New to TrueNas

[weezypenguin]

I am new to TrueNas and any NAS software. I am awaiting some new NAS devices to be delivered as part of a Kickstart Project i have backed. They come with TrueNas Scaler.
So in readiness I thought it would be a good idea if I was to spin up a server and set it up ahead of time. I can then learn the software ahead of the NAS delivery.
My question is..
I have the hardware; I have multiple USB drives. So that is all covered. But I only have hard drives of differing capacities. Because this is purely a test exercise.
Do I need to have drives of the same capacity?
I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
TIA

 

[winnielinnie]

Do I need to have drives of the same capacity?

Not technically, no. Your "vdev" will be limited by the smallest drive.

If you have a mirror vdev of 1TB drive + 2TB drive, you will end up with a mirror vdev of 1TB storage capacity, since it's the same as if all your drives were 1TB.

If you have a RAIDZ1 vdev of 1TB drive + 2TB drive + 3TB drive, you will end up with a RAIDZ1 vdev of 2TB storage capacity, since it's the same as if all your drives were 1TB.

And so on, and so on.

The smallest member in a vdev dictates the "size" for all members, which dictates the total storage capacity for your vdev.

A pool can have one vdev, but it can also be comprised of multiple vdevs.

Highly recommended introduction to ZFS: https://arstechnica.com/information...01-understanding-zfs-storage-and-performance/

 

[weezypenguin]

That is great thanks. So if i go unraid. Bascially it is going to be a Plex server. So current libraries are all set up and not thinking i want to changes them. I have so much data and to have a raid set up would be costly on drives etc. Can I creat a dataset/pool (excuse me if my terminology is incorrect) using only 1 drive? Or does it require 2 minimum?

 

[winnielinnie]

Can I creat a dataset/pool (excuse me if my terminology is incorrect) using only 1 drive?

Yes, you can create a data pool that is comprised of one "striped" single-drive vdev.

You will have no safeguard or redundancy. If the drive fails, you lose everything.

That is great thanks. So if i go unraid.

Unraid is a specific product, completely unrelated to TrueNAS.

Are you trying to decide which one will suit you better?

 

[weezypenguin]

Thanks. I realise the down falls of singe drive. But that has been the same for me for a long time. So a risk I am willing to take.
I also realsie UnRaid is an actual software comptitor.. Just not sure what the terminology would be in the TrueNas world.
ALways willing to learn

 

[winnielinnie]

Just not sure what the terminology would be in the TrueNas world.
ALways willing to learn

"Single-drive striped vdev"

"No redundancy"

Something like that.

 

[Arwen]

That is great thanks. So if i go unraid. Bascially it is going to be a Plex server. So current libraries are all set up and not thinking i want to changes them. I have so much data and to have a raid set up would be costly on drives etc. Can I creat a dataset/pool (excuse me if my terminology is incorrect) using only 1 drive? Or does it require 2 minimum?

You can also create 2 or more drives, in a striped ZFS pool. This is of course not recommended.

The comment @winnielinnie wrote also applies to multiple disks in a striped ZFS pool;

You will have no safeguard or redundancy. If the drive fails, you lose everything.

If just one drive fails completely out of 2 or more, you loose the whole pool.


All that said, my miniature media server's Media pool consists of 2 disks. One is a 1TB mSATA SSD and the other is a 2TB SATA 2.5" HDD. As I have multiple backups, the Media is striped across those 2 disks, (meaning without redundancy). But, the OS uses a small part of each in a Mirror, which gives me more confidence to fix issues as they arise.

And yes, I have lost perhaps 20 files over the 7 years I have had that computer, due to back blocks. But, because I have full, complete and tested backups, those files were 100% restored. Mostly they were large video files. That is one nice thing about ZFS, if you loose a disk block that is in use, ZFS will tell you which file needs to be restored.