Transfer initial data to backup server?

[micke.teeling]

I have a production server with quite a lot of data on it (around 40TB, lots of small files). I have set up another FreeNas server that I'll use as a backup machine, and will use zfs replication for the job. But my question is how I can get the initial data on to the new server. I could of course use zfs replication, but the first time would take a great while. Do I have any other options?

I was thinking I could hook up my backup storage on to the production server and transfer locally, but I'm worried that when I set up the snapshot replication back on the backup server, my existing volume will get overwritten instead of used as a base for the snapshots to diff on (if that makes any sense).

How would you guys do it?

Thanks!

 

[JaimieV]

Hook the backup storage onto the primary server, then fire a replication off to do the copy. There's effectively no difference between a local and a remote replica, so you'll not have any problems with later replication sends.