Backup and Restore help

[BigB]

I have a 4 x 4 TB drive Z2 Freenas. I want to expand it to 6 drives (same size) to maximize the drive space. 4 disks data 2 for parity . I know I will have to wipe out the dataset I currently have.
1) Can I backup the data to my computer connected to the gigabite LAN if I have enough space?
2) Can I restore 9.3 setup after I redo the dataset so my setup (directories, permissions, jails, plugins stay intact?
Thanks.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

1) Can I backup the data to my computer connected to the gigabite LAN if I have enough space?

Yes. One way is to create a snapshot, then zfs send that snapshot to a file.

2) Can I restore 9.3 setup after I redo the dataset so my setup (directories, permissions, jails, plugins stay intact?

Yes: System | General | Save Config.

 

[BigB]

Just to be clear as I'm worried about recreating my system.
1) copy the CIFS shares to my windows computer of the data I want to save
2) System/General/save config
3) Install new drives and use Volume Manager to create a new Volume with the same name as the old one
4) Restore the saved config
5) Copy the data from the windows computer back to the CIFS
Will this process work and my system be back to the original state with 6 Z2 drives instead of 4?

 

[danb35]

The process you describe will work, mostly. When you go through the configuration wizard on FreeNAS 9.3, it automatically creates datasets for each of your shares. Since datasets are part of your pool, not part of your configuration, you'd need to re-create them manually after creating the new pool. Also, the method you describe wouldn't restore any plugins or jails you might have.

You'd also need to add Step 2a, which is to detach your existing volume, checking the box for "mark disks as new". This will erase all data on those disks (which would happen by using them to create a new pool anyway).

 

[BigB]

danb35,
Is there any way to backup and restore the plugins and jails? What does the save config actually backup. I'm worried that I won't be able to get the freenas back to it's current state. Thanks for your help

 

[depasseg]

The best way to do this would be to do a ZFS snapshot and replicate to either another ZFS dataset on your FreeNAS (temporaily hook up some spare drives), or to a file somewhere on your network. That will preserve all your data. If you combine that with the system config backup and restore, your new pool will work just like your old one.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Is there any way to backup and restore the plugins and jails?

Creating a snapshot and sending it to a file (or a temporary pool) is what would preserve datasets, including jails.

Saving the configuration is what would preserve settings for shares, scheduled scrubs, SMART tests etc.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I'm worried that I won't be able to get the freenas back to it's current state.

You can also screenshot all the settings, just in case. I did this the last time I rebuilt my pool - it was only 19 screenshots.

 

[depasseg]

There is a system backup option as well (System->Advanced->Backup), but I can't find the setting to restore. @dlavigne what am I missing?
http://doc.freenas.org/9.3/freenas_system.html#advanced

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I can't find the setting to restore

It's on the console menu, per the documentation.

 

[BigB]

Backup failed!
Reason: Cannot authenticate

Hostname or IP address - I presume this is the IP address of my freenas
User name and PW - the username and PW for my freenas login
Remote directory - where I want to put the backup on my remote computer in the form \\computername\backupfnas
I setup the backupfnas directory to have a share of guest on my Win7 machine

I don't see an option for replicate in the snapshot tab

 

[depasseg]

Aha! thanks Robert. I missed that little nugget buried in the instruction paragraph.

BigB - It's expecting an SSH host, not a windows share.

And look at the screenshot you pasted. The "Replication Tasks" is a separate tab (next to "Snapshots")

 

[BigB]

depasseg- Can you give me an example of an SSH host for Remote Directory. Sorry for asking such a basic question.

 

[depasseg]

A server that provides the SSH service (secure shell). pretty much anything except windows

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I don't see an option for replicate in the snapshot tab

In a situation where you're doing a one-time replication for the purpose of reconfiguring your pool, setting up a replication task is probably overkill. Using the console shell command-line to replicate to a pair of attached hard drives (mirrored for safety) has worked well for me.

 

[depasseg]

I don't see an option for replicate in the snapshot tab

Snapshot and replication are on two different tabs.