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Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
Hi,
I currently have 2x RN102s. The first NAS has a 3TB and a 4TB drive (two volumes, no RAID), and the second NAS has a single 6TB drive. I would like to upgrade the first unit by replacing the 4TB drive with a newly purchased 6TB drive, and move the 4TB drive (with the data intact) to the second NAS.
From what I have gathered I can EXPORT the 4TB volume to prepare it for moving, but there is little information about how to import the drive on the second unit. The export documentation refers to a 'cold import' but there is no information on what that is and how it works. Is it simply a matter of inserting the drive and powering on NAS2? Will the volume just appear on the 2nd NAS with all data intact? Or is there more to this process?
Re: Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
Export it. Otherwise the volume will continue to show up (as inactive) in the old NAS. Then insert the disks in the target NAS with the NAS powered down.
It is supposed be added automatically when you power it back up. You will run into a problem if there's a volume in the target NAS that has the same name. Whether that's the case or not, I suggest making a backup, just in case something goes wrong with the process.
Re: Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
So, I have just found an article (https://kb.netgear.com/22895/ReadyNAS-OS-6-Migrating-a-volume) which suggests that what I might be after is just a simple 'volume migration' that would only require removing the 4TB volume and inserting it into the other NAS - ie: no export required.
Now I am even more confused. If I want to migrate the drive (volume) with data intact, should I EXPORT the volume or just physically move the disk (while both units are powered off)?
Re: Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
Export it. Otherwise the volume will continue to show up (as inactive) in the old NAS. Then insert the disks in the target NAS with the NAS powered down.
It is supposed be added automatically when you power it back up. You will run into a problem if there's a volume in the target NAS that has the same name. Whether that's the case or not, I suggest making a backup, just in case something goes wrong with the process.
Export it. Otherwise the volume will continue to show up (as inactive) in the old NAS. Then insert the disks in the target NAS with the NAS powered down.
It is supposed be added automatically when you power it back up. You will run into a problem if there's a volume in the target NAS that has the same name. Whether that's the case or not, I suggest making a backup, just in case something goes wrong with the process.
Hold on. Will that be your primary (or only) volume on the new NAS? If so, don't export it, just migrate it. Then, if it wasn't the only one on the old NAS, DESTROY the now-missing volume on the old one and any additional volumes that show up on the new one.
Export is apparently not intended for volumes that will become a primary volume on the target NAS. You cannot install just an exported volume in a NAS and have it boot. You can install an exported volume as an additional volume unless it has the same name as ones already on the importing NAS. If the imported volume has shares with the same names as shares on any volume prior to import, you won't see them except in SSH. Import is automatic when the NAS is powered on with the drives containing the imported volume and another primary volume is powered on if there is not a volume name conflict.
I have since seen something indicating that an OS re-install might make an exported volume act as a primary one, but I've not tried it.
The first NAS has a 3TB and a 4TB drive (two volumes, no RAID), and the second NAS has a single 6TB drive. I would like to upgrade the first unit by replacing the 4TB drive with a newly purchased 6TB drive, and move the 4TB drive (with the data intact) to the second NAS.
@robmash: If you want the 4 TB drive to be the second volume in the second NAS, then you export it. You also need to make sure the second NAS is in FlexRaid mode before you boot it up with the 4 TB drive.
Re: Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
This volume I am migrating is currently NOT the primary in the NAS it will be exported from, and will be added to the second NAS (which only has a single volume) so this sounds like it should be a relatively straightforward migration. Aside from the fact I am running out of space on the primary NAS, this disk is a SMR (not CMR) so it is slow and noisy, so I want to move it to my secondary NAS which is only powered up once per month for a replication task.
At some point I would like to upgrade the primary volume on the NAS but I am aware that is far more complex - moving Home folders and Time Machine backups being two major reasons. I sort-of hope I outgrow the ReadyNAS solution before I have to deal with that!
Re: Importing an exported volume from another NAS - How?
Yep, if it's not going to become the primary volume or have a duplicate volume name, export and import. If there are any shares with the same name, just re-name them before the migration.
When I exported or destroyed a primary volume, the personal folders did migrate to the other volume except in one case. I can't remember if the user had to log in, though. But the contents of those folders did not migrate. I suspect the failure of the folders to migrate in that one case is because I kept using the same volumes for all my activities, one of which was a questionable drive. Somewhere along the line, the volume wasn't completely healthy, making the operation fail. That drive has since completely bitten the dust.
