CentOS expanding directory

Question

I currently have a file server, and all the files are installed in /usr/local/nginx/html/.

The setup is one hard disk with 1 TB of data. This 1 TB of storage is all used up.

I asked the guys to add two HDDs with 2 TB each. These new HDDs will be used for new storage of files. Now, if I mount these two new HDDs into /usr/local/nginx/html/, the current files in there will be deleted.

My goal is to expand the storage in /usr/local/nginx/html/ without losing data in it. Would this be possible?

Did you consider using RAID on your server to protect against data loss (disk failure)? — Khaled, Mar 21 '12 at 17:07
… or moving him over to FreeBSD and using ZFS. True enough — MikeyB, Mar 21 '12 at 21:09

MikeyB · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-21T17:46:09.953

13

The easiest way of moving the files over to the new mountpoint is:

# cd /usr/local/nginx/html
# vi /etc/fstab # (add the new disk to the fstab now so you don't forget!)
# mount /usr/local/nginx/html
# mv * /usr/local/nginx/html

And by the way, use RAID :)

edited Mar 21 '12 at 17:46

answered Mar 21 '12 at 17:13

MikeyB

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+1, referencing current yet unreachable directory. Love it! – Jeff Ferland Mar 21 '12 at 17:17
That's very clever. Took me a few seconds to work out how it could work. And yes - use RAID! – D_Bye Mar 21 '12 at 17:19
2

This is *terrible*, yet also, strangely wonderful... – voretaq7 Mar 21 '12 at 17:20
Wow.. wonderful solution. – Tim Brigham Mar 21 '12 at 17:26
I'm not sure if this is evil or genius. Evil genius? – Justin ᚅᚔᚈᚄᚒᚔ Mar 21 '12 at 18:20

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 21 '12 at 16:59

The files wouldn't be deleted by mounting another device at /usr/local/nginx/html - they would just be masked beneath the mounted file system.

In such a situation, I would install the new disks, create appropriate file systems (can't help there - I don't use Linux), temporarily mount the new disk at, say, /mnt and move the data from /usr/local/nginx/html to /mnt. You can then unmount the new device, and mount it at /usr/local/nginx/html and all your current files will be available on the new disk, along with all that extra capacity.

CentOS expanding directory

2 Answers2

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