Moving drives to new server?

[Stephen2]

Hey all, I've been running a FreeNAS server here in Australia wonderfully well for about 18mths.

Soon, I'll be moving to America, and only want to take the drives with me, as shipping servers is prohibitively expensive.

I'm sorry, I've tried searching and reading docs, but can't find a step by step guide I was happy with...

Can someone help me with the process for:
* Taking the drives out of current server
* Putting them in new server that I buy in the US


Especially, I'm wondering whether I keep the boot drives and plug them into the new server? Or plug them in, but reinstall FreeNAS on there?

Thanks heaps, am excited about the move, but moving inter-country is hard...

 

[Rob Townley]

I am a noob to FreeNAS, but that seems risky. Wondering how much data and whether it would be worth it to sync to some cloud before moving. I realize Australia does not have much fiber in its diet, so maybe impractical?

 

[Stephen2]

Haha nice one :p Yeah, not much fibre... uploads are pain.

The important stuff like family photos and documents are all synced online, using the lovely borg & rsync.net: http://www.rsync.net/products/attic.html

I'm kind of OK if it goes pear shaped, but still, I'll pack the HDDs in suitcases surrounded by many, many clothes and such... I think they'll last the journey

 

[tvsjr]

Back up the configuration, ship the data drives, build your new system with a new boot device, install the latest FreeNAS, restore your configuration.

I would strongly suggest doing whatever non-destructive testing you can (at least a long SMART test) when you get the new system running. Drives really don't like being transported in that manner. I would definitely carry them on, rather than letting the suitcase smashing brigade handle them.

 

[danb35]

Can someone help me with the process for:
* Taking the drives out of current server
* Putting them in new server that I buy in the US

Do that. Possibly reconfigure the network interface, if you manually configured it on the old machine and the new machine uses a different driver. That's it.

 

[Stephen2]

Thank you everyone for the tips, I'm happy to hear it should be easy enough.

Will consider the transport method very carefully!

 

[BigDave]

I agree with @tvsjr
Ship the drives. They make cases for this purpose, like this one. Depending on the number of drives you have, the cost is not that bad.
I would buy the proper sized case and have that locked and then placed in a heavy cardboard shipping
box with more padding.
Even with this method I'm suggesting, there may be hoops to jump through with customs when the
package arrives to USA, they might want to inspect the drives as well as the data on them.
But it very well might be less aggravating than having the drives stolen from checked baggage,
or you not being allowed on the plane with them in your carry on baggage.