Migrating iTunes from Mac Mini to Drobo / network

[zapata94]

Hi all, I've been doing some searching but I'm having a little difficulty finding something directly on point here. Let me give some background and explain what I'm attempting to do.

I've been operating with a Macbook Pro for the last couple years, and storing all my iTunes data on an external 2TB drive connected to my airport extreme. Over the years a lot of the data was corrupted or iTunes failed to recognize the right file path because it was carelessly moved around. Basically, there's a few thousand files but iTunes can't find them, and I really didn't want to try to locate them piece by piece.

Recently, I got a Mac Mini and a drobo which I intend to use primarily for storing all my movies and music and serving them up to my TV via Plex. What I'd really like to do as far as iTunes is concerned is start a fresh database on the drobo. I'm not concerned at all with preserving any of the metadata, ratings, playlists, etc. Totally fine with creating new playlists once it's set up. So far, I've taken the raw mp3 files and imported all of them into iTunes on the Mini, so they are now showing organized and easily found on that machine. What I'd like to do is migrate that database to the drobo, and basically erase whatever's left of iTunes on the macbook (my day-to-day workhorse) and point it to this new, fresh database that I'm hoping to move over to the drobo. Ideally, I could then plug my iPhone into the MBP when I'm at home, and have it sync up with the database stored on the drobo and served up over the airport extreme.

The drobo FS is wired via gigabit to the airport extreme, as is the mac mini. the macbook is connecting to the network via wifi.

Specifically, I'm wondering if I need to create a new folder on the drobo and then point iTunes on the mini to use that folder for storage, then organize the library, etc. Where I'm really getting confused is what I'm supposed to do with the old library on the macbook and how to make sure it's looking at this new library I want to create on the drobo.

Thanks very much in advance for any advice. The macrumors forums have been extremely helpful in helping me set up the rest of my home network. Just getting stuck here and hoping to keep things nice and organized from here on out!

 

[sapporobaby]

Hi all, I've been doing some searching but I'm having a little difficulty finding something directly on point here. Let me give some background and explain what I'm attempting to do.

I've been operating with a Macbook Pro for the last couple years, and storing all my iTunes data on an external 2TB drive connected to my airport extreme. Over the years a lot of the data was corrupted or iTunes failed to recognize the right file path because it was carelessly moved around. Basically, there's a few thousand files but iTunes can't find them, and I really didn't want to try to locate them piece by piece.

Recently, I got a Mac Mini and a drobo which I intend to use primarily for storing all my movies and music and serving them up to my TV via Plex. What I'd really like to do as far as iTunes is concerned is start a fresh database on the drobo. I'm not concerned at all with preserving any of the metadata, ratings, playlists, etc. Totally fine with creating new playlists once it's set up. So far, I've taken the raw mp3 files and imported all of them into iTunes on the Mini, so they are now showing organized and easily found on that machine. What I'd like to do is migrate that database to the drobo, and basically erase whatever's left of iTunes on the macbook (my day-to-day workhorse) and point it to this new, fresh database that I'm hoping to move over to the drobo. Ideally, I could then plug my iPhone into the MBP when I'm at home, and have it sync up with the database stored on the drobo and served up over the airport extreme.

The drobo FS is wired via gigabit to the airport extreme, as is the mac mini. the macbook is connecting to the network via wifi.

Specifically, I'm wondering if I need to create a new folder on the drobo and then point iTunes on the mini to use that folder for storage, then organize the library, etc. Where I'm really getting confused is what I'm supposed to do with the old library on the macbook and how to make sure it's looking at this new library I want to create on the drobo.

Thanks very much in advance for any advice. The macrumors forums have been extremely helpful in helping me set up the rest of my home network. Just getting stuck here and hoping to keep things nice and organized from here on out!

You are in luck my good man. I am doing EXACTLY what you want to do. My setup is the exact same with a small twist here or there.

I first copied all of my iTunes lib from my MBP and external 2TB WD My Crap, er, I mean My Book. I simply made a folder on the Drobo called, you guessed it: iTunes. Once it was there I pointed iTunes now on the Mini to the Drobo instead of the Media folder within the iTunes folder on your Mini. IMPORTANT: Note, note, note: Make sure you go: iTunes, Preferences, Advance, and make sure the box: Copy files to iTunes Media Folder when adding to library is unchecked. If not, it will copy everything back to your Mini and not to the Drobo. After you have that done, make sure you select the Drobo as your library by pointing to it via iTunes Media folder location. Click change, and select the Drobo and where your new iTunes folder is located. Also check the box for keeping the iTunes Media Folder organized. After this click okay and you are set. You will have to "import" everything back into iTunes but once this is done, the Drobo will now be your new home for your content.

Let me know how this works out and if you need more help.

 

[Gav2k]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Exactly how I'm setup. Works perfectly!

 

[sapporobaby]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Exactly how I'm setup. Works perfectly!

I went into over-kill and now back up my Drobo, yes a Drobo back, to a WD ShareSpace 4TB NAS. I only back up the iTunes library to it. I have 10 TB on my Drobo but this is a storage repository for everything. I am running WD Caviar Black drives as opposed to the Green drives. I was informed that the Green drives fail because of the power saving mechanism. The Black drives are enterprise grade and don't have power saving.

 

[zapata94]

Thanks sapporobaby, this is really helpful. I just want to make sure I'm following you correctly here:

I first copied all of my iTunes lib from my MBP and external 2TB WD My Crap, er, I mean My Book. I simply made a folder on the Drobo called, you guessed it: iTunes.

So I copy the entire Artist/Album folder structure containing all the songs from the external to this newly created folder on the drobo.

Once it was there I pointed iTunes now on the Mini to the Drobo instead of the Media folder within the iTunes folder on your Mini. IMPORTANT: Note, note, note: Make sure you go: iTunes, Preferences, Advance, and make sure the box: Copy files to iTunes Media Folder when adding to library is unchecked. If not, it will copy everything back to your Mini and not to the Drobo.

Like this? This is pointing to the iTunes folder I've created on the drobo.

After you have that done, make sure you select the Drobo as your library by pointing to it via iTunes Media folder location. Click change, and select the Drobo and where your new iTunes folder is located. Also check the box for keeping the iTunes Media Folder organized.

Here you're talking about what to do in iTunes on the old MBP, correct?

Again thanks so much for the help!

 

[sapporobaby]

Thanks sapporobaby, this is really helpful. I just want to make sure I'm following you correctly here:



So I copy the entire Artist/Album folder structure containing all the songs from the external to this newly created folder on the drobo.



Like this? This is pointing to the iTunes folder I've created on the drobo.
Image


Here you're talking about what to do in iTunes on the old MBP, correct?

Again thanks so much for the help!

Exactly. One thing you might want to add because sometimes Mac OS X will forget where your iTunes lib is if its not on a local machine is to go into System Preferences, Users and Groups, Login Items. Click on the little "+" sign and when a dialog box opens up, navigate to your iTunes folder on the Drobo. This way when your computer boots, it will always mount your iTunes lib on the Drobo before you open iTunes on your Mini. I have mine set up this way. Now my iTunes lib is always mounted when my machine reboots.

 

[zapata94]

Exactly. One thing you might want to add because sometimes Mac OS X will forget where your iTunes lib is if its not on a local machine is to go into System Preferences, Users and Groups, Login Items....

Ahhh, brilliant. When I was running iTunes off the external connected to the airport extreme, I'd sometimes forget to open up the drive and mount it before opening iTunes. When I'd do that, iTunes would open up and start downloading podcasts to my local drive instead of to the external. Seems like this would totally remedy that problem. Awesome, thanks! Will report back once everything is transferred over and up and running.

 

[zapata94]

Thanks again for the walkthrough. Everything's working flawlessly!