Does ix-apps need to be migrated to new server?

Apps and Virtualization
1

I’m getting a bit confused reading the documenation and forum posts, so I thought I’d ask.

I’m writing some documentation for myself in case I have to migrate my TrueNAS server to a new server, plugging in my old drives, except the apps_pool drive. It’s old-ish and I’ll probably want a new drive.

I’ve got a bunch of apps that I’ve installed from the TrueNAS apps market and a few custom apps installed using yaml. I created datasets for all the apps and assigned the apps to their respective datasets for storing data.

My question is: does ix-apps need to be migrated to a new server as well?

I understand I can’t snapshot or set up replication tasks from the GUI for ix-apps, but I think I’d lose all the app settings if I don’t copy over the ix-apps to the new server, correct? In which case, I’d have to go into Apps and set them up again and point them to the datasets?

If so, what’s the best way to backup ix-apps and copy it to a new server?

Could I first backup ix-apps by doing something like:

rsync -a --delete --exclude=docker --exclude=app_mounts --exclude=truenas_catalog /mnt/.ix-apps/ <backup location>

and then on the new server:
rsync -a --delete --exclude=docker --exclude=app_mounts --exclude=truenas_catalog
<backup location> /mnt/.ix-apps/

Or is there a better way to do this?

2

What do you mean by ‘migrated’? Are you talking about a completely new server with new storage or are you physically moving the current data storage to the new server?

One is, basically, exporting and importing your current pools while the other would involved something like ZFS replication, etc

3

Sorry, I wasn’t clear and I updated the post.

I’d move over the all the existing drives to the new server, except the apps_pool one since it’s older.

I think that is where .ix-apps exists, right? apps_pool/ix-apps?

4

Why wouldn’t you move them all over to the new server and then use the GUI to replace the “old” apps_pool drives? Or replace the apps_pool drives before you migrate to your new server. Either option is much more simple than what you are proposing.

5

yes, if the old apps pool is staying behind then migrate ix-apps before moving the drives. the app configs, ixvolumes and catalog state are in there. host-path datasets on the other pools stay where they are.

dont rsync /mnt/.ix-apps by hand. use Apps > Configuration > Choose Pool, select the new apps pool, check Migrate existing applications, and let it finish.

that only moves ix-apps and ixvolumes. anything you bind-mounted from normal datasets stays on those datasets, which is fine if those drives are moving to the new box too.