How safely TEST move to new system

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 1.19.3.2852
Player Version#: Web 4.34.3

I’d like to test moving Plex to a new server safely. I’d like to do that by first copying the Plex system rather than moving; if the copy works, then I’d do the move. One thing I’ve seen in all the guides is it’s necessary to move Preferences.xml as well as the metadata directory. But all the guides are centered on moving to another server and don’t concern themselves with copying Plex to another system as a test.

Along these lines there are tags in Preferences.xml that make me wary. The most obvious is the friendly server name (FriendlyName). But there may be other tags whose meaning I don’t know that in total might result in 2 apparent instances of the ‘same’ server instantiated simultaenously. For example these:

  • MachineIdentifier
  • PlexOnlineToken

Is this a real concern? Should I (for example) change the FriendlyName value to something other than the original? What about other tags?

Thanks,
Mark M.

2

The guide is indeed referring to moving an entire setup – not cloning it.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/201370363-move-an-install-to-another-system/

That being said… cloning might not be necessary if you’re ok to keep the original server shut down while you’re testing the new one.

Alternatively… there’s a guide in the Linux Tips & Tricks section that details how to handle copying a server (vs. just moving it):

3

I’m probably missing something, but it doesn’t seem to me that the Linux Tip you reference addresses copying a server, rather how to move the metadata location.

Can I verify with you that it would be safe to do the copy/clone test as long as I keep the source/production system shutdown during the test?

I had them both up yesterday and got in trouble. I wound up having to delete the original server from authorized devices and reclaim it and re-invite my users. I suspect this is because of something in the mirrored Preferences.xml. Or something else I screwed up.

Thanks!
Mark M

4

Running 2 servers with the same name / machine identifiers will give Plex the hiccups.
There should have been however no need to delete/re-claim the server after shutting down the other one.

5

Okay, thanks!

I will copy the Plex metadata (media files already on target server), shutdown source server and startup target server. In addition to following recommended procedures for moving.

6

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.