Topic: How to MOVE entire SME to new HDD.

[spyrule]

Hello,

 First thanks to everyone who ever respondes... Cheers!

 My server is currently running on an older 30Gig IBM HDD, and the drive is getting quite loud (plus I can hear S.M.A.R.T resetting the heads every once in awhile!).  So I've got a replacement new 40Gig, and I simply want to move my entire server over to the new HDD.  I'm not very experienced in doing major file transfers and whatnot in linux, I was wondering if anyone out there know if their is an easy way to do this?  Ghost? DiskCopy?  but do they work on linux?

Plus I was thinking of doing a backup of the system , and then simply installing 6.5, but will the old backup work with the new 6.5?  and if so, does the backup , backup website info as well, or just system settings?


Thanks in advance, and I apologise if this is in the wrong forum...

  Cheers,  
 
   Spyrule.

[spyrule]

Hello,

 Please can someone at least point me in the right direction... please.... pretty please?  

 thanks in advance,

    Spy

[funkusmunkus]

check this out
http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/rmitchell/smeserver/howto/Cloning%20drive%20with%20Ghost%20lilo.conf%20fix%20HOWTO%20for%20sme%20server.htm

hope that helps
cheers

[Kevin]

A friend of mine just went through this.  He (we) use Acronis True Image, but that should not matter.  He simply restored the image to the new drive then ran an upgrade install of SME.  This rebuilt LILO and cleaned up the system quickly.  The upgrade install took less than 5 minutes to run. This new drive has been in production use for about a month now with no problems.

I do not sell it or anything, but if you have never tried it, Acronis makes some nice products.  And it is actually Linux based under the hood.

--
Kevin

[guest22]

Please be aware of the fact that SME Server 6.5beta2 is a BETA release, and as stated before NOT intended for production usage. Use it at your own risk.

Feedback is welcomed!

[mbachmann]

For drive cloning Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image and the mighty Linux disk dump are good solutions. If you want to use dd, read further:

Put the HDD to be cloned on IDE/SCSI channel 1.
Put the fresh HDD on IDE/SCSI channel 2.
Check HD jumper settings!

Get yourself a Linux bootdisk with dd included. Like here: http://www.toms.net/rb/. Make a bootdisk and follow the instructions. Very easy.

Issue dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hdb for IDE drives
Issue dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb for SCSI drives

After a LONG time it will be finished. Pull out the "old" drive, place the new in position and reboot.

I use dd since many many years. It never has failed for me. Bad news is: it really dumps so if you dump 20 GB onto 40 GB HDD, you will only have 20 GB available and you have to repartition the HDD.

[hanscees]

you can also install mondo and make backups with that. If you have never done that and are working with production I would advise against that though.


http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/thaynes/E-Smith/mondoarchive/

Mondo makes a boot image and restores your server all the way 100% perfect.

all you need to do is this:
log in with putty
wget http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/thaynes/E-Smith/mondoarchive/mondo6.zip
unzip mondo6.zip
cd mondo6
  rpm -Uvh *.rpm

mondoarchive -Oi -d /root -E /home -F

wait a long time.
Backup /home with the server manager.

Burn the created 1.iso in /root to a cd.

boot new HD with the cd. Do a nuke. Reinstall /home

done











Another good way to prepate yourself is to install your sme server without all contribs and than backup.

Then install a new server and recover the backup up again.

hc

[Franco]

Hanscees,
can you be more specific on this part:

boot new HD with the cd. Do a nuke. Reinstall /home

Thanks and sorry for not understanding.

[hanscees]

Hanscees,
can you be more specific on this part:

boot new HD with the cd. Do a nuke. Reinstall /home

Thanks and sorry for not understanding.

no worries.

I am testing with vmware and 6.5b2. I will update soon here. The problem is that after a restore I do not get ssh and/or httpd admin access.

I think using
mondoarchive -Oi -d /root -E /home/e-smith/files -F

will do the trick. the -E means "and don't copy this". The problem is that the admin site seems to be in /h/e-smith/httpd

update: tested now on 6.5b in a vmware and this works.

Anyway, the 1.iso that is created is bootable. It has your data onboard in archives. You should burn it to a cd.
When you boot your new server from the cd, with your new empty hard-disk, it will ask you what to do. You can then type "nuke" and it will erase your disk, install new partitions and copy your data back onto it.

hc

[Kevin]

Maybe I should clarify my post.  My friend went from a 100 Gb to a 200 GB drive running 6.01,  after the image was restored onto the 200GB drive he ran an upgrade install of the 6.01 CD.  Worked like a charm.

Hope this helps

[hanscees]

Maybe I should clarify my post.  My friend went from a 100 Gb to a 200 GB drive running 6.01,  after the image was restored onto the 200GB drive he ran an upgrade install of the 6.01 CD.  Worked like a charm.

Hope this helps

We seem to have communication problems. If all works: what is the problem? Or did you already do a mondo?

hc