Backup / Restore plugin - can it restore between windows and linux ?

[vaise 340]

I have been backing up my emby for years using the plugin.

I am now building a new unRaid system to see if this will work for me in a one stop shop solution.

I have copied my media.

I have installed the emby docker app.

So....  is it possible for the backup/restore plugin to restore anything from my windows server backup to this docker ?

I can set everything up manually but the one thing I really want is the watched hisytory, so if there is a way of just copying that over, that would be ok too.

 

[Luke 42078]

I wouldn't recommend restoring anything with file paths because those paths may not with anymore.

 

I would probably just suggest restoring users and user data. And then rebuild the rest by hand.

[vaise 340]

Thanks luke, does that mean I cant get all the watched history synced ? - there is years of stuff in there for 6 users.

[Luke 42078]

You can restore users and user data and you'll have that.

[vaise 340]

Thanks. So...

 

Add all media

Create media libraries (same names, but diff paths obviously)

Install backup plugin

Run plugin, add location, untick the top three (ystem config, library definition, plugins)

Leave the user stuff all ticked

Untick all under 'more'

and go ?

 

Ta

[Luke 42078]

Sounds good

[vaise 340]

Hi Luke,

 

So I got my media copied, then a restore done as per below :

 

Add all media

Create media libraries (same names, but diff paths obviously)

Install backup plugin

Run plugin, add location, untick the top three (ystem config, library definition, plugins)

Leave the user stuff all ticked

Untick all under 'more'

and go ?

 

But the watched list (i.e the next up) is gone still.

 

Log attached of the process if it helps.

embyserver.txt

[Happy2Play 9780]

Hi Luke,

 

So I got my media copied, then a restore done as per below :

 

Add all media

Create media libraries (same names, but diff paths obviously)

Install backup plugin

Run plugin, add location, untick the top three (ystem config, library definition, plugins)

Leave the user stuff all ticked

Untick all under 'more'

and go ?

 

But the watched list (i.e the next up) is gone still.

 

Log attached of the process if it helps.

 

Has a library scan finished?

[vaise 340]

yep - sorry, should have added that in the list - I did a scan media library before the restore.... but I must say, I never checked it was complete when I did the resotre, so I will do another scan, then another restore (after a restart).

[vaise 340]

Re did the process again - still I have shows in next up that are S01E01 (finished years back).

[ebr 16181]

How old was your other install?

 

We store user data based on a global ID (either tmdb or imdb).  If your original installation was very old, it may have only had tmdb IDs for a lot of your items but the new installation is now finding IMDb IDs as well.

[Luke 42078]

Right, the metadata probably change when you "redid" things, and that's why the user data has also changed. Try marking that episode watched.

[vaise 340]

uuuummmm - ok, so what are you saying here - i can do another backup/restore to fix it, or I cant do it as the underlying system is so old so will never work.

[rhodges 49]

Is your windows install of Emby still up?

 

There are a couple things you could try, if the problem is version specific. Conceptually, I think they'd work. I'd like the experts chime in on the details.

 

Option 1:

Install a version of Linux Emby (LE) that matches your Windows Emby (WE).  Restore your backup per instructions given in the posts in this thread. If that works, then upgrade LE to the latest.

 

Option 2:

Upgrade your WE to the latest version (or whatever version you are using for LE). You might need to refresh all the metadata to get all those new ids to populate. (This is where the expert advice is needed). Then take a new backup and use that over on the matching LE version.

 

Option 3:

This may not be feasible, it depends on how many users you have. It should do watched status, but I don't know if it does position. Create Trakt accounts for each user and use the Trakt plugin to set the watched data for every user on WE. Then do the same over on LE but this time, use the job to import the watched data.

 

Option 4:

This options has the highest learning curve. Learn the API and/or database and use that to extract watched data (and/or position data) from WE. Then do the opposite for LE.

[Happy2Play 9780]

Is Emby restarting when you do the restore process?

[ebr 16181]

uuuummmm - ok, so what are you saying here - i can do another backup/restore to fix it, or I cant do it as the underlying system is so old so will never work.

 

If my supposition is correct, then there will be nothing you can do about it.  You'll just have to manually mark stuff again.

 

However, you should confirm my hypothesis by making sure everything is properly identified and scanned.

 

Repeating the restore won't help.

[vaise 340]

Maybe the plugin can have an update to check/report on that for the future ?

[ebr 16181]

Maybe the plugin can have an update to check/report on that for the future ?

 

There is really nothing to check or report on I'm afraid...

[Happy2Play 9780]

@@ebr

 

So is the only option here getting the userdata table from previous database?

 

https://github.com/MediaBrowser/Wiki/wiki/Backup#restore-user-data

 

We would need to see specific examples of this possible missing orID changes.

 

 

Don't have different OSs besides Windows versions and I have no issue restoring between Windows 7, 10. WHS2011, Server 2016.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Happy2Play

[vaise 340]

OK - Guess I will have to plan for a few hours of flagging shows as watched.  No way I am doign that for my kids tho - they can be beta testers ond go on the unraid system ahead of time.

[vaise 340]

OK - I redid the process - as per below - with no change in the outcome, more details to answer the posts however :

 

 

The emby versions are the same in the from / to versions.

Media is synced between them both

Both have a full media update run on then.

Backup the windows, copy the file to the linux share location read by the plugin on linux

restarted the linux emby services

Restore on linux using the plugin - just left the users stuff - playstate etc, unticked the rest

I get the warning, yes i am sure to do this

Restart emby server again

logon to web, my user - shows all stuff as S01E01 still.

 

Can i assume I did the above correctly ?

[Luke 42078]

Sounds good to me.

[vaise 340]

No worries then - I guess that proves that the 'change' that happened in emby some time in the past means the backup/restore plugin is not much good for anyone who has not take that change.

[Luke 42078]

I think you're misunderstanding. The change is that your metadata has changed slightly as a result of the new library scan on the new server. The watch data is correlated with provider Id's such as MovieDb Id's and Imdb Id's.

[vaise 340]

OK - that may have confused me more then.

 

so if on my existing windows system - lets put forward a scenario :  I get a new computer system (windows), re-installed emby, and then did the scan from my nas, then I could not restore your backups to get the watched history back ?  

 

If so, in what situation would you be able to use the backup/restore at all for the watched history?