SOLVED How to run games from a TrueNAS server

[ezelbanaan]

So I'm trying to run a game from my TrueNAS server, but when I try to execute the shortcut windows cant access it. However I can read, write and execute in the folder myself. I've setup a ZFS pool with a SMB share with the default parameters and ACL setting. Within the ZFS pool I've created a dataset which I've given my user all permissions to. All help would be appreciated.

 

[winnielinnie]

Do you mean that you setup an SMB share, connected it on your Windows PC, and installed a game to the network folder instead of C:\Program Files\ ?

Doesn't Windows 10 by default restrict this? I would think you need to right-click the folder that contains the executable(s) and permit it under Security > Advanced.

@anodos might provide better insight into this.

I might be misunderstanding what you're trying to do with your setup.

 

[ezelbanaan]

Well, what I'd like to have is a network accessible drive (I only need it for windows machines) where I can store my games on and play them from. So what I tried to do is indeed setup a SMB share and I gave my freenas account all permissions. But because I had installed the game on my pc before I just moved it. I fixed the executing issue by changing the security settings, but I still cant install anything on it like you said. So if you think there'd be a better way please tell me.

 

[winnielinnie]

So if you think there'd be a better way please tell me.

I never had any luck myself. It sounds great in theory, but there's some roadblocks in the way. Many installers simply outright refuse to install in a network path (and using a mapped drive, such as "Z:\" won't fool them either, even if you manually type in the full path.)

I'd love to hear someone else that has succeeded in this endeavor, and what they did to make it work.

I don't see the harm in it. You're leveraging a dedicated system with lots of capacity to offload from your own local drive. It's your own hardware on your own local network. Any issues with latency and "unavailable" files (due to a network disruption) are risks you're willing to take as an individual user.

 

[ezelbanaan]

I never had any luck myself. It sounds great in theory, but there's some roadblocks in the way. Many installers simply outright refuse to install in a network path (and using a mapped drive, such as "Z:\" won't fool them either, even if you manually type in the full path.)

I'd love to hear someone else that has succeeded in this endeavor, and what they did to make it work.

I don't see the harm in it. You're leveraging a dedicated system with lots of capacity to offload from your own local drive. It's your own hardware on your own local network. Any issues with latency and "unavailable" files (due to a network disruption) are risks you're willing to take as an individual user.

Thats exactly what I mean. Though I also had the issue that Uplay wouldnt install games becasuse of inproper rights but, I just found this and it fixed it for me. You just need to add a register entry, and it works :).

 

[ornias]

I got my game disk using ISCSU mounted on windows.
Also works great with steam and rather easy to set-up ;)

 

[ezelbanaan]

I got my game disk using ISCSU mounted on windows.
Also works great with steam and rather easy to set-up ;)

OK, I'll take a look at this. I only have 1 question, does this work for multiple PC's?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

OK, I'll take a look at this. I only have 1 question, does this work for multiple PC's?

Generally not. iSCSI is a block device, i.e. a virtual disk. Only one PC can access it at a time. Unless you use a cluster capable file system like VMFS in ESXi. Don't know if Windows supports anything like this. Possibly Windows Server?

 

[ezelbanaan]

Generally not. iSCSI is a block device, i.e. a virtual disk. Only one PC can access it at a time. Unless you use a cluster capable file system like VMFS in ESXi. Don't know if Windows supports anything like this. Possibly Windows Server?

Then I guess this wont be an option for me, since I'm looking for a solution to share a game library between 2 windows 10 machine's. I wont use them at the same time though.

 

[jgreco]

Generally not. iSCSI is a block device, i.e. a virtual disk. Only one PC can access it at a time. Unless you use a cluster capable file system like VMFS in ESXi. Don't know if Windows supports anything like this. Possibly Windows Server?

You don't need a cluster aware filesystem as long as you guarantee it is only used by one client at a time. Using iSCSI has been done successfully by a number of gamers on here. The main downside would seem to be that you create a somewhat slower disk than local HDD storage (1Gbps ~= 125MByte/sec), and you probably cannot make it ridiculously large (NTFS might break). Plus the downsides I mention in the "why iSCSI requires more resources" sticky.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You don't need a cluster aware filesystem as long as you guarantee it is only used by one client at a time.

Of course. Jumped to conclusion without the OP specifying his intention.

 

[ezelbanaan]

You don't need a cluster aware filesystem as long as you guarantee it is only used by one client at a time. Using iSCSI has been done successfully by a number of gamers on here. The main downside would seem to be that you create a somewhat slower disk than local HDD storage (1Gbps ~= 125MByte/sec), and you probably cannot make it ridiculously large (NTFS might break). Plus the downsides I mention in the "why iSCSI requires more resources" sticky.

So you're saying I'm just better off to keep using what I'm currently using?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

I wont use them at the same time though.

Then as @jgreco rightly pointed out, that's perfectly possible as with any block device. I assumed you meant in parallel.

 

[jgreco]

So you're saying I'm just better off to keep using what I'm currently using?

I'm not sayin' anything.

If you are trying to set up a massive 20TB share for your games on some low-powered system with 8GB RAM via iSCSI, you will probably be able to get it to work but be extremely disappointed.

If you are trying to set up that same 20TB share on a high powered system with 256GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD and 10GbE ethernet, that could be a different story. It won't be as fast as NVMe SSD but a good chance at being faster than SATA SSD.

No promises. Workload matters.

 

[ezelbanaan]

If you are trying to set up a massive 20TB share for your games on some low-powered system with 8GB RAM via iSCSI, you will probably be able to get it to work but be extremely disappointed.

If you are trying to set up that same 20TB share on a high powered system with 256GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD and 10GbE ethernet, that could be a different story. It won't be as fast as NVMe SSD but a good chance at being faster than SATA SSD.

So with my 1GbE ethernet, no SSD and 16GB of RAM it problably wont be worth it. Even though I'm only using it for a 5TB drive. Or do you think it would work better/ give better performance than my current setup?

 

[ornias]

One could also combine it with running PrimoCache locally to provide some local caching on the gaming PC... Works quite nicely :)

 

[ChrisRJ]

You don't need a cluster aware filesystem as long as you guarantee it is only used by one client at a time.

This is basically what classic cluster software like IBM HACMP etc. ensures. Without such a "control instance" I would always be afraid to corrupt things. So unless someone is extremely self-disciplined, this approach is something I would caution against.

 

[ornias]

This is basically what classic cluster software like IBM HACMP etc. ensures. Without such a "control instance" I would always be afraid to corrupt things. So unless someone is extremely self-disciplined, this approach is something I would caution against.

With DIY installed games I think that risk is managable.
However, running multiple steam instances would create an instant MESS.

 

[ezelbanaan]

Then as @jgreco rightly pointed out, that's perfectly possible as with any block device. I assumed you meant in parallel.

So, I've now setup an iSCSi target and connected via one pc. How do I connect via the other one? Do I just do the same thing or are there different steps to take?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You disconnect PC A - and take the very same steps to connect on PC B. And make absolutely 100% sure you never connect both.