and restore config
2) Not a problem
succes

Do I actually need to do a backup/restore in this scenario? Aren't all settings were in the system dataset anyway?

 

[Dan Tudora]

hello
YES you need to do backup/restore of the config file. AND ssh key and/or script from root home folder
succes

 

[seb101]

hello
YES you need to do backup/restore of the config file. AND ssh key and/or script from root home folder
succes

OK.... so, sorry to be pedantic, I am unclear what is stored in 'system' vs 'config'.

So the process would be...

1. Move System Dataset to a 'data' pool in the GUI on the old system
2. Backup Config on old system
3. Shut down old system
4. Move all drives (boot and data) to new system
5. Boot new system
6. Restore config

Is that about right?

What would be 'missing' if I didn't restore the config on the new system?

 

[Dan Tudora]

In system dataset is /var folder /tmp folder RRD data, etc

1 correct
2 correct
3 correct
4 data disk yes, but boot disk you say is M2 and not have in "new" system that interface?
??

 

[seb101]

Boot and System are seperate in my current system (it's in my sig ;))

Boot Pool is USB, System Dataset is on MSATA.

 

[blueether]

so the M2 pool is not the boot pool?, just seen your reply..

so:

1. Move System Dataset to a 'data' pool in the GUI on the old system
2. Backup Config on old system <= not needed but a good idea
3. Shut down old system
4. Move all drives (boot and data) to new system
5. Boot new system
6. Restore config <= not needed
7. redo network if needed

 

[seb101]

Yeah, the M2 (MSATA) pool is just holding my VM images and is currently nominated at the System dataset pool also. Boot is via a pair of USBs.

It wasn't clear to me before, but it would appear from the replies that most of the system config is stored on the boot pool. Whereas the system dataset is a seperate set of data. I had not realised this.

Thanks all.

 

[Dan Tudora]

hello
I do not read your sig, just your post
usb boot drive is not optimal
system dataset is not "system pool"
you will lose all data in msata "pool" because you can not connect to the "new" NAS, and VM/jail etc
I suggest to do a "replication" of that data to restore on the "data" pool after that
succes

 

[seb101]

Thanks for the information.

 

[Dan Tudora]

good luck