Best way to deploy a second FreeNAS box into VMware?

[Greg10]

I have a small VMware 6.7 cluster with three hosts and a SSD-based FreeNAS iSCSI target. After plenty of upgrades over time, I now have the parts to build a second, spinning-disk, FreeNAS server and I'm trying to determine the best way to integrate it into my current setup.

I could do a direct replication, I suppose, and just build the second box and make it a secondary node. (I admit to knowing nothing about how to do this so I'd have to do further research.)

I am also thinking about using it for backups, powering it on to capture snapshots somehow and then shutting it back down. But again, I'm not sure how to do this or if it is even possible.

Or maybe I just install an OS and use it for a Veeam backup respository.

Thoughts?

 

[HoneyBadger]

Are you looking to migrate the data on your existing FreeNAS setup, or just add the new spinning-disk one as an additional datastore or datastores?

FreeNAS/TrueNAS CORE has no HA features, so you won't be building a "secondary node" in the traditional sense of the word. You can have it receive snapshots as part of a replication setup from your original unit, or use Veeam to target a share or LUN on the disk-based unit.

Easiest solution is just to stand it up as a brand new machine (although bear in mind that its default name will also be "freenas" and if you haven't changed your other system's name, this might cause a momentary conflict - keep the second machine offline until you change its hostname if that's the case) and then join it to the same iSCSI network. Configure it as a new chunk of storage, add it as a new dynamic target in VMware, and rescan your hosts.

 

[Greg10]

Eh, I'm going to preserve my existing FreeNAS box (called san1) and add this frankenstein box (as san2). I like the idea of it "receiv[ing] snapshots as part of a replication setup". Where might I find documentation about setting that up?

 

[HoneyBadger]

Check the documentation under the headings of "Periodic Snapshots" and "Replication Tasks" - 8.5 and 8.6.

8. Tasks — FreeNAS®11.3-U3.2 User Guide Table of Contents

www.ixsystems.com

You can have san2 serving new data and receiving snapshots at the same time.

 

[Greg10]

Nice. Thank you!