What options I have for the install/boot disk

[EponymousOne]

Hi all,

I'm doing some research before I make the plunge to FreeNAS and have been reading through the likes of:

http://www.freenas.org/blog/freenas-worst-practices/
https://plone.lucidsolutions.co.nz/...figuring-jbod-with-a-lsi-2208-controller/view

(the latter one refers to a 2208 but I actually own a 2108).

Since I'm stuck with an LSI 9260-8i hardware RAID controller I'm going to have to put every drive for my storage array into its own RAID0 - a bit yucky but I can't do much else as *officially* the 2108 controller doesn't support JBOD (I checked with LSI/Avago/Broadcom) on this. I don't want to mess around with flashing the firmware to get Initiator Target mode. I also don't want to start buying new controller cards.

However, my question actually refers to the install/boot disk where the installation of FreeNAS will be.

Is it best practice (and indeed, possible) to create a ZFS (Z or Z2) volume for the disk onto which FreeNAS is installed?

Do people normally only use a single disk for the install or multiple disks for redundancy?

Also is it possible to install a plain ZFS (not Z or Z2) onto a RAID1 mirror that I create on the LSI 9260-8i? Are there any known issues with doing this or do I lose any features by doing this?

Is it possible to use another file system for the install and use ZFS for the main storage array?

Apologies if there are a lot of questions here but I'm really trying to plan this out before I make the jump.

Thanks.

 

[wblock]

The system disk is already ZFS. You can add drives to make it into a mirror, but not a striped arrangement. Both single disks and mirrors are used, just depending on what people have chosen.

Also is it possible to install a plain ZFS (not Z or Z2) onto a RAID1 mirror that I create on the LSI 9260-8i?

That is a scary idea. Don't create any mirrors with that card. Sell it and get a card that supports IT mode, or flash it if possible. Otherwise it compromises ZFS's ability to deal with the drives directly.

Older versions of FreeNAS used to use UFS for the system drive, but ZFS has advantages even on single drives with no redundancy.

 

[Ericloewe]

flash it if possible

Not possible, but it's generally possible to sell them, buy one that can be flashed and still end up with more cash than you started with.

 

[EponymousOne]

Thanks for the response guys - this is very helpful.

I'll look into buying a couple new HBAs.

Can you please point me to the most up to date recommendations on controllers?

I've been scouring the web and forums and have found lots of info but dated from various points in the last three of four years so I'm not sure which is still current.

Thanks!

 

[Sakuru]

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/hardware-recommendations-guide.12/