Moving Drives from One Server to Another

[mmoo9154]

There are a number of posts about migrating data from one server to another, but I'm asking if there is a way to move the physical disks between two servers.

I face a 24 bay PowerEdge R730XD that I setup with the first drive being the TrueNAS boot disk and swapfile. I've recently purchased a 2TD M.2 NVMe SSD that I'm able to use as the boot drive and swapfile, but I don't have any convenient way to have both configurations booted at the same time in order to transfer the folders/datasets between them.

I can see that the storage drives are definitely visible when I've booted under the NVMe image, but I'm not sure what the right way is to go about importing/adopting the storage drives into the new instance of the NAS without losing the data.

Is this even possible?

 

[NugentS]

Yes - just import the pool
Disks/Import Pool

 

[davidbdeath]

I have a old Mac Pro based TrueNas server and I want to move the OS and data drives to a newer machine. It can't be as simple as moving the drives from one machine to another is it? Is there anything I should be aware of?

 

[NugentS]

It is that simple. Install OS, upload config file and you should be good to go.

 

[davidbdeath]

I appricaite the quick reply. Instead of installing a fresh copy of the OS, can I simply move the OS drive? I have a few jails running, but nothing major. I'm concerned that using a different NIC will cause a hiccup.

 

[Evertb1]

I appricaite the quick reply. Instead of installing a fresh copy of the OS, can I simply move the OS drive? I have a few jails running, but nothing major. I'm concerned that using a different NIC will cause a hiccup.

If the NIC on your new machine is supported, installing a fresh copy of the OS is your best bet. I have done that in the past (with FreeNAS and TrueNAS) and never had a problem with it. You can be up and running in less then 30 minutes. Your saved config file is your best friend. Just do as @NugentS advised.

 

[davidbdeath]

If the NIC on your new machine is supported, installing a fresh copy of the OS is your best bet. I have done that in the past (with FreeNAS and TrueNAS) and never had a problem with it. You can be up and running in less then 30 minutes. Your saved config file is your best friend. Just do as @NugentS advised.

30 minutes plus the time it will take to ship the drive. The IT professional in me agrees. I was just hoping I could avoid buying a new drive since it's just for my home server.

 

[chuck32]

If you moved the drive you'd decommission the old hardware anyway for now.
Why can't you install the OS freshly on that drive instead of moving it?

 

[davidbdeath]

If you moved the drive you'd decommission the old hardware anyway for now.
Why can't you install the OS freshly on that drive instead of moving it?

I'm embarrassed to say, I didn't even think of that. It's kind of obvious not that you've said it.