Migration from Windows to Ubuntu/Docker Workflow

[vmcosco 24]

I am migrating from Emby Server running on Windows 11 to Docker on Ubuntu Server.  I’ve  read through a number of threads and came up with the workflow below.  Let me know if ow if this looks right.  Couple of questions as well.

1. Backup Windows Emby server using backup add in
2. Clean Emby install on Ubuntu
   1. Basic setup
   2. Create identical libraries with new paths
3. Restore users and user data from backup using back up add in

Am I missing anything?  

Will this restore “recently added” lists of episodes, movies and albums to match the old install or will they be based on when added to new libraries? 

Do I need to create the users in the new install prior to restoring?

[Luke 42077]

Hi, yes that looks good. Yes you will need to create the users. This is not a complete backup and restore, so you will see some differences I imagine.

Quote

Will this restore “recently added” lists of episodes, movies and albums to match the old install or will they be based on when added to new libraries? 

Depends on your metadata, the date added behavior option, etc.

[vmcosco 24]

38 minutes ago, Luke said:

Depends on your metadata, the date added behavior option, etc.

Is there something I can do in my current server to make sure the recently added is handled that way? Something I can set in the new server?

[Luke 42077]

If you have nfo files and they contain the date added value, then that is the best way. Otherwise the info will be read again from date created timestamps of the files, and there can sometimes be variations with that when changing platforms.

[vmcosco 24]

In case anyone search's this topic and finds this thread, I wanted to document my full workflow that worked flawlessly.

This was for migrating Emby Server from running on Windows 11 to running in Docker on Ubuntu Server.  My media paths changed but I have always had my Emby Server set to save metadata to NFOs in the media folders so the changed paths did not matter.

1. Back up the original Emby Server
2. Create a new backup location for the new server
3. Copy the most recent "full" and "server database" backups of the old server, to the new backup location
4. Do a fresh install of Emby Server in its new location.  DO NOT restore anything
5. Set up the Libraries for the new server; pointing them to the correct folder locations
6. Click through each setting on the new server and update them to match the old server (network settings will likely be a new local IP address)
7. Create users on the new server to match the old server.  They do not have to match exactly but should be easily identifiable.
8. Wait for Libraries to completely import and populate; "watched" statuses will be gone but do not panic
9. Go to "Backup & Restore" and set the Backup Folder to the new backup location
10. Current Backup Date should be the date of the most recent old server backup (that was copied into the new backup folder)
11. Click "Extract Data From Backup",  make sure the old user (left) matches the new user (right); click "Restore from Backup"

The watched statuses on the new server should now match the watch statuses on the old server.  I hope this helps.

Edit:  I recommend deleting the old server backup files/folders from the new back up location.  That way when the new server does its first back up, it will due a full backup of the new server.

Edited April 7, 2025 by vmcosco

[Jack Burton 98]

On 4/7/2025 at 1:20 PM, vmcosco said:

In case anyone search's this topic and finds this thread, I wanted to document my full workflow that worked flawlessly.

This was for migrating Emby Server from running on Windows 11 to running in Docker on Ubuntu Server.  My media paths changed but I have always had my Emby Server set to save metadata to NFOs in the media folders so the changed paths did not matter.

1. Back up the original Emby Server
2. Create a new backup location for the new server
3. Copy the most recent "full" and "server database" backups of the old server, to the new backup location
4. Do a fresh install of Emby Server in its new location.  DO NOT restore anything
5. Set up the Libraries for the new server; pointing them to the correct folder locations
6. Click through each setting on the new server and update them to match the old server (network settings will likely be a new local IP address)
7. Create users on the new server to match the old server.  They do not have to match exactly but should be easily identifiable.
8. Wait for Libraries to completely import and populate; "watched" statuses will be gone but do not panic
9. Go to "Backup & Restore" and set the Backup Folder to the new backup location
10. Current Backup Date should be the date of the most recent old server backup (that was copied into the new backup folder)
11. Click "Extract Data From Backup",  make sure the old user (left) matches the new user (right); click "Restore from Backup"

The watched statuses on the new server should now match the watch statuses on the old server.  I hope this helps.

Edit:  I recommend deleting the old server backup files/folders from the new back up location.  That way when the new server does its first back up, it will due a full backup of the new server.

I'm about to go through the same. Appreciate the write up. Fingers crossed!

[DylanParham 14]

On 8/14/2025 at 4:53 PM, Jack Burton said:

I'm about to go through the same. Appreciate the write up. Fingers crossed!

How'd it go? Were you able to successfully migrate?

[Jack Burton 98]

2 minutes ago, DylanParham said:

How'd it go? Were you able to successfully migrate?

It went just fine. I just moved over to Cachyos though and having nothing but problems with file permissions haha.