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Upgrading HP Microserver Gen8 from DSM 5.2 to newest stable version


Niels_J

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Hi!

I haven't been in here for years, as my system has been running flawlessly. (Thank you for the help back then!)
 

Now I'd like to go from a single HDD to three in a Raid5 configuration. I have a backup of everything on the current disc, so a fresh install/configuration is ok.

The server is a HP Microserver Gen 8 (part.no. 819185-421) with a GT1610T processor and 4GB RAM, and I have the "DSM 5.2-5644 Update 3" on a 16GB USB stick in the internal port.

I'm using the NAS as server for all my photos, home videos, music, some race videos, and documents.

I've gotten a new laptop since my first install, so I can't remenber if I had to compile anything before pluggin the USB in, so I'm wondering if it worth the risk/hassle with a newer DSM, or if I should stick with DSM5.2 and install all the discs.

 

Any advise/suggestions are highly appreciated :-)

 

 

Best regards,

Niels
 

 

 

DSM.png

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since no one else has responded I will... however I'm by no means an expert.  I'd probably recommend DSM 6.2.3-25426 Update3,  Jun's loader 1.03b... DS3615xs as the latest stable setup.  I know you can usually add disks to RAID 5, but I'm not sure how DSM handles that.  Since you have everything backed up, perhaps you could add the disks to your current Xpenology setup, and see if you can extend the voume(s) with 5.2.  Then build the new 6.2 loader and the new DSM "should/might" recognize the 5.2 system and upgrade it (keeping all the data).  If that doesn't work you could do a fresh install with all the disks... configure the raid... and restore your backup.  FWIW others may suggest you try to go to DSM 7 via the "Redpill" loader (see developers discussion forum).  I have not been able to get the Redpill loader to work on any of my hardware as adding the (evidently required) driver extensions is more than I'm willing to try to get into right now.

 

If you haven't built a loader in a while I find this tool still useful (even though it's 4 years old).  You should be able to build the 6.2 loader on your new laptop no problem.

 

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Hi there! Thank you for the replies! I'll haec a look into it later tonight. I can't remember anything of how I did it the last time, so I need some time and concentration before I jump into it.

I just had a look at the current stick that's in my NAS. Doesn't look like much!  (and the folders are all empty)

 

I'll keep you posted with progress :-)

stick.png

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On 2/2/2022 at 7:56 PM, Badger said:

 

If you haven't built a loader in a while I find this tool still useful (even though it's 4 years old).  You should be able to build the 6.2 loader on your new laptop no problem.

 

 

What an excellent tool, thank you! The Win32 DiskImag is named RUFUS, and I'm still not sure about the PAT file. Other than that, it worked... :D

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On 2/3/2022 at 5:02 PM, billat29 said:

If you decide to do an upgrade (rather than fresh install) then you need to delete the hidden .xpenoboot directory before you start otherwise you will have great problems when you try to start 6.2.3 for the first time.

 

 

I think you got me there! 🤦‍♂️

Badger's link to a great tool worked, and the system started up asking for migration or clean install. I would have liked clean install without data, but that wasn't possibe, so I chose migration.  And now find.synology.com is just searching, searching, searching...
I think I'll try to unplug the old discs, and start up with only the new.

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22 minutes ago, Badger said:

Also a good idea to completely start over... building the loader on the USB.  If you did complete the DSM install, the USB stick is modified during that process.  So delete all the partitions on the USB and build the loader again.

Just did that. Had a message with new discs in station (or similar, can't quite remember. Only had an option to restart, so I did... and can't re-connect. Now I've built a third USB stick, will remove the discs and get DSM up and running before adding discs.
Can't figure out if I should format the discs on a different computer, or plug them in and hope the system doesn't recognize the older DSM on one of the discs.

 

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DSM gets installed on the disks so you will need at least one installed. 

You will also need to wipe the system partition of any disk you have tried if you are going for reinstall. But before you do all that, Just to check, which version of the loader did you use and what version of the .pat file.

There is something in the back of my mind about the gen8 but I can't recall it. 

I don't know whether this post might help.

 

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Just to check, which version of the loader did you use and what version of the .pat file.
There is something in the back of my mind about the gen8 but I can't recall it. 
I don't know whether this post might help.
 


I've used the 1.03b.
I figured out to download the pat-file, but I don't get far enough to point to it.

I've read the post with the Bios, but I can't figure out if Bios or DSM should control eg. the fan, and if I even have the choice.
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Nice if a gen 8 user would stop by!

 

Sorry I think I misunderstood where you were.

First a couple of links:

https://xpenology.com/forum/topic/13333-tutorialreference-6x-loaders-and-platforms/

and

https://xpenology.com/forum/topic/7973-tutorial-installmigrate-dsm-52-to-61x-juns-loader/

The second talks about 6.1 but the method applies to 6.2. It is also older than the tool @Badgerpointed to you. (Like me!)

I think that you have done this:

run the tool

selected 1.03b DS3615xs or DS3617xs

add the vid and pid for your USB stick (you are using that not an internal SD card reader?)

Serial and mac.

Insert and boot.

Having got as far as the "find.synology" message you are trying to find it on the network?

Edited by billat29
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Latest update :-)

 

Unplugged old discs and put in 3rd fresh USB stick in the internal USB port. (right next to the SD card reader.

Started to machinery and got to the install page in my web browser. Pointed to the pat-file and waited for a reboot.
Now I'm about to choose between automatic updates, important updates etc. I'll go with "notify me, but let me choose".

.

..

...

And now it's working :-D

About to set up the disc/RAID. 🤞

 

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Oh well..    The install went fine. Turned the DS off, re-inserted the old disc, started.  Got the Recover message like here, because of the old disc containing DSM5.2 🤦‍♂️
I can't proceed without clicking recover, and now there's no DS on LAN 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
 

Some time ago I bougt a USB-2-IDE/SATA converter to empty various oldl discs. Before re-inserting the DSM5.2 disc in the NAS I tried to format it by PC, but I could connect to it.  Are there any other ways to empty a disc, or make it a slave, so the system won't try to boot on it? Perhaps move it to another position/cable?

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I hope that you have your data secure somewhere. I am assuming that as you were prepared to format the old disk, that you do.

If you don't :( then given that you failed to format it, then this might get data off the disk:

 

 

The old disk isn't formatted with something Windows likes so you need to use something like diskpart under windows  to delete the partitions on the old disk if you want to reuse it.

 

So. Take all the disks out and boot the box with just the USB. If you can find the install page, then good. Otherwise you overwrote the loader and you need to recreate it :(

Put one new disk in. If you can boot,  start DSM. Hopefully a 6.2.3 system will come up. If not, you need to delete the partitions off the disk and start the install process again.

 

Once up and running again, create a basic storage pool on the new disc.

You can now copy your data onto the system.

Once done, you can put the two other disks in and expand the array to create a RAID5 array. This will take some time and put that old disk under some stress.

 

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Latest update:

 

Took all dics and the USB stick out. After some fiddling around with diskpart, I used the second method from here.

Worked great. I even used for the USB stick, as a second attempt to write the image always halts at some 30%.

 

Plugged stick in, all discs in, turned on.

"Welcome to your new DiskStation" :D

 

Pointed to the pat file, created name, created pool, disc unit etc. I've gone for the btrfs-file system. I don't know it, but it was the recommended option. Last time I had to choose between file formats was on Windows XP :lol:

 

Now it's checking for something parity consistensy, so I'll leave it for the night and check again tomorrow 🤞

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there!

Sorry for the late update.
I'm up and running. I'm not too familiar with the DSM, so I created one (1!) shared folder when creating the storage pool, and put everything in there.
Then I created other folders and put data there. Then I realised that folders can't be changed to shared folder, so I had to do it all over again 🤦‍♂️

 

I've installed an extra 4Gb RAM (because I found a cheap, used one), and discs are 29% full, so at current rate it should be some 12 years before I need more space :lol:
 

DSM7 is tempting, and this current upgrade wasn't months of hard work. Perhaps if there's a stable-easy-to-install-version coming I'll give it a go, but for now I'll leave it as it is 👌

Edited by Niels_J
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