iSCSI file extent required field

[stlnas]

Guys,

Ive been trying to figure this out all weekend. Im using freenas 9.1.1 and i want to create a iSCSI file extent. When i select the location it returns "this field is required" even though everything is filled out. See attached screenshot. Am i missing something basic?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[cyberjock]

No, you aren't including a location. You chose a FILE based extent, but then pointed to a folder. You must type in the file name you want. For example /mnt/ESXi-data/iscsi01

 

[pirateghost]

No, you aren't including a location. You chose a FILE based extent, but then pointed to a folder. You must type in the file name you want. For example /mnt/ESXi-data/iscsi01

There is either a bug in the iscsi extent selection, or someone derped the documentation.

File extent: allows you to export a portion of a ZFS volume. When creating a file extent, you can specify either a non-existing file name or an existing ZFS dataset. The advantage of a file extent is that you can create multiple exports per volume.

I usually use device extents and point them to a zvol, but I wanted to set up a file extent to test it, and following the documentation you receive the error in the op's picture.

 

[dlavigne]

[quote="]There is either a bug in the iscsi extent selection, or someone derped the documentation.

It's pretty clear in the documentation:

Table 8.7b summarizes the settings that can be configured when creating an extent. Note that file extent creation will fail if you do not append the name of the file to be created to the volume/dataset name.

 

[pirateghost]

It's pretty clear in the documentation:

Table 8.7b summarizes the settings that can be configured when creating an extent. Note that file extent creation will fail if you do not append the name of the file to be created to the volume/dataset name.

Here is the part that is NOT clear:

File extent: allows you to export a portion of a ZFS volume. When creating a file extent, you can specify either a non-existing file name or an existing ZFS dataset.

based on the wording of the documentation, I can use a dataset. It doesn't say I need to have a file *INSIDE* a dataset.... While I agree that it doesn't make sense to use a dataset as a file extent, that is the wording of the documentation. It is confusing for someone setting up an iscsi device. Like I said, I prefer device extents with zvols, so I have never set up a file extent on FreeNAS before.

 

[dlavigne]

I'll remove that second line in the next version of the Guide. Thanks!

 

[cyberjock]

I'm not sure what the discussion is about...

If you choose file extents you need to specify a file name. /mnt/ESXi-data is not a filename(obviously). /mnt/ESXi-data/iscsidata is. The OP only included /mnt/ESXi-data in his field despite choosing file name. So the GUI naturally threw the error since he wasn't including a file name.

As for the Dataset, I'm not sure how that all works as I don't have any datasets so I can't test it. How does a device extent work out? Does it use datasets?

 

[pirateghost]

I'm not sure what the discussion is about...

If you choose file extents you need to specify a file name. /mnt/ESXi-data is not a filename(obviously). /mnt/ESXi-data/iscsidata is. The OP only included /mnt/ESXi-data in his field despite choosing file name. So the GUI naturally threw the error since he wasn't including a file name.

As for the Dataset, I'm not sure how that all works as I don't have any datasets so I can't test it. How does a device extent work out? Does it use datasets?

unless /mnt/ESXi-data/iscsidata is a dataset or folder, then its not a filename, and it will fail too. just covering the bases, because if the OP went in and created a dataset (as indicated in the docs), and it didn't work, he would be right back here stating the same thing I did.

a device extent requires using a device (zvol, snapshot, disk) and cannot use datasets

 

[cyberjock]

So datasets is inappropriate in all cases technically? But the manual mentions dataset hence the need to update the manual? Gotcha

 

[pirateghost]

So datasets is inappropriate in all cases technically? But the manual mentions dataset hence the need to update the manual? Gotcha

Yep. Pretty much