Hi Forum,
I have bought a new Qnap and will move my Server from the old to new one.
I know how to move the media, but how can i move the “Server”?
I mean the Metadata and all users and my libraries?
Thank you for your help.
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Install PMS on the new box
Then disable PMS on both
Install this: forums.plex.tv/discussion/234641/create-a-share-for-plex-library-directory#latest
Then use QNAP’s replication to copy the share over:
qnap.com/en/how-to/tutorial/article/how-to-set-up-remote-replication-on-qnap-nas
All above req. that filepath/dir names are identical on both NAS boxes, and if not, use this
/T
Hi dane22,
it did not work for me.
Because i could not have both Systems running same time (transfered the HDDs) i make a copy of the whole Plex share (5,3 GB) to my backup disk and then after setting up the new Qnap, i copy the Media dir and the plex share back.
But there is no Mediathek.
Same directories as bevor.
After installing PMS in the new QNAP you should stop it, delete all the contents of the Plex share (but not the Plex share itself), and copy all the contents of the Plex share of the old QNAP to the new one (PMS must be stopped before making backups of the old system, otherwise they are unusable). Then start PMS, and at this point in time you will have metadata, but probably you cannot play anything because the media files may be located in a different path.
Therefore you must add the new paths to the old ones, and do this in all the libraries. Then you must refresh all libraries. The consequence of this step of the migration is that PMS now thinks that there are two copies of each media file (one in the “old path”, that no longer exists, and one in the “new path”).
Then you must do a “Plex dance” (Refresh all -> Optimize -> Clean Bundles -> Empty trash) so that traces of the old paths are removed. PMS keeps the metadata of each media file irrespective of it’s path, therefore your ratings, viewing staus, personal posters, etc. will survive the “plex dance” if, and only if, you added all the the new paths to the libraries. If you try to do a “plex dance” with only some libraries updated with new paths, you will loose the metadata for the ones whose paths have not been updated, and you will have to recreate them.
This worked for me when moving from a Syno to a QNAP, it should also work when moving from QNAP to QNAP.
I did exactly what you wrote, but there are no libraries.
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PMS logs please
I did a complete new setup.
So the Problem is solved for this time.
But i dont know what went wrong.
Thx Dane for the solution. Worked like a charm.
Cheers.
This doesnt work. Been trying it for hours. I’m done.
Sorry I didn’t see this until just now.
There is a ‘hands on’ method of doing this if you aren’t afraid of working in the command line.
Clone the original system:
- Uncheck “Empty Trash” (Setting - Server - Library) so you won’t lose metadata during the transfer
- Stop PMS
- SSH into the old QNAP
-
cd /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer
4 Now pick a location (one of your other shares to put this output data… I’ll use “movies” as example) tar cf /share/movies/PlexLibrary.tar ./Library- Now copy
PlexLibrary.tar(in the movies share) from the original to the new. Place it where you can easily get to it.
Restoring the cloned copy.
- Install PMS on the new system
- Stop PMS on the new system
- SSH into the new system
cd /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServermv Library Library.emptytar xf /path/to/where/the/tar/file/is/PlexLibrary.tar- Start PMS.
- Make any adjustments you need to the library paths and re-enable “Empty trash” after all media has been found again.
After you’ve verified PMS works correctly, you can delete the .tar file and uninstall the old system. At minimum, delete the Preferences.xml from it so it doesn’t collide with the new system at Plex.tv
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This worked GREAT! Moved 7.2GB tar file across to new NAS and Presto! Thanks!
These instructions worked great for me but I made three changes that may be helpful to some:
-
Between steps 3 and 4 on the original system I used the command
“getcfg -f /etc/config/qpkg.conf PlexMediaServer Install_path”
to identify the path to the Plex Media Server. That is suggested in the Support
Articles “Where is the Plex Media Server data directory located?” and “Move an Install to Another System.” In my case, on an old system, the answer told me that “CACHEDEV1_DATA” was the wrong reference. My system was using “MD0_DATA” instead. -
At step 5, I had to expand the path from “/share/movies” to the equivalent of “/share/CACHEDEV1_Data/movies”
-
I repeated the use of getcfg between steps 3 and 4 on the restoration which confirmed that “CACHEDEV1_Data” was correct on the new system.
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May I ask a question of all reading here?
If you could have your Plex metadata available to you as /share/PlexData by default, would this ease use on QNAP?
It will be the same functionality as PMSLibShare except built into PMS
This would mirror what is currently done for Synology.
2 Likes
Yes i think it would make live easier sometimes.
But i do Not understand:
It will be the same functionality as PMSLibShare EXCEPT built into PMS
Correct, it will be the same functionality as PlexLibShare but implemented differently.
PlexLibShare is a share which points into the /share/CACHDEV1_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer/Library
What I propose is:
/share/PlexData/Library which is free standing. Plex is reconfigured to look for metadata there.
Backups and restores would be trivial.
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I have been reading forms and still have some questions as nothing seems to match my situation exactly. I am upgrading to a .QNAP TVS-882. The name of the NAS is different however the PMS folder and sub-folders are exactly the same. I have already copied over the media files (7TB) to the various folders within the PMS folder. I want to move the user info, metadata, and all other user data (example: watched shows per account) so I don’t have to rebuild it from scratch. I’m not great with Linux, but I do have Putty and can log into both NAS devices.
In the forum post (above), I tried to tar out the Library but it keeps saying it doesn’t exist.
cd /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/.qpkg/PlexMediaServer (mine is CACHEDEV2)
tar cf /share/movies/PlexLibrary.tar ./Library
Just to be aware. I am currently running version 1.14.1.5488 on the TS-453-Pro NAS. I am doing this because I cannot upgrade the firmware on the NAS currently which is required and thus part of the reason I am upgrading to a new NAS.
On the new TVS-882 I have not installed the PMS yet, but it is ready to install version 1.15.4
See this thread
The instructions from ChuckPa worked perfectly. Copied the Plexlibrary and modified the library paths to the new location, it was as if PMS never had been down.
Hi ChcukPA
I’ve just founds this thread as my new QNAP arrives today.
Was there any other way other than command line to do this eg from the webconsole?
If not do I need to have the same NAS name once I copy the files or will just copying the files using something like putty be ok.
Thanks
J
Read the thread 
Especially this post: Moving Plex from one Qnap to a other Qnap - #17 by dane22
