MinimServer complexity (was Configuration Backup)

[NASssd]

(26-09-2014 17:15)DavidHB Wrote:  

(26-09-2014 16:08)NASssd Wrote:  If I were to not have a problem, but wanted to upgrade storage to SSD drives, could I use the MInimServer.config file on new Raid 0 setup. Lets say I have two 3 tb Western Digital conventional spin drives in Raid 1 and get two 500 GB SSD drives and install them in a Raid 0 configuration in my Synology, can I use the the MinimServer.config file from the Western Digital Raid 1 configuration on the SSD Raid 0 setup?

In those circumstances, you would be rebuilding your system from scratch (and would need to back up the contents of your NAS fully before changing the disks). Depending on your circumstances, and given that the cost of 2 500GB SSDs is a significant investment, it might be worth going the extra mile, and putting a completely new NAS on the network. This would make migration easier and safer.

Simon is the expert, but my experience with copying and pasting values and the fact that the .config file is plain text indicates to me that the old .config file can be copied to the location of the new installation and used as before. The one setting you need to be careful with is contentDir; the location of the music folder(s) on the new setup must be exactly the same as on the old, or this setting (and therefore MinimServer) will not work.

If I were doing the job with 2 NASs in place (at least temporarily), I would copy the music to and set up MinimServer (with default settings) on the new NAS. Then, using MinimWatch, I'd open Properties windows for both instances of MinimServer, and copy and paste the settings to the new instance as necessary (some of the default settings, including, probably, contentDir, will not need to be changed). That way, you can check the settings as you go. Having done essentially the same job, as described in my last post, I can confirm that the settings process only takes a few minutes.

David.

Thank you for the reply. I will take screen shots of my current MinimWatch settings and then completely reconfigure my settings upon installing the SSD's. My plan is to purify my tags on my current music database on my Western Digital 3TB drives. As I go, I have two separate external back up drives to ensure the data is protected. I will then do a factory reset on my Synology 214Play and install the two Samsung 840 Pro 500 GB SSD's. I will set up a Raid 0 configuration and get all my music files copied into a music directory. At this point I will load Java and MinimServer and then configure manually with MinimWatch. This is going to be a lot of work, but my hope is an over all increase in performance. I read a post on this forum about using MinimServer with an SSD and transcoding and how much better the system sounded. I have been able to get a tremendous increase in sound quality with transcoding to wav and separate linear power supplies along with an HP Procurve switch. I have also noticed a notable difference with better ethernet cables. My quest is to turn my Synology into a hi end transport. So far it is working. My system is sounding better and better with every step I take. This forum is really an excellent resource for a digital audiophile. I really appreciate all the support. Thanks Again,

Mark