Transferring files from FreeNAS to another NAS

[THE_KINGDOM]

So my question.. Is there a way to transfer files from freeNAS to another NAS within the LAN without having to route the file through a computer?
Right now if I use my laptop to transfer files it's extremely slow unless I'm connected via ethernet cable to the LAN. The reason for this is because the laptop is initiating the transfer, so essentially it's processing and moving the files through it's processor.. (I assume).. I want to avoid this entirely.
I want a way to transfer files from FreeNAS to another NAS within the LAN as they are both connected by ethernet cat6e, and I want this to occur without my connected computer doing the moving of the files, since my laptop typicall connected only by wireless (very slow).

Is there any method to achieve this? I know that if there was some kind file directory built into the web admin for freeNAS then it would utilize the resources of the FreeNAS station to do the work independent of anything else.

 

[pirateghost]

Cp, rsync, scp, zfs send, zfs replication

Pick one

 

[THE_KINGDOM]

Thank you.
Most of these are automated backup processes I think? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm looking for one that also has the option of a manual file move approach, using the FreeNAS to process the file moving.
Any suggestions?

 

[Tywin]

All of those mentioned by @pirateghost can be run manually from the shell.

 

[pirateghost]

While they can be used as automated backup tools, they aren't specifically backup tools

 

[cyberjock]

I'd recommend ZFS replciation first. It's *by far* the fastest and will basically saturate your network unless you have 10Gb.

 

[THE_KINGDOM]

but if I want to be able to shell cmd move say only 1 file from FreeNAS to another NAS (not ZFS) within the network, but I don't want to just replicate or duplicate an entire dataset or volume, just move any particular file of my choice.
can this be done with ZFS replication?

I'm basically wanting to occasionally move a movie file of say 4GB from FreeNAS to another non-zfs NAS within the network, without having to use another computer to move the file "through itself".
Right now if I use my laptop to move the file, it is using the resources and LAN speed of the computer I'm executing the task.

Another thing that kind of amazes me is that the FreeNAS web-interface, when performing an update, if I close the web-interface after initiating the update, the update will cease to continue. Which means it's relying on the connected computer to do the downloading and installing. I would assume the FreeNAS can perform these actions without relying on a computer by using the Shell?

 

[Tywin]

but if I want to be able to shell cmd move say 1 file from FreeNAS to another NAS within the network, not replicate or duplicate an entire dataset or volume, can this be done with ZFS replication?

I think you are over-thinking this, @THE_KINGDOM. If you don't want to replicate your ZFS dataset(s) or volume, don't use ZFS replication. Pretty much anything will work, just pick one that you are comfortable with and that is applicable to your situation. You haven't told us anything about the other NAS, is it even a FreeNAS?

Some options for you to consider:

1. scp (basically cp over ssh); good for single files when SSH is available
2. cp/mv; same thing, but requires you to mount a FreeNAS share on the remote NAS, or to mount a remote NAS share on FreeNAS
3. rsync over ssh; good for many files when SSH is available
4. zfs send/receive; good for replicating entire datasets to another FreeNAS

Now that I've written it out, I see that these have already been suggested to you.

 

[pirateghost]

but if I want to be able to shell cmd move say only 1 file from FreeNAS to another NAS (not ZFS) within the network, but I don't want to just replicate or duplicate an entire dataset or volume, just move any particular file of my choice.
can this be done with ZFS replication?

I'm basically wanting to occasionally move a movie file of say 4GB from FreeNAS to another non-zfs NAS within the network, without having to use another computer to move the file "through"

Again. My options are still valid. You need to put forth just a smidge of effort into understanding the options available to you.

You have been given options to use.

Stop making this to be more complicated than it is.


Here. Let me make this decision for you.

Use rsync

 

[danb35]

I'm basically wanting to occasionally move a movie file of say 4GB from FreeNAS to another non-zfs NAS within the network, without having to use another computer to move the file "through"

Yes, that can be done. No, it doesn't have to be part of an automated process (I have no idea what made you think that cp was an automated backup process). No, there's no way to do it from the GUI--you'd have to log in to the FreeNAS CLI and do it there.

The real question is how to best accomplish this, which none of us can tell you without more information about the other NAS. What is it, and what capabilities does it have? Where are you wanting to put the files in question on the remote NAS?

 

[THE_KINGDOM]

Yes, that can be done. No, it doesn't have to be part of an automated process (I have no idea what made you think that cp was an automated backup process). No, there's no way to do it from the GUI--you'd have to log in to the FreeNAS CLI and do it there.

The real question is how to best accomplish this, which none of us can tell you without more information about the other NAS. What is it, and what capabilities does it have? Where are you wanting to put the files in question on the remote NAS?

The other NAS is a WD My-Cloud.

but cp/mv requires mount a FreeNAS share on the remote NAS.

I guess I'd like to be able to use the CLI to browse directories on another file server within the LAN and push a file to that directory from a proposed directory on FreeNAS.

I want to say thanks for the help that everybody has given, and obviously I'll have to look deeper into each solution to learn the exact cmd's etc.
But I can't help but thinking that a built-in File Explorer on the GUI would be a really good solution for FreeNAS to handle it's own tasks, transfer files between servers on the LAN, using it's own CPU resources, so you could close the web-interface and transfers would continue

 

[danb35]

but cp/mv requires mount a FreeNAS share on the remote NAS.

Well, you have two options: (1) mount a FreeNAS share on the WD NAS, and use whatever tools the WD NAS has to copy the file over (in which case we probably can't help you very much, not knowing what those tools would be); or (2) mount a WD NAS share on the FreeNAS, and use tools on the FreeNAS to copy the file(s) over. In the latter case, it's probably best to use an NFS share on the WD NAS--IIRC, FreeNAS doesn't mount CIFS/SMB shares very easily, if at all.

I guess I'd like to be able to use the CLI to browse directories on another file server within the LAN and push a file to that directory from a proposed directory on FreeNAS.

Install a jail, and install Midnight Commander (aka mc) in the jail with 'pkg install mc'. The source dataset on your FreeNAS, and the NFS share on your WD NAS, would both need to be accessible to the jail as storage.

But I can't help but thinking that a built-in File Explorer on the GUI would be a really good solution for FreeNAS to handle it's own tasks, transfer files between servers on the LAN, using it's own CPU resources, so you could close the web-interface and transfers would continue

I agree, and there's been at least one bug raised (https://bugs.freenas.org/issues/3074) with that suggestion. The devs haven't outright said no, but they don't seem to be too enthused about it either (for very-understandable security reasons). One suggestion in that bug is to use pydio in a jail--I don't know anything about that product, but it might be worth your investigating.

 

[pirateghost]

You can close the web page if you want and run CLI commands.

Use tmux in the shell window in webgui or use a proper terminal session program like putty.

 

[emk2203]

For what you want to do, the best bet is to have a jail with midnight commander installed in it.

For whatever reason, I can't get it installed with just a simple 'pkg install mc', I need to install gettext, libiconv and pcre in addition. Maybe if you do a

Code:

# pkg delete -f gettext
# pkg upgrade
# pkg install mc

it could be smoother.

Make sure that you can ftp into the other system, and you can use a GUI for moving your files. Left pane for your media and right pane for the ftp works well for me. You can select multiple folders, filter according to criteria, and than copy everything over at leisure. Even the mouse works in the shell window.

 

[danb35]

It works for me just fine, with a fresh 9.3 jail, to do

Code:

# pkg upgrade
# pkg install mc

pkg upgrade goes through a few iterations (first it needs to upgrade pkg from 1.3.7 to 1.4.7, then it runs through a couple of passes of upgrading packages), and pkg install mc also installs a number of apparent dependencies, but those steps are handled automatically.

 

[emk2203]

It works for me just fine, with a fresh 9.3 jail, to do

Code:

# pkg upgrade
# pkg install mc

pkg upgrade goes through a few iterations (first it needs to upgrade pkg from 1.3.7 to 1.4.7, then it runs through a couple of passes of upgrading packages), and pkg install mc also installs a number of apparent dependencies, but those steps are handled automatically.

Maybe I need to try a fresh jail. I used an existing one with transmission, got the same result on two occasions.