Migrating to a New PlexServer - Basic strategy

Plex Media Server
1

I"m hoping for some basic guidance after reading the guides.

I purchased a new NAS.

I want to setup another plex server with the same movies, metadata and media. The folder structure will be different though for the video content.

My strategy is:

  1. Copy the Metadata and Media folders to the installation directory of the new NAS
  2. Go through the setup wizard pointing to the directories that contain the movies and tv shows.

I’m hoping that plex picks up the media (cover art, thumbnails, etc.) and metadata correctly since they are the same files.

Is that going to work? Am i missing anything?

Server Version#: 1.26.0
Player Version#: Latest

The new one will be on a QNAP TS-873A.

2

You do not want to run the setup wizard on the new system.

See this support document: Move an Install to Another System

The QNAP FAQ has helpful information about running Plex on a QNAP NAS: Qnap faq……read me first! .

3

I was reading that but there are some differences:

I’m not trying to move the server but COPY it. I do not want to mess up my original until the first one is working perfect. When I copied Preferences.XML it messed with my original server. Thankfully I had a backup of it. For awhile I couldn’t access my videos on the player.

Why would it do that? Is my original server safe?

Advice?

4

If you want to COPY the server, you do want everything under /share/CACHEDEVx_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer/Library EXCEPT Preferences.xml

You can copy the whole thing over but don’t forget to delete Preferences.xml on the new machine before you start it.

Preferences.xml contains the server’s identity info.

5

Ah! That makes great sense. Thank you. The copy is in progress now. I’ll be sure to remove it when it’s done.

6

@jimerb

BEFORE You get too far into that copying, Did you TURN OFF ALL AUTOMATIC “Library” functions?

Settings - Server - Library - Show Advaned

You don’t want PMS getting on the new machine and start searching for media which is in different places. (It’ll delete all that watch history and metadata unless you turn those automatic features off)

If all the media storage is exactly the same (same shared folder names, etc) then keep on trucking.

7

I have “scan my library automatically” on and “Run a Partial scan when changes are detected.”

It looks like that updates these parameters in preferences.xml (which i’m not copying over):
– FSEventLibraryPartialScanEnabled=“1” FSEventLibraryUpdatesEnabled=“1”

How can i get that file changed before it starts cleaning up? Start the service and then stop it?

I’m abut 3 hours into the copy now. About 50%. done.

8

Here’s a bit of a hack…

AFTER copying is complete.

–On the original machine–

  1. Start PMS
  2. Change the parameters to turn it all off.
  3. SAVE the changes
  4. Stop PMS

– Now for the hack :smiling_imp:

Copy the “Databases” directory again and overwrite the databases previously copied.

9

I see what you mean.

You’re referring to the databases in: …\Plug-in Support\Databases

right?

10

Yes. The entire contents of that Plug-in Support/Databases directory.

11

Got it! I’m going to do this.

12

Hanging around me is usually glorious…

Either

:muscle: success

OR

:fire: failure

:rofl:

13

I just copied a server on linux over.
like everyone said, Preference.xml is the identity of the server. So i copied everything over metadata wise, kept the same file structure though, and then removed Preference.xml and started the server.

For your new files, you’ll end up scanning them at some point, it’ll retain the metadata but it’ll also show you previous file paths as unavailable/can delete. Your new files will take over. (I had Empty trash automatically off until I scan the new library again)

14

Here’s the writeup I have for it:

Don’t forget the manual step with Preferences.xml since you’re duplicating & creating a new server

15

This thread was super helpful to me.
My new server seems to have the art/details in place and is playing nicely so far.

Just wanted to say thanks.

I’ll be bookmarking this post if i ever need to do that again.

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