Upgrading DataBase with version FreeNAS-8.3.1-RELEASE-x64 to FreeNAS-11.0-U3

[NASbox]

Background:

I am in the process of upgrading FreeNAS-8.3.1-RELEASE-x64 to FreeNAS-11.0-U3.

During the process I am also adding an Intel PRO/1000 Pt Dual Port Server Adapter, an LSI 9211-8i HBA and using an SSD instead of a USB drive for a boot drive.

I installed FreeNAS-11.0-U3 to an SSD, and then restored my FreeNAS-8.3.1 configuration file which seemed to work fine.

The only issue that I noticed was that the configuration file I restored from did not include configuration for the new NIC, so I had to use the CLI to reconfigure the Network interfaces.

The configuration I restored also included configurations for two pools TANK (My main pool) and SCRATCH an archive pool that is normally spun down.
To safeguard my data I have been working with no hard drives connected.

I took a quick look though the web interface, and everything seemed as it should be (users, groups, pools, etc.) with the exception of the following:

-'CRITICAL errors because the volumes TANK and SCRATCH show as state is UNKNOWN' - Expected, should go away once the disks are attached an the pools imported.

The issue I need help with is that the System / General Tab, shows:

System dataset pool: TANK

When I change the drop down to freenas-boot I got a popup with the following message:

Warning!

The action will result in migration of dataset.
Some services will be restarted.
NOTE: This is just a warning, to perform the operation you must click Save.

Questions:

Given that I have installed the system on an SSD, I would prefer to keep the system dataset on the SSD boot drive, what action do I need to take?

AFAIK FreeNAS-8.3.1 uses a different database which is stored on the boot drive. If I switch the dataset to freenas-boot, what is going to happen when I connect the disks for pool TANK?

 

[dlavigne]

That all seems fine. If you installed to SSD, that is where freenas-boot lives. The system dataset migration does not delete the old one, but copies it to the new location and starts using it there. This allows you to delete the old one at your leisure. See the first Note at http://doc.freenas.org/11/system.html#system-dataset.

 

[NASbox]

Thanks DL for the reply... a bit of clarification just to make sure I understand please. Clearly the database must live on the SSD since there is no place else it can live at the moment because I've not connected any of the pool disks. I restored the old database with the GUI from a fresh v8.3.1 save, so I should have an up-to-date version of the database.

Ia it OK for me to just switch the selector from TANK to freenas-boot?

What is going to happen to the system since the database TANK is not attached?

Is there going to be a problem when I finally attach and import tank?

Thanks in advance... I read the manual, but it does not go into detail.

 

[NASbox]

Bump: Can someone please help me clarify this - thanks!

Ia it OK for me to just switch the selector from TANK to freenas-boot?

What is going to happen to the system since the database TANK is not attached?

Is there going to be a problem when I finally attach and import tank?

 

[Ericloewe]

You're confusing several different things.

9.2.1.something introduced the system dataset, which is used for logging and other things that should persist across reboots. It has to live on a ZFS pool (preferably one that actually works, so that rules out your old pool until it's connected).

The config database is on the boot pool (more generically, the boot device in older versions). It has nothing to do with the system dataset.

TANK is not a "database", it's a pool.

Ia it OK for me to just switch the selector from TANK to freenas-boot?

What do you have to lose? Worst case is that it breaks because there's no dataset to copy from.

What is going to happen to the system since the database pool TANK is not attached?

When? After you do what? When trying to move the dataset, either nothing special or the process will fail.

Is there going to be a problem when I finally attach and import tank?

What kind of problems do you anticipate?

 

[NASbox]

Thanks for the reply Ericloewe

You're confusing several different things.

9.2.1.something introduced the system dataset, which is used for logging and other things that should persist across reboots. It has to live on a ZFS pool (preferably one that actually works, so that rules out your old pool until it's connected).

The config database is on the boot pool (more generically, the boot device in older versions). It has nothing to do with the system dataset.

TANK is not a "database", it's a pool.

What do you have to lose? Worst case is that it breaks because there's no dataset to copy from.

When? After you do what? When trying to move the dataset, either nothing special or the process will fail.

What I meant to say was when TANK, the pool containing the database is reattached is something going to get messed up?

From what you are saying, if I understand TANK doesn't contain a database because it was created and was running under 8.3.1.

What kind of problems do you anticipate?

I've changed the selector to place the database on the boot volume.

My question now is what is going to happen when I reattach TANK? Is my pool going to get messed up?

What if the database isn't consistent? Is the database just logging?
Should I do something to reinitialize the database before reattaching the disks?

 

[Ericloewe]

What I meant to say was when TANK, the pool containing the database is reattached is something going to get messed up?

It doesn't have any database at all. There are no databases besides the config file.

From what you are saying, if I understand TANK doesn't contain a database because it was created and was running under 8.3.1.

It doesn't contain a database because there is no database to contain.

It doesn't contain a system dataset because there was no system dataset in 8.x.

I've changed the selector to place the database on the boot volume.

The system dataset is not a database.

My question now is what is going to happen when I reattach TANK?

Nothing.

What if the database isn't consistent?

There is no database.

Is the database just logging?

The system dataset is not strictly just for logging, but it's not needed to restore the configuration.

 

[NASbox]

It doesn't have any database at all. There are no databases besides the config file.
The system dataset is not strictly just for logging, but it's not needed to restore the configuration.

Thanks... I got the wrong word... I meant dataset - so what happens with the case I've described here?
Fresh install/restore settings from saved v8.3.1. file/Database set to FreeNAS boot volume?