9.10 Jails - to redo or not to redo?

[Kevin Horton]

I've recently upgraded from FreeNAS 9.3.1 to 9.10. Now I must decide what to do with my jails. As I understand it, I can leave the jails alone, and they will continue to function just as well as they did before. They certainly appear to be working correctly, based on my initial functional tests.

I also understand that I'll need to create new jails when I update to FreeNAS 10 (whenever that is).

Is there any good reason why I should go through the hassle of blowing up my jails and redoing them now?

 

[dlavigne]

Is there any good reason why I should go through the hassle of blowing up my jails and redoing them now?

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/trouble-update-ports-jail-after-9-10-upgrade.42250/

 

[fracai]

My understanding is that FreeNAS 10 will put all the jails inside a bhyve VM. New "jails" will be new VMs. Plugins will be Docker containers.

Note: I haven't seen a complete roadmap regarding these features, they're pulled from various other posts.

My plans going forward are to leave my jails as is. I'll experiment with creating bhyve VMs with the goal of replacing each current jail with a VM (possibly consolidating some). Unless the issue with upgrading old jails can be fixed, it seems clear that keeping them as is isn't a valid strategy going forward. Then when 10 is released there should be a way to have these VMs recognized by FreeNAS (JH has suggested there will be a way to migrate them).

 

[Kevin Horton]

My plans going forward are to leave my jails as is. I'll experiment with creating bhyve VMs with the goal of replacing each current jail with a VM (possibly consolidating some). Unless the issue with upgrading old jails can be fixed, it seems clear that keeping them as is isn't a valid strategy going forward. Then when 10 is released there should be a way to have these VMs recognized by FreeNAS (JH has suggested there will be a way to migrate them).

Please keep us posted on what you learn. I'll do the same, if it works. I really like the possibility to being able to keep the current jails working until the bhyve VMs are verified as functioning correctly.

I'll sit on my hands for the time being, as I don't want to risk being without working jails for more than a few hours.

 

[fracai]

Will do. I'm also waiting a bit until the first or second SU arrives and the initial bugs settle down a bit. I am really eager to get started playing with bhyve.

 

[Jailer]

My understanding is that FreeNAS 10 will put all the jails inside a bhyve VM

bhyve for VM's Docker for plugins and iocage for jails. Regardless you'll have to re create all your jails for iocage anyway unless IX plans on making a migration utility (doubtful).

 

[fracai]

So there will still be jails? I could have sworn they were going away with 10 in favor of VMs. VMs are still attractive in general in terms of being able to upgrade beyond the initial template.

 

[Jailer]

Well iocage was in the alpha so I assume it will be there in the final version. Then again we all know what assume means.......

 

[aloisio mello]

Jailer, I would say that a good upgrade experience requires the migration of all jails. If not all commercial customers using True NAS will be thinking twice before upgrading and that might cause some churn. Just saying ;)

 

[Mirfster]

Jailer, I would say that a good upgrade experience requires the migration of all jails. If not all commercial customers using True NAS will be thinking twice before upgrading and that might cause some churn. Just saying ;)

Agreed, while I am unsure if there is an upgrade path; I am caught between recommending/using FreeNas 9.3/9.10 because of the concerns about the full upgrade path.

I actually have a client that is moving offices in November and may/should require FreeNas as part of their design; but I am hoping that by then 10.x is "stable" and we can start fresh from there as opposed to coming from 9.3/9.10 in all honesty...

 

[diskdiddler]

It feels like a waste of time to me, to redo all my work on my jails for 9.10 only to do it again for 10, so I get your pain.
I wonder if jails being replaced by VMs uses more memory (I would assume so?) that's a pretty significant change on FreeNAS10. Does anyone know the memory footprint of a jail, say running crashplan or plex vs the memory footprint of a VM that takes care of crashplan or plex?