SOLVED FreeNAS Mini .. "ZFS WARNING: Unable to attach to ada0."||"3. Volume Configuration" error

[funkihunter]

EDIT** Mod please delete my incorrect first thread/post within the "Help & Support" main forum! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Not sure which information is necessary, nor how to get it, in order to get aid on processing my question.

FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201512121950
Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU C2750 @ 2.40GHz
32715MB RAM
4 x 2TB WD Red NAS HDD

Trying to create a new Volume with the Volume Manager from the GUI (actually using the initial startup wizard) and I'm unable to switch it from 'tank' to something else. I received a quickstart manual with the purchase and when I try to use the initial wizard (or the wizard on the top bar of the GUI) I get the message "ZFS WARNING: Unable to attach to ada0." as readout on the screen connected to the FreeNAS Mini.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Is this warning bad? Why can't I access the volume manager?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[In my mind, I'm not able to zpool the necessary vdevs because I can't create the vdevs because I can't access the drives. That's probably wrong -- but I'm trying to learn (and reading through CyberJock's .pptx "FreeNAS Guide 9.2.1")]

 

[gpsguy]

Does the system already have a pool? If you skip the wizard and go to the shell and type "zpool status" without the quotes, what do you see?

Note, we had another user in the forum in the past week or so, with a similar problem with a new FreeNAS Mini. I believe iXsystems remoted into his desktop, then SSH'd to the server and wiped the disks.


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[funkihunter]

I believe so. Would I use the shell that's connected to the... is there a shell in the GUI?

Ah excellent! Thanks, I'll contact them if I can't sort it out here after reviewing the past thread to see if they can help me out.

Output...


zpool status
pool: freenas-boot
state: ONLINE
scan: none requested
config:
NAME STATE READ WRITE CKSUM
freenas-boot ONLINE 0 0 0
ada0p2 ONLINE 0 0 0
errors: No known data errors

 

[gpsguy]

Yes, there's a shell in the webgui near the bottom in the left pane.

Normally, most of us would SSH into it, but then you would need to configure it. I was trying to save time.

If a pool is already configured, you'd need to wipe the disks, before reusing them. The wizard expects the disks to be blank.

You should be able to blank them yourself, even if you had to use DBAN. But the other user couldn't do it.

Search the forum for FreeNAS Mini to find his thread.


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[gpsguy]

How many hard disks do you have in the server?


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[funkihunter]

4 x 2TB WD Red NAS HDD

 

[gpsguy]

ada0 is your boot device. You can't create a new pool on it. You would need to select one or more of your other disks.


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[funkihunter]

Huh okay -- I'll figure out the SSH portion and then figure out how to wipe the disks. Wait so ada0 is my boot device? So it shouldn't really be an issue if I'm trying to zpool the other 4 drives. I know that ada0 is supposed to be an SSD... hmm.. I've put in a call w/iXsystems. I hope they respond...

 

[funkihunter]

Thanks for responding by the way!

 

[gpsguy]

Do you see those disks in the wizard? Or if you use the volume manager directly, do you see them.

I have a link to a PDF version of the documentation in my signature. Look at the volume manager. I am typing this on my phone, so I can't look stuff up easily.


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[funkihunter]

I do not see those disks in the wizard. I see them when I boot the system after a shutdown though.
Volume manager directly through GUI? I will check documentation. Already saw it in your signature and downloaded xD

 

[funkihunter]

I do see the disks when I go to Storage >> Volumes >> View Disks

!

 

[funkihunter]

Volume Manager has ...

 

[gpsguy]

Yes, you can create your volume via volume manager. The wizard is optional - many users skip it and configure their server themselves.


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[funkihunter]

Still getting error though... what is the best way to just wipe current volumes out so I can create new ones? (Is that called the pool?) (Or maybe I don't want to?)

 

[funkihunter]

Currently facepalming and reading 8.1.1

 

[gpsguy]

Do a forum search for cyberjock's guide. It's another resource for new users.


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[gpsguy]

You might want to ensure that you are on the newest "version". There's a date appended on 9.3x version. If running an older version, you might run into bugs that have already been fixed.


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[funkihunter]

Currently on FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201512121950

iXsystems called me back and told me that the issue was possible that they had not deleted the zpool that was creating through testing and initial burn-in.

If anyone wants to follow the steps we did, please read below.

As a DISCLAIMER this solution may not work for your FreeNAS Mini.

Directions for correcting this for anyone else with similar issue:

1. Go to the GUI by using the IP Address assigned to your NAS (either through DHCP or Manually assigned/static
2. Then Storage >> Volumes >> Import Volume
   1. Currently you will see "Step 1 of 2" and "Encrypted ZFS volume?" .. You will want to select the radio button "No: Skip to import" and then click "OK" on the bottom left
   2. Currently you will see "Step 2 of 2" and "Volume" with a drop-down menu that should say something like "tank [zfs, id=<insertstringofnumbershere>]" and nothing else .. Make sure the aforementioned volume is selected and then click "OK" on the bottom left
   3. This will import the volume
3. Now select the volume (by clicking on the name of the volume at the top left of the pane)
   1. Now click "Detach Volume" on the lower left (icon looks like a stack of disks with a red X on the upper right)
   2. Your screen should turn red
   3. Check the box to the right of "Mark the disks as new (destroy data):"
   4. Click "Yes" in the bottom left of the screen
4. Voilà! Now you can use the Quick Start Guide (June 2015 Edition for FreeNAS 9.3) supplied by iXsystems and get to and through "3. Volume Configuration" correctly

 

[gpsguy]

Thanks for posting the solution!


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