Porting RAIDZ1 pool to new hardware

[Bernard Mentink]

Hi All,

I am wanting to transfer my pool (3x2TB drives in RAIDZ1 on FreeNAS 9.2.1) to new hardware based on an ASUS P10S-I server motherboard. I have installed the latest 9.10 OS onto a USB drive and it boots up fine.

I would like to make sure I am transferring the volume correctly, is the procedure this?
1. On old system, save config to Laptop.
2. On old system, do a scrub and export the volume (either via GUI or console "zpool export")
3. Physically add disks to new hardware.
4. On new system, Boot up and "Import Volume" from GUI, (or "zpool import")
5. Restore config file from Laptop.
6. Do a scrub.

I am not sure if 4 & 5 should be reversed, or if it does not matter.
Appreciate a confirmation of the above before I do it ....

Many Thanks,

 

[pirateghost]

If restoring a config, 2 and 4 are unnecessary. However, I don't know if a 9.2 config will work with 9.10

 

[Bidule0hm]

I'd do this:

1. On old system, save config to laptop
2. Install FreeNAS 9.3 on new server
3. Restore config file from laptop
4. Reboot
5. Update FreeNAS to 9.10
6. Shutdown
7. Physically add disks to new hardware
8. Do a scrub

 

[Bernard Mentink]

I'd do this:

1. On old system, save config to laptop
2. Install FreeNAS 9.3 on new server
3. Restore config file from laptop
4. Reboot
5. Update FreeNAS to 9.10
6. Shutdown
7. Physically add disks to new hardware
8. Do a scrub

Thanks, but I don't see any export/import volume steps in there ... does saving the config really eliminate that ..

Cheers,

 

[pirateghost]

Thanks, but I don't see any export/import volume steps in there ... does saving the config really eliminate that ..

Cheers,

Yes.

You don't have to export/import when just doing a config restore.

 

[Bernard Mentink]

Yes.

You don't have to export/import when just doing a config restore.

But doesn't the export process flush buffers to the pool? How does the flush happen when using config files?

 

[pirateghost]

I've never needed to do anything like that when moving from hardware to hardware....

Do it however you like.

 

[styno]

But doesn't the export process flush buffers to the pool? How does the flush happen when using config files?

A clean shutdown of the old system before the disk transplant will leave you with a clean zpool.

 

[Bernard Mentink]

I've never needed to do anything like that when moving from hardware to hardware....

Do it however you like.

I don't want to do it how I like, I want to do the "right thing", that is why I started this thread ..... ;)
... but I also ask the question because that is what the manual says to do regarding exporting a pool .. I guess the shutdown should flush all data to the pool anyway ..

 

[Bernard Mentink]

Thanks guys for all the advice, I will follow process outlined by Bidule0hm ...

 

[pirateghost]

I don't want to do it how I like, I want to do the "right thing", that is why I started this thread ..... ;)
... but I also ask the question because that is what the manual says to do regarding exporting a pool .. I guess the shutdown should flush all data to the pool anyway ..

If the system is off there is nothing in the buffer. Lol.

 

[danb35]

How does the flush happen when using config files?

Buffers are going to be flushed when the system is rebooted, at least.

If you want to export the pool, go ahead. Nobody's going to stop you, and it won't hurt anything, as long as you don't check the box for "mark disks as new". But it's completely unnecessary, and will accomplish nothing.

 

[depasseg]

And if you decide to do any export or import, do not use the CLI or your next problem will be "freenas can't find my data".
Always use the GUI.

 

[gpsguy]

I believe you meant to write "can't find my data".


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[depasseg]

doh! fixed

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

doesn't the export process flush buffers to the pool?

It does, but so does shutting down.

The point of exporting a pool is to allow it to be imported on a different system, potentially even a different OS. That's why it's unnecessary when you're reloading your original config - you're importing it to the same system.

If you try to import on a different system without exporting from the previous system, ZFS complains that the pool is in use. Even then, you can force it.

 

[Bernard Mentink]

Thanks.

I tried installing 9.3.1 but the installer got stuck on mountroot, it timed out and went to the mountroot> prompt.
9.10 Installer has no such issues ..

I tried uploading the 9.2.1 database config file straight into 9.10 and it seemed to import fine and got converted (at least according to text on the attached monitor)
After it rebooted, I had a look on the web GUI and it seems all my settings are there, it's just at critical error waiting for some drives.

Is it safe now to add my drives?

 

[Bidule0hm]

I guess it's ok. The 9.3 step was just to be extra cautious about the config conversion ;)

 

[Bernard Mentink]

So I finally got around to putting the drives from the old system into the new. When I booted up the new system I saw CRC errors on one drive and when the web page
came up, the pool is missing a drive .... those 3 drives worked perfectly well in the old system when I moved them back.

The drives are visible in the BIOS on the new system, so not sure what is going on.
The only difference between the drive showing the errors and the other two, is that it is a 2TB drive and the others are 1TB.

Anyone have any clues why that drive CRC faults on the new hardware, but not the old?

 

[Bidule0hm]

My best guess is a bad contact on one of the ends of the SATA cable of this drive. Try to reseat both ends of the cable of the problematic drive ;)