move from nsync to new folder

[Brucey7]

I run 5 Thecus 5200 PRO boxes and use the 5th one for making RAID5 arrays populated with data for customers. I want to use the LAN ports interconnected with a crossover cable and nsync for this purpose so I don't slow down my ethernet network.

nsync has to run several times, it appears to time out before it's transferred the full 4TB of data, but I can live with this.

Is there then a way to rename that target nsync folder? or to move the data from it (quickly, because it's 4TB) to another folder? Or do I have to bring it down the ethernet cable, process it with a client computer and shoot it back down the ethernet cable to the new folder?

[pit234a]

Hi Brucey7.
I do not fully understand what you exactly want and have no knowledge of nsync.
My answer concerns the behavior of the command mv (move) with busybox and ext3 file system.
That command is the basic method to rename folders or files in a Unix environment, what busybox/Linux in fact is. Because it does exactly this in the first place, mv is just renaming the given file and is done pretty soon. That is correct, as long as your new file-name points to the same storage media, the same partition. As soon, as you have a transfer over partitions or to other storage media, other hard drives or other devices on a media port or in the network, all the data has to be transferred and this needs as long, as the media involved with the transfer just needs.
I want try an example.
Lets assume, you have a folder on your raid, what is somewhat like /dev/vg0 and you have this mounted to /mnt/my_raid and there the folders name is fun.
mv /mnt/my_raid/fun /mnt/my_raid/had_fun
will be done very soon and gives your folder fun a new name had_fun, but on the same device, same partition.
Lets say, you have an usb drive and mounted this to /mnt/usb, than
mv /mnt/my_raid/fun /mnt/usb/had_fun
will need not only to replace the name, but will first copy all the data contained in /mnt/my_raid/fun to the new folder /mnt/usb/had_fun on the usb-device, it will also need the time to delete the old contains of /mnt/my_raid/fun and the folder itself and this can need a while of course, depending on the amount and structure (lots of sub folders takes way longer than plain files) of your data.
That behavior is true for ext2, where only header and metadata has to be changed and for ext3, where also journaling data have to be written with the mv command. It maybe dramatically different with other file systems, especially with FAT types.
It is also true for such alike operations on exported shares that are ext2 or ext3, what are mounted on a guest PC. So, I can move files with mouse actions from one place to an other on the same partition of the raid in my NAS and it will happen just in time. Only the action commands have to run over network, the file transfer or rename happens on the NAS and I see the result, again by transfer of the appropriate data over network, not the contents of the concerned files or folders.
Hope that may help you in a way.

[Brucey7]

I don't know how to control these boxes other than through the web gui. I tried to rename the nsync folder, intending to recreate it afterwords, but this is a display only field on the web gui.

In summary, I'm trying to duplicate folders on another box by only using a crossover cable and the Nsync facility, keeping all the data traffic off my network.

[peterfu]

There is no way to copy or move the data quick via the Web Interface - If You want to have mirrored N5200 (mirror on N5200 to another N5200), then You might want to take a look on the RSYNC module availabe at the thecus wiki - once installed and configured it will do everything automatically. Configuration will need some manual work via console on both N5200 (one is the rsync-server which holds the data, the other one is the rsync-client which mirrors the data).
To move data quick between the nsync folder and other folders manual work via console is necesarry as described by pit234a.
br
Peter

[Brucey7]

Thank you Peter. How do I access the console?

[peterfu]

You need following modules for console access:
SSHD
SYSUSER
all available on the thecus wiki page : http://onbeat.dk/thecus/index.php/Main_Page

Please change immediate the password of the user sys after installing the SYSUSER module via the module property page. Access is then possible via ssh - i.e tool for Windows is putty (freeware). You should have at least minimum linux knowledge to work with the console.

For rsync the module RSYNC is needed - available also on the thecus wiki pages.

Be aware that all the modules on the thecus wiki page are supported and maintained from the community and that these modules are not official thecus modules. Discussions about the modules are mainly done in the thecus user group (also not a thecus official one) : http://thecususergroup.proboards106.com/.

I use some of the modules for myself and also maintain modules.

br
Peter