OS Flash Drive Failed - Need to recover with new install and no config backup

[otterdas]

To just get it out of the way; I am a moron.

Without realizing it, I moved the VM with my config backups onto the ZFS storage unit. I had dual SANDisk Flash Drives running the OS FreeNAS 11. Both seem to have failed, and I don't think I can read them at all.

I know there's lots of posts already about this, but I'm so nervous, I wanted to start a clean thread to ensure I don't do something to make things worse.

1. If I use a new flash drive and do a clean install, will FreeNAS "find" the previous ZFS configuration and allow me to import the volumes?
2. I'm running on a nice SuperMicro storage server, so I am relatively confident the drives themselves with all my content, logs, archive, etc. are healthy. Almost certain that I have just lost the USB Flash OS.

I would be so very grateful for any brief suggestions on the proper steps I should take to attempt recovery. From what I understand, I will have to redo all the network configurations, user details, etc., but it sounds like there should be an import option to "discover" the existing drive/pool layout?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.

Kind Regards,

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

1. You will be able to import your storage pool. Unless you used GELI encryption and lost the key.
2. There is a good chance, a config backup can be found on your storage pool. FreeNAS/TrueNAS automatically saves the config to the system volume.

So go ahead, do a fresh install, and report back how the pool importing is going.

 

[Redcoat]

2. There is a good chance, a config backup can be found on your storage pool. FreeNAS/TrueNAS automatically saves the config to the system volume.

Post #28 and on in this thread will give you a way to get your config

 

[otterdas]

1. You will be able to import your storage pool. Unless you used GELI encryption and lost the key.
2. There is a good chance, a config backup can be found on your storage pool. FreeNAS/TrueNAS automatically saves the config to the system volume.

So go ahead, do a fresh install, and report back how the pool importing is going.

OK, so I have completed the clean install. I redid the network configurations, etc. and I am able to log into the web gui as well as the the shell. Can anyone point me at some reference materials for the process of re-importing the existing pools? Do I do that through the GUI or will I be using zpool command from Shell?

 

[otterdas]

OK, so I have completed the clean install. I redid the network configurations, etc. and I am able to log into the web gui as well as the the shell. Can anyone point me at some reference materials for the process of re-importing the existing pools? Do I do that through the GUI or will I be using zpool command from Shell?

Sorry, jumped the gun a bit there. I found the import existing pool option under the Storage menu in the GUI. It located my pool and is importing it now. Fingers crossed and I will report back shortly.

 

[otterdas]

Post #28 and on in this thread will give you a way to get your config

Thanks for your help. It looks to me like to was able to re-import the (fortunately still health) pool. I tried to follow along with your post from #28, but once I enter midnight commander, I see two config folders, one with today's date and one from 2018 which is probably when I built the server. Neither folder has anything in it. It's not that critical to me that I recover the configuration, so if this is more complicated than it's worth, I can probably just rebuild it manually. Thanks again.

 

[Redcoat]

Can anyone point me at some reference materials for the process of re-importing the existing pools?

For reference, see https://www.ixsystems.com/documentation/freenas/11.3-U5/storage.html#pools for the information on importing pools at section 10.2.8. Importing a Pool.

Docs can be found under "Documentation" in the masthead.

 

[otterdas]

I think I'm just going to rebuild the configuration manually. I have successfully reconnected my iSCSI zvol to my VMware hosts, so all my VMs are available again. I'm booting the file server now to go look for my config backup, though at this point, I'm not sure if I really want to use it or not. I'll reply back one more time to close the thread, but thank you again to everyone for their guidance and help. I'm still kind of stunned that I was so stupid and so lucky.