Moving (physical) data drive to new proxmox server

[TheHellSite]

Hello,

I am currently replacing my old home server with a new more powerfull one.
In the old server I had/have an 2.5" SSD storing all the data (VMs, backups, ...). The system files (where PVE is installed) are on a separate 32 GB m.2 SSD.

I did this to knowing someday I might upgrade the server.

This day has now come. Because the old pve-host will be used in another location, I disconnected the 2.5" SSD from it and connected it to my new-pve host, where I already had PVE installed.
After booting up the new-pve host it detected the 2.5" SSD but obviously didn't mount it automatically.


My question now is:
Is there an easy way to "reconnect" the drive within proxmox?
Otherwise I might just connect it to a USB dongle, pull of all the data, format the drive, reinitialize the drive in proxmox and copy the data back.


Kind Regards
TheHellSite

 

[Dunuin]

In the old server I had/have an 2.5" SSD storing all the data (VMs, backups, ...).

I hope you are not storing VMs and backups of VMs on the same drive.

Is there an easy way to "reconnect" the drive within proxmox?

How did you set it up? ZFS? LVM? Just plain ext4?
I you want that proxmox recognize it you need to add it as a storage: "Datacenter -> Storage -> Add"

 

[TheHellSite]

I hope you are not storing VMs and backups of VMs on the same drive.

I do, BUT I have a script running everday at night that uploads all backups to the cloud.
And to be honest in my opinion a home server is to be seen as non-critical infrastructure. If the drive storing all the VMs and their backups fails, I will buy a new one and pull the backups from the cloud.

How did you set it up? ZFS? LVM? Just plain ext4?

Plain ext4 as "Directory".

I you want that proxmox recognize it you need to add it as a storage: "Datacenter -> Storage -> Add"

Tried that already, but it didn't work. I can't select the drive from there.

The drive shows up on the node under "Disks".

 

[Dunuin]

I do, BUT I have a script running everday at night that uploads all backups to the cloud.
And to be honest in my opinion a home server is to be seen as non-critical infrastructure. If the drive storing all the VMs and their backups fails, I will buy a new one and pull the backups from the cloud.

Ok. I better asked because I've seen people here storing the backups on the same drive and ask later how to get back the VMs after the drive died...including all backups...
And non critical really depends on what you are doing with the homeserver. If you for example run a pfsense VM on that and use it as your primary router I think it is quite critical. If the drive dies and the pfsense VM is lost you wont be able to get into the internet anymore and downloading backups from the cloud would be very difficult.

Plain ext4 as "Directory".

Then you should mount that partiton by adding a new line to /etc/fstab and add a new storage of type "Directory" pointing to that mountpoint.

 

[TheHellSite]

If you for example run a pfsense VM on that and use it as your primary router

I do exactly that, but I am prepared for scenarios like that as well. I have an old Archer C7 running OpenWrt that acts as a backup router.
If I have to take the server offline for whatever reason, I just fire up that thing and still have internet access.

Then you should mount that partiton by adding a new line to /etc/fstab and add a new storage of type "Directory" pointing to that mountpoint.

Also tried that but then proxmox went to into emergency mode.
I am now copying the data from the ssd to another internal drive and then back to it, once I reinitialized it in proxmox.

 

[Dunuin]

I do exactly that, but I am prepared for scenarios like that as well. I have an old Archer C7 running OpenWrt that acts as a backup router.
If I have to take the server offline for whatever reason, I just fire up that thing and still have internet access.

Then you are not like me using 8 VLANs you need to route between. It would be a hell of work to change the whole network to work with one of my OpenWRT routers.

 

[TheHellSite]

I don't use 8 but 4 VLANs.
And I am also running OpenWrt as my main router/firewall VM, because I personally find it way nicer to edit some config files rather than using the webgui to configure everything. This also makes backups a lot easier, imho.
Sadly OPNsense and pfsense don't support file based configuration.