New NAS: from DS414+ to DS923+ : Question about migration to BTRFS and storage pool expansion

[Kazzz]

Hello,

Could you confirm if the following steps are correct and if I’m missing anything?

I want to migrate my current storage pool (EXT4) to BTRFS. Currently, I have three 8TB drives and one 4TB drive. The plan is to replace the 4TB drive with a new 8TB drive.

Here’s the plan:

1. Remove the 4TB drive and replace it with the new 8TB drive.
2. Configure this 8TB drive as a new storage pool (Storage Pool 2) in BTRFS.
3. Use Hyper Backup to migrate the data and settings from Storage Pool 1 to Storage Pool 2.
4. Delete Storage Pool 1 and add the remaining drives to Storage Pool 2.
5. All four drives will then run on BTRFS, and I intend to enable SHR1.

Would this work? Are there any additional considerations I should keep in mind?
Importand: all photo information should be migrated too, like personal and shared user settings, dates, sorting...

EDIT:

Maybe this could be also a solution and a better one?

1. deactivate disk in slot 2 (the 4TB I want to replace)
2. remove all disks
3. insert new 8TB drive to slot 1 or 2 (should it be in the replacing slot?)
4. install as new volume DSM 7.2.2 with SHR-1
5. reinsert all disks (except the 4TB) in the same order but not the same slot as before (correct?)
6. Storage manager /DSM should report that a storage pool is found with data
7. follow the steps but don't delete any data (do you have a guide for this?)
8. Restore data to volume 1 btrfs

Should this work? and is this the best option?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Rusty]

Scenario 1 works better imho if the 4TB disk is not part of the existing storage pool

 

[Kazzz]

Scenario 1 works better imho if the 4TB disk is not part of the existing storage pool

The 4TB is also part of the existing pool..

 

[Rusty]

The 4TB is also part of the existing pool..

In that case, using that slot to make a separate pool without destroying the existing volume/pool will not be possible.

 

[Kazzz]

Now I'm completely in doubt and receiving a lot of different feedback.
I was about to buy a new external drive to quickly solve the issue, instead of getting a new 8TB one.
But now I've also contacted Synology support, and they suggested this approach. So, it should work?

Dear Customer,
Thank you for your feedback

Remove the 4TB drive and replace it with the new 8TB drive:
Can I remove the drive while the NAS is powered on, or do I need to power it off?
Alternatively, do I need to first deactivate the drive from the Storage Manager menu before removal?

You can remove the disk while the NAS is powered on
You do not need to deactivate the disk from the Storage Manager menu before removing it

Configure the 8TB drive as a new storage pool (Storage Pool 2 with 1 volume) in BTRFS:
After removing the 4TB drive, I will insert the new 8TB drive into slot 2 and reboot the NAS. Is that correct? Can I also swap drives, to have that new drive in slot 1?

YEs you can configure the 8 TB disk as a new storage pool (storage pool 2 with 1 volume) in BTRFS

Yes removed the 4 TB disk, I will insert the new 8 TB disk into slot 2 and restart the NAS. yes you can swap the discs to have this new disc in slot 1

Use Hyper Backup to migrate the data and settings from Storage Pool 1 to Storage Pool 2:
Is it better to follow the instructions in your provided link (your link) instead of simply using Hyper Backup to back up the data? Keep in mind I want also my global settings etc.. the same as it is now.

You can try use HyperBackup to backup your data and the db of your packages.

Data Backup | Hyper Backup - Synology Knowledge Center

Back up your Synology NAS | Get Started With DSM - Synology Knowledge Center

Source | Hyper Backup - Synology Knowledge Center

Restoration | Hyper Backup - Synology Knowledge Center

Delete Storage Pool 1 and add the remaining drives to Storage Pool 2:
Could you provide the exact steps for this process?

Add a Drive to Expand Storage Capacity

Add a Drive to Expand Storage Capacity | DSM UC - Synology Knowledge Center

the above procedure ensure that all my settings, user settings, documents, photos and settings are fully transferred to the new BTRFS volume (storage pool 2)

Hope this can help you.

Best regards,

Omar,

Technical Support

 

[Birdy]

Add a Drive to Expand Storage Capacity

Add a Drive to Expand Storage Capacity | DSM UC - Synology Knowledge Center

Very strange to have a link to a SAN (DSM UC) KB

 

[Kazzz]

Very strange to have a link to a SAN (DSM UC) KB

correct, I don't have much faith in this answer, and also no reply on the risks etc.. so ended up buying the external drive

 

[Birdy]

DSM Version: Add Drives to Expand the Storage Pool Capacity

ended up buying the external drive

 

[Rusty]

correct, I don't have much faith in this answer, and also no reply on the risks etc.. so ended up buying the external drive

Also their initial replies are AI generated for the most part, so take that also into consideration.

 

[Kazzz]

So once more, can someone please give me good advice on how I should proceed now, as I have some options:

1. I deleted a lot of unnecessary files and cleared all the recycle bins, which saved me a significant amount of space (from 5.2TB down to 2.4TB).
2. My HyperBackup is running to my 10TB USB drive (folders and packages), and I’ve also backed up my DSM configuration.

Currently, I have Storage Pool 1 with SHR1 (ext4) and Volume 1 consisting of 8TB/4TB/8TB/8TB drives.
What would be the easiest way to proceed, considering I want to migrate to a new BTRFS volume without losing data?

Specifically:

• Can I "remove" one 8TB drive from the current volume and initialize it as a new Volume 2 with BTRFS? If yes, how would I do this?
• After setting up the new volume, how can I transfer all my data, including exact users, home directories, and photos, to this new volume?
• Or should I just destroy the current storage pool, reinitialize it as a new pool with BTRFS, and then restore my data from HyperBackup? How would this affect user settings, shared folders, etc.?

I've read countless articles and posts, but the best approach for my situation is still unclear. I'd greatly appreciate someone's legitimate advice.

 

[Kazzz]

So, I made the jump.

Everything has been successfully restored using HyperBackup.

However, I can't enable the data checksum on my shared folders. I know there's a workaround involving creating a new folder, copying the data over, and so on, but my homes folder also has this issue, and that’s a real pain.

Does anyone know of a workaround?