Accessing data on disks from 4.2.31 Ultra 6 after it has been upgraded to OS6 on new disks

[rgerrits]

My Ultra6 (6x 2TB) is almost full so I'm planning to switch to a 3*8TB setup and want to make use of the opportunity to upgrade to OS6 as well.

Because I don't really have a place to backup the data during the upgrade, I need to be creative.

I do have a 2nd ReadyNAS 104 though.

So my plan:

• shutdown ReadyNAS Ultra 6
• remove the 6 drives, number them and keep them save
• insert 3x new 8TB drives and power on
• perform the upgrade (installing the PREP4TOR6_0.1-x86.bin and afterwards upgrading the firmware using R4toR6_6.9.5.bin)
• do some configuration and install some addons
• move all the data from RN104 to the newly upgraded Ultra6

Now I do have a place for my backup, because the RN104 is empty, so:

• again shutdown Ultra6
• remove the 3x 8TB drives, number them and keep them save
• insert a single temporary disk I have laying around and power on
• downgrade Ultra6 to 4.2.31
• shutdown and remove temporary disk
• reinsert the original 6x 2TB disks in the original order.
• boot the Ultra6 and hopefully have my data and original configuration available again via 4.2.31
• now move all data to RN104

And now for the final step:

• again shutdown Ultra6
• remove 6x 2TB disks
• insert the temporary disk and power on
• perform the upgrade again (installing the PREP4TOR6_0.1-x86.bin and afterwards upgrading the firmware using R4toR6_6.9.5.bin)
• shutdown Ultra6
• remove temporary disk
• reinsert the 3x 8TB disks in the original order
• boot the Ultra6 and have the data available again.

Would this above scenario work without losing my data?

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

The sequence looks like it will work, but it is a bit tortured. One observation is that you'd be better off inserting just one disk in the Ultra, and then do the conversion.  Then you can do a second factory reset with all the disks in place.  There's no reason to sync the RAID array with 4.2.31.

But you can simplify it by:

• powering down the RN104 and removing the disks
• insert the 3x8 TB drives into the RN104, and power on.
• After raid sync and setup, copy the data from the ultra to the 3x8 TB array

• Then power down the ultra, and remove the disks
• upgrade to OS6 with your spare
• power down both NAS, and migrate the 3x8TB array to the Ultra.
• reinsert the original disks in the RN104
• power up both NAS

Then install any apps on the ultra system.

It is much simpler than the upgrade/downgrade/upgrade process you outlined. The only difference in the outcome is that you'd end up with an ext-formatted OS partition on the ultra, instead of a btrfs OS partition.  IMO that's not a big deal.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

The sequence looks like it will work, but it is a bit tortured. One observation is that you'd be better off inserting just one disk in the Ultra, and then do the conversion.  Then you can do a second factory reset with all the disks in place.  There's no reason to sync the RAID array with 4.2.31.

But you can simplify it by:

• powering down the RN104 and removing the disks
• insert the 3x8 TB drives into the RN104, and power on.
• After raid sync and setup, copy the data from the ultra to the 3x8 TB array

• Then power down the ultra, and remove the disks
• upgrade to OS6 with your spare
• power down both NAS, and migrate the 3x8TB array to the Ultra.
• reinsert the original disks in the RN104
• power up both NAS

Then install any apps on the ultra system.

It is much simpler than the upgrade/downgrade/upgrade process you outlined. The only difference in the outcome is that you'd end up with an ext-formatted OS partition on the ultra, instead of a btrfs OS partition.  IMO that's not a big deal.

[Sandshark]

Better plan:

With power off, remove drives from the 104 and replace with the new 8TB drives.  Power on and let it build the array.  Set it up as if it's the Ultra, except don't use the same NAS name you currently use and don't install any apps.

Copy data from Ultra to 104.

Use the existing drives, or any old spare one if you want to retain the data on the originals, to upgrade the Ultra to OS6.

With power off, move drives from 104 to Ultra.  Nothing special needed here except to re-name it if you want to return to the same name you used under OS4.2 and install any apps you need.

Put the original drives back in the Ultra and boot.

BTW, your Ultra6 is probably on the latest board-level BIOS, but do that upgrade before you switch to OS6 unless you know you already have, as it's a lot easier.  It's not 100% required, and it'll do nothing if the BIOS is already up to date, but it's a good thing to do.

[Sandshark]

Last step was supposed to be putting the original drives back in the 104.