Migrating from a Linux RAID

[asmodeus]

Hello,

I've got an old Synology DS409+ NAS at home that I want to migrate data from. It's based on Linux software RAID and runs four 1.5TB HDs with a RAID5. The catch is: since a firmware upgrade went terribly wrong it doesn't beep, blink or even boot up any longer. I'm planning on setting up a new FreeNAS system and wanted to get some suggestions on how to best migrate my data off of the Linux RAID. So here's what I've planned:

- Build a new FreeNAS =)
- Move out the disks from the Synology NAS one by one and copy complete disk image over to my new FreeNAS. I only have a MacBookPro so I'll be using a SATA to USB3 dock to copy the images over Gigabit Ethernet.
- Using a Linux distribution (e.g. bootable or VM on my MacBookPro), mount the disk images as loopback devices.
- Mount the RAID5 based on the four loopback devices. Devil's in the details but I'm confident this will work with some mdadm magic.
- Copy data off of the mounted RAID onto my FreeNAS.

Does this sound like a reasonable approach? Is there anything I missed or is there maybe a better way?

Thanks,
Achim

Edit: typo

 

[Ericloewe]

Sure, but, as you say, the devil is in the details. And there won't be many people here experienced enough in Linux software RAID to be of much help...

 

[wblock]

Depending on the value of the data, I would try to avoid as much abstraction as possible. In other words, the safest way would be to grab a Linux system that does not need USB or loop mounts, temporarily mount the array there, then copy the data to FreeNAS. Each additional layer adds the possibility of corruption or edge cases.

 

[depasseg]

Have you researched this in the Synology forums to get a sense of what might work best for a recovery plan? Once the data is mounted, the transfer to freenas is pretty straightforward.

Good luck!

 

[asmodeus]

Depending on the value of the data, I would try to avoid as much abstraction as possible. In other words, the safest way would be to grab a Linux system that does not need USB or loop mounts, temporarily mount the array there, then copy the data to FreeNAS. Each additional layer adds the possibility of corruption or edge cases.

That's a good point, I'll try to find an old Linux box.

 

[Spearfoot]

I've got an old Synology DS409+ NAS at home that I want to migrate data from. It's based on Linux software RAID and runs four 1.5TB HDs with a RAID5. The catch is: since a firmware upgrade went terribly wrong it doesn't beep, blink or even boot up any longer...

...Is there anything I missed or is there maybe a better way?

Did you try re-installing the Synology DSM software? Searching on 'synology revert dsm' yields quite a few hits; it seems likely that you could restore your prior version of DSM. That might be the simplest way to regain access to your data.

 

[asmodeus]

Did you try re-installing the Synology DSM software? Searching on 'synology revert dsm' yields quite a few hits; it seems likely that you could restore your prior version of DSM. That might be the simplest way to regain access to your data.

Thanks for your hint! Yes, I've tried that but my NAS does not get to a point where a restore is possible with the Synology Assistant. I needed to refresh my memory on the exact state, so here's the situation: as opposed to what I stated earlier it's actually still blinking. It's powering up, the HD LEDs blink orange and the Power LED blinks blue. I believe this was called the 'blue led of death' in the Synology community. It attempts to load the firmware and then just sits there. I've debugged this extensively and would possibly be able to fix it by connecting a serial console and booting with tftpboot, but I'm not good with soldering the cable connectors so I just left it to die.

 

[Spearfoot]

Thanks for your hint! Yes, I've tried that but my NAS does not get to a point where a restore is possible with the Synology Assistant. I needed to refresh my memory on the exact state, so here's the situation: as opposed to what I stated earlier it's actually still blinking. It's powering up, the HD LEDs blink orange and the Power LED blinks blue. I believe this was called the 'blue led of death' in the Synology community. It attempts to load the firmware and then just sits there. I've debugged this extensively and would possibly be able to fix it by connecting a serial console and booting with tftpboot, but I'm not good with soldering the cable connectors so I just left it to die.

Ah, the infamous "Blue LED Of Death"! Yikes!

On the bright side, you'll find FreeNAS running on modern hardware to be orders of magnitude more powerful than your somewhat elderly Synology NAS.

Good luck!

 

[asmodeus]

Ah, the infamous "Blue LED Of Death"! Yikes!

On the bright side, you'll find FreeNAS running on modern hardware to be orders of magnitude more powerful than your somewhat elderly Synology NAS.

Good luck!

Thanks! Can't wait to finish my first FreeNAS build.