Mick Mickle

(Tried to post this as a support contact, but the contact web pages produce only an error right now.)
 
In Essentials Experience VM of Windows Server 2012 R2, the DrivePool drive letter doesn't show up as a location available for indexing in Indexing Options (see attachments).  The Pool drive letter (X:) does display in Disk Management and Explorer and Dashboard.
As a result, I don't have ability to stream media remotely (yes, I know about Subsonic ) or to add shared folders on the Server drive X: to my HTPC Win 7 libraries ("not indexed" error).
 
I went back to my earlier two VMs with DrivePool installed, WHS2011 (v. 2.1.0.437) and WS2012E (v. 2.1.0.420), and both had the DrivePool letter in the Indexing Options location.  So I don't think this has anything to do with the beta DrivePool version, which seems to have been working great since I installed in WS2012R2E, except for this indexing issue.
 
Is there a way to add the Pool drive letter to indexing or Windows Search locations in the registry . . . . or what?
 
(BTW, I take it that the Re-index option is not in v. 2 of DrivePool?)
 
Edit:  Since the Contact page is working again today, I just made a ticket on this.   Also found that registry entries for Win8.1 (DrivePool not installed) and WS2012R2E have "invalid entries" for DriveTypes in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\VolumeInfoCache\. Those invalid entries didn't exist for earlier Windows versions. Could that be a clue?

Christopher / Alex,
 
Please comment on the portability aspects of moving a Pool from WHS 2011 to Windows Server 2012 Essentials and back.  I'm posting this question here rather than in a support contact because the general information and guidance can also apply to what other users might want to do.  Basically, for testing or trial purposes, what steps and precautions should be followed to move a full pool of pass-through disks from a VM with one OS to another VM with a different OS and back again without risking data loss on the pool?  I think this would also apply to moving the pool intact between different computers or motherboards or upgrading then reverting OSs.
 
Scenario: As you know from my previous support tickets (640360 & 8209559), I've been having trouble with freezes of my WHS2011 VM (Hyper-V) when the DrivePool service is manually enabled (even running minimal msconfig settings and without the Scanner service). This occurred with the latest v 1.3 and also after I upgraded to the latest release of v 2.  Usually the hang will occur at some point during the measuring stage; for some boots, though, the DrivePool service enters a steady state and presumably executes its management tasks okay.  I know that I can operate this way indefinitely without data risk if I keep in mind what Alex told me that I've pasted into the end of this post for the benefit of all.  
 
But after exhausting much of my hardware and software troubleshooting resources, I'd like to move the full single pool of 7 HDDs (16.7TB) to a VM with Windows Server 2012 Essentials to see if the problem disappears.  If it still exists, the root of the problem will probably by the host hardware or software.  However, I'm not prepared to commit to that server upgrade change from WHS2011 yet, so I want to be able to reattach the hard drives to the WHS2011 VM.  Naturally, I don't want WS2012E to massage the Client Computer Backups folder on the pool and declare the backups corrupt.  (The current native WS2012E Client Computer Backups folder is with its other default server folders on the system C: drive now, so I'm thinking that WS2012E won't automatically try to connect to the similar folder on the DrivePool pool.  Still, . . . . . .)  Here's what I think I need to do.  Please correct me where wrong and let me know what pitfalls are in store:
 
Steps:
 
1. Install DrivePool 2 into WS2012E VM and shut down.
 
2. In Windows Explorer, rename (slightly) Client Computer Backups folder in the DrivePool drive's \ServerFolders in the WHS2011 VM (will cause a pre-defined server folder missing error and stop the Windows Server Client Computer Backup Service) and shut down.  (?? - Not sure this is necessary as a safeguard to keep WS2012E from playing with it after the pool is moved.)
 
3. Remove the physical hard disks from the WHS2011 VM using Hyper-V Manager.
 
4. Add the physical hard disks to the WS2012E VM.
 
5. Start the WS2012E VM.  DrivePool should find the full pool intact.
 
6. Run the WSS Troubleshooter Reset NTSF Permissions on the Pool and Restore DrivePool Shares.  (?? - Not sure this is necessary unless the intent is to keep the pool on the new server, particularly if the plan is to return to the old server.)
 
To return the pool to the previous server:
 
1. Shut down both VMs.
 
2. Remove the physical hard disks from the WS2012E VM.
 
3. Add the physical hard disks to the WHS2011 VM.
 
4. Using Windows Explorer, reverse renaming of Client Computer Backups folder in Step 2 of first move above.
 
5. Run WSS Troubleshooter Reset NTSF Permissions on the Pool if it was done for Step 6 above. 
 
6. You should be back to where you started.
 
__________________________________________________________
 
Using DrivePool without the service: In reference to my statement above that the DrivePool service doesn't have to be run in order to use DrivePool (provided you have sufficient free space on all pool disks), I thought I'd include this clarification that Alex provided me in a support contact concerning data risk  --
 
Q. "What are the risks for regular use (of DrivePool with the DrivePool.Service.exe service disabled) until the service is re-enabled?":
 
A.  •Risks to data integrity:

◦If you have real-time duplication enabled: NONE.
◦Background (or nightly) duplication will not function.
 
      •No pool management.

◦You will not be able to add / remove disks from the pool or perform any kind of pool management.
 
      •Risks to running out of disk space:

◦There is a complicated mathematical model that we use to re-balance your pool to provide maximum available disk space for duplicated files. This will not function with the service disabled.
 
A simple example of this (but it can get much more complicated):
 
◾You add a 100 GB disk (#1) to the pool.
◾You fill that disk up to 90 GB.
◾Then you decide to add another 100 GB disk (#2) to the pool.
◾Your pool is now 200 GB in size with 90 GB used.
BUT, you can only copy 10 GB of new duplicated data onto it because disk #1 only has 10 GB free.

◦So if the service is not running, you risk running out of disk space.
 
      In short, the service is not involved in reading or writing data to or from the pool. But maintenance and administrative tasks will not function.

Here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth:  My number one choice is TeamViewer.  I've been using it on my Android devices for over a year now, and it works great to get to PC desktops. (And it's free for personal use. TeamViewer also has versions for iPhones and Windows 8 phones.)  Basically, it's like RDP to the PC of your choice (after you install it on the PC as well).  And it has a file transfer mode.  If you set up a free optional account with TeamViewer, then you can pick and choose which computers you want to connect to at any time.  For some reason -- limited access, I guess -- I haven't installed TeamViewer directly on my server.  Instead, I RDP into the server from the client computer that I connect to with TeamViewer.
 
One other nice thing about TeamViewer is that, in some ways, it can subjectively outperform RDP across the Internet when calling home with your laptop.
 
The second thing I've been using is AiCloud, which is embedded in current Asus Routers (RT-N66U/R is the one I have).  With AiCloud, you can play music and video files directly from the server to your device, and you can wake any of the computers on the router. There's an iOS version in addition to Android, but I'm not sure about Win8RT.
 
I've also used ES File Explorer around the house to get files from the server to my Samsung Galaxy SIII and Motorola Xoom on the LAN, but not so much anymore after discovering TeamViewer.

Here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth:  My number one choice is TeamViewer.  I've been using it on my Android devices for over a year now, and it works great to get to PC desktops. (And it's free for personal use. TeamViewer also has versions for iPhones and Windows 8 phones.)  Basically, it's like RDP to the PC of your choice (after you install it on the PC as well).  And it has a file transfer mode.  If you set up a free optional account with TeamViewer, then you can pick and choose which computers you want to connect to at any time.  For some reason -- limited access, I guess -- I haven't installed TeamViewer directly on my server.  Instead, I RDP into the server from the client computer that I connect to with TeamViewer.
 
One other nice thing about TeamViewer is that, in some ways, it can subjectively outperform RDP across the Internet when calling home with your laptop.
 
The second thing I've been using is AiCloud, which is embedded in current Asus Routers (RT-N66U/R is the one I have).  With AiCloud, you can play music and video files directly from the server to your device, and you can wake any of the computers on the router. There's an iOS version in addition to Android, but I'm not sure about Win8RT.
 
I've also used ES File Explorer around the house to get files from the server to my Samsung Galaxy SIII and Motorola Xoom on the LAN, but not so much anymore after discovering TeamViewer.