Data transfer to new NAS while reusing drives

mjburns wrote:

I am about to replace one of the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v1's that I run with a new (more powerful CPU, etc) 2-bay NAS. The Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v1 has two drives in it configured as RAID 1. But I want to reuse the drives in the ReadyNAS Duo v1 in the new NAS. So I want to float the proposed scheme for doing that for comments, in case I'm overlooking something. So here's my plan: 1. Run a file check and make sure the two drives in the old Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v1 are redundant. 2. Pull one drive. (Does it matter which one? OK to pull it hot?) Keep the ReadyNAS Duo v1 up & running. 3. Put that drive in the new NAS. 4. Configure the new NAS on the network, including let it reformat the drive, etc. 5. Copy all of the files from the ReadyNAS Duo v1 to the new NAS over the network. (Yes, it's a 1GB/sec network.) 6. Verify the files all copied OK. 7. Do a full factory reset the ReadyNAS Duo v1. (I'll be selling it, so might as well.) 8. Pull the remaining drive from the ReadyNAS Duo v1. 9. Put that second drive in the new NAS. 10. Tell the new NAS to use that 2nd drive to mirror the first (configure as RAID 1). Any comments? Am I overlooking anything?

Start with drive 2. It's fine to pull it hot.
No need to do a factory reset on the Duo V1, as all the information is on the disks you are removing.

You might find you need to delete the partitions on the old drives in order to get the new NAS to properly set up. If so, you can easily do that in Windows (even though it doesn't recognize the disk format). Try them as-is first.

Step 0 would be: Make a full backup.

BTW, an alternative to selling your duo is to use it for backing up the new NAS. Though that would require new disks of course.

Thanks. So the Frontview login info and all of that is stored on the drives, not in flash? I'm happy not to do a full factory reset, but if I sell the old unit, I simply want the buyer to have their "out of the box" experience to match the documentation. Also thanks for the backup reminder. The unit automatically does an incremental backup once a week, but agreed, tell it explicitly to run that again right before doing all of this. So here's the modified plan. It's implied I've already kicked all of the user's off.

1. Run a file check and make sure the two drives in the old Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v1 are redundant.
2. Make sure incremental backup USB drive is fully up-to-date.
3. Pull drive #2 (right drive as one faces the front of the unit). Keep the ReadyNAS Duo v1 up & running.
4. Put that drive in the new NAS.
5. Configure the new NAS on the network, including let it reformat the drive, etc.
6. Copy all of the files from the ReadyNAS Duo v1 to the new NAS over the network. (Yes, it's a 1GB/sec network.)
7. Verify the files all copied OK.
8. Pull the remaining drive from the ReadyNAS Duo v1.
9. Put that second drive in the new NAS.
10. Tell the new NAS to use that 2nd drive to mirror the first (configure as RAID 1).

mjburns wrote:
Thanks. So the Frontview login info and all of that is stored on the drives, not in flash?...

Yes. All that is stored in the OS partition on the hard drive.

Your procedure looks good to me.