[mythtv-users] Remove a Storage Group

[Michael T. Dean]

On 12/27/2012 04:13 PM, Nick Rout wrote:
> On Dec 28, 2012 9:58 AM, "Robert Dege" wrote:
>> Mike,
>>
>> I currently have two HDDs in my system.  One is mounted as /myth is
>> partitioned to hold photos, music, movies, fanart, livetv, and recording
>> shows (/myth/shows1).  The other disk is partitioned for the OS, and
>> recording shows (/myth/shows2).  Both directories (/myth/shows1,
>> /myth/shows2) are listed in the Default Storage Group.
>> When watching certain shows that are actively recording, I experience a 1
>> sec pause, every 5-7 seconds.  It was determined that this was caused by
>> using the OS disk for recording shows (something about the amount of IO
>> generated by Mysql).  I do not experience this pausing problem when
>> watching livetv, since livetv is stored on the other disk.
>> So, my plan is to install a 3rd HDD into the system, add that to the
>> Default Storage Group (/myth/shows3), and remove the OS disk (/myth/shows2).
>> I want to know if removing /myth/shows2 from the Default Storage Group
>> will prevent me from watching any previously recorded shows that currently
>> reside within the /myth/shows2 directory.
> No you won't have access to them. Move them to /myth/shows3.
>
> You may then have a lot of space left on the /mny/shows2 drive. It can be
> profitably used for videos or photos or music.
>
> Mike, what about a 'watch from but don't record to' storage group type?

We already have it...

> Actually I guess that pretty well matches a description of the videos
> collection :)

True, you can use the Videos Storage Group to host videos you would like 
to watch, but they will be organized in the Video Library--which is a 
great idea if you plan to archive the videos long term as part of a 
large collection.  As a matter of fact, because it's a /much/ better UI 
for large collections of videos, I highly recommend moving recordings 
you plan to keep long term to the Videos Storage Group/Video Library.

However, if Robert is simply wanting to make the previously-recorded 
shows available for watching and deleting--without recording new shows 
to the same file system--there's a much easier way, as can be inferred 
from my first reply in this thread:

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/535868#535868

Specifically, the paragraph:
-----
When MythTV is looking for recordings, it will look in all the 
directories associated with that Storage Group. If it doesn't find the 
recording in that Storage Group, it will search in all the other 
directories associated with all the other Storage Groups defined on this 
and every other host in the MythTV system.
-----

So, Robert, do as you planned:  use mythtv-setup to remove /myth/shows2 
from your Default Storage Group and add /myth/shows3 to the Default 
Storage Group.  Then, simply create a new Storage Group, such as "Old" 
or "Temp" or "Archive" or "Read Only" or ..., and add the /myth/shows2 
directory (the directory that contains your old recordings) to the new 
Storage Group.  To keep MythTV from recording to that Storage Group, 
simply make sure you never specify that Storage Group for any of the 
recording rules you create.

And, if you want to keep using the storage space on the file system as 
you watch and delete the recordings that are currently there, but 
without recording to it, simply move (using any of your normal system 
file management tools) recordings from any other directory in any other 
Storage Group to the directory in your "Read Only" Storage Group when it 
won't interfere with recordings (i.e. when the system isn't busy).  Just 
make sure you keep them visible to the same backend host (i.e. you can't 
move them from a directory that's only visible to a remote backend into 
a directory that's only visible to the master backend).

See, also:
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/516083#516083
and
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/534458#534458

Mike