Advice for server migration with storage reconfiguration?

#1

Current server setup:

  • Windows 11 PC
  • Recording drive: internal hard drive (1 TB)
  • DVR backup drives (added over the years): one 22 TB, three 5 TB (all external USB hard drives)

Desired setup:

  • MSI Cubi B0B1 (mini PC) 16GB RAM
  • Proxmox VE
  • OPNsense
  • Docker
  • Channels DVR as a container in Docker
  • Recording drive: internal hard drive (500 GB)
  • DVR backup drives: one 22 TB (reused from current setup) and one 28 TB hard drive (new - will copy content of all 5 TB drives) - both external USB drives

Seeking advice from my experienced friends in these forums. :slightly_smiling_face:

Any tips?

When I copy recordings from the three 5 TB drives onto the new 28 TB drive, will I have to import them so that Channels can see them?

My main concern is the reconfiguration of storage in a different system with a different OS.

#2

Be sure to install Docker in an LXC, not a VM. It's easier on your host's resources and allows you to share the GPU across other LXCs.

Consider installing Channels DVR in its own LXC. This allows for very easy backups via Proxmox Backup Server (recommended). You can either do this yourself using a Debian Trixie LXC template, or there's a Proxmox Community Script that'll do it.

Later, if you have another Proxmox server, you'd be able to migrate CDVR to it in a snap -- and amazingly, nothing needs to change. The LXC's IP address, MAC address and so on, stay with the LXC.

EDIT: There are some decent Proxmox threads on the forum that are worth reviewing...

EDIT2: Be sure to reach out with questions. :slight_smile:

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#3

I recently did a conversion my self but my setup is probably different from your's.

I went to this:

🖥️ Node 1: Primary Server Core (mini-t) — 192.168.50.99
• Host Hardware: Aoostar R7 (Ryzen 7 5700U, 64 GB RAM total)
running Zorin OS (18.1) Core.
• Storage Architecture (/mnt/storage-pool): 22 TB MergerFS pool
combining 2x 12 TB MDD enterprise CMR drives (/mnt/data1
and /mnt/data2).
• Parity Shield: 1x 12 TB Seagate IronWolf Pro enterprise drive
handling sequential SnapRAID calculations outside the pool layer.
• Active Workload Profiles:
◦ Channels DVR Engine #1: Runs bare metal, writing directly to
the 22 TB MergerFS storage pool.
• High-Performance RAM Buffer (/dev/shm/Streaming): Volatile
tmpfs shared memory array owned by terry:terry [source: 0.1.16,
0.1.21]. Core application subdirectories (cache, hls, sessions)
dynamically rebuild on boot via /etc/tmpfiles.d/channels-
streaming-buffer.conf with 0777 permissions [source: 0.1.16,0.1.19]. This layout isolates active recording and dynamic HLS
transcoding wear entirely inside host RAM to keep mechanical
platter wear at 0% [source: 0.1.16].

Coming from the same hardware running Win 11 using StableBit DrivePool to manage the two 12 TB drives in the Syba DAS enclosure and it worked great until some Win update broke things and drive would lose connection. When I switched over I did not lose any data from the pool. I had to move everything to one drive to be able to convert from NTFS to EXT4 and then move it from the other back on to the converted drive to be able to convert it to EXT4 all done after changing the OS on the mini PC. I will also say the Google AI mode was of great help along the way with the conversion and fine tuning I am enjoying now and things run rock solid. I did have to invest in another 12TB drive to use MergerFS + SnapRaid but well worth it for the safety net SnapRaid is providing.

#4

If they're recordings that you made with Channels DVR and currently defined as three additional storage paths, you can copy the contents of the three drives to the new 28TB drive (keeping the existing directory structure) and define the new 28TB drive as your additional storage path.

If they're imports, you'll need to re-import them.

You didn't mention what's on your backup 22TB drive

or what you're doing with the recordings on your

If these are all recordings made by Channels DVR, just copy them (keeping the existing directory structure) to an additional storage drive and add the path in
Settings > Library Database > Storage Paths

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#5

On the 22 TB drive, it's a mix of recordings and imports.
On the other drives, only recordings.

It's clear to me now that I can easily move the recordings with the same directory structures and define the import directory in Channels, and reimports the imports.

Easy enough. Thanks.

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#6

maybe someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but this may reset the watched status. I think if you add the new recording directory, and allow time for cdvr to 'scan' it before moving recordings, the watch status stays. (or i'm confusing/ miss-remembering imports)
not sure how to avoid this on the imports