Can a pool/share be formatted?

[LearnLearnLearn]

I created a pool and from there added datasets. Most of the datasets simply share the entire storage pool
However, I created one dataset which is 1GB for example, which is then shared as SMB.
I need to allow the device mounting to that storage to format the space so it can use it.

Can I do that? I've read that this cannot be done and that if I do this, the entire pool will be lost or damaged.

 

[danb35]

I need to allow the device mounting to that storage to format the space so it can use it.

What makes you think you need to do that? And what do you mean by "format"?

The only time you'd "format" any shared storage would be if it were shared block storage, i.e., iSCSI.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

I have some security cameras that can use NAS. When I configure the NAS storage, the camera wants to 'format' the storage.

 

[danb35]

What happens if you let it?

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

I don't dare until I ask here first since this was not an easy answer to find online by searching.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

Does anyone here know for sure? I don't want to wreck my storage.

 

[danb35]

I can't see how it'd have any effect on your storage, more broadly considered. If you give the camera credentials for only one share, anything it's going to do will be limited to that share.

 

[winnielinnie]

What is the brand and model of these security cameras? @danb35 is correct, the terminology "format" doesn't make much sense in this regard.

Unless the camera "prepares" the folder that you point it to? In this case over an SMB share? (Maybe that's what they mean by "format"?)

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

I would think so too but I cannot guess, I need to know for sure which is why I posted.
Hoping someone here knows truenas well enough to confirm.

 

[danb35]

Hoping someone here knows truenas well enough to confirm.

Whatever you're asking about has nothing to do with TrueNAS; it's an idiosyncratic requirement of your cameras. I'd suggest asking whoever provides support for them what "formatting" does on remote storage--because I don't think anyone here can tell you.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

Hi,

The cameras are Hikvision and can have local sd storage but can also use a network NAS. I need the use the NAS.
I set up a separate pool for the cameras with a limit of 1024mb. The camera can see it as shown in the image but it wants to initialize the storage.

I'm nervous that since the dataset is part of a single pool, that it could format a part of or section of the pool rendering the rest useless.
I'm nervous about that because all of the datasets have no limits, they all share the entire pool.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

Whatever you're asking about has nothing to do with TrueNAS; it's an idiosyncratic requirement of your cameras. I'd suggest asking whoever provides support for them what "formatting" does on remote storage--because I don't think anyone here can tell you.

Uh? It has everything to do with TrueNas since the storage is on TN. I could I suppose, build a small TN device for this but it would be better if I knew I could do this using the main storage I have.

 

[winnielinnie]

I would slow down and get a grasp of ZFS terminology.

It seems you're confusing and conflating pools with datasets and quotas.

I'm nervous that since the dataset is part of a single pool, that it could format a part of or section of the pool rendering the rest useless.
I'm nervous about that because all of the datasets have no limits, they all share the entire pool.

I set up a separate pool for the cameras with a limit of 1024mb.

This is hard to follow. (Not trying to be offensive, but it doesn't actually make sense. "Formatting a part of or section of the pool". This is meaningless in terms of ZFS.)

What exactly is the setup on your TrueNAS server?

We still don't know what "formatting an SMB share" even means. I would ask Hikvision. It's being used in a nebulous manner.

 

[danb35]

It has everything to do with TrueNas since the storage is on TN.

By this logic, Microsoft Word has "everything to do with TrueNAS" if you're saving its documents on your NAS.

Nobody here has any idea what Hikvision means by "formatting" a network share. And that's really what your question is. But whatever it means, if you point it to a single share, it can't do anything outside of that share--as I already said.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

>By this logic, Microsoft Word has "everything to do with TrueNAS" if you're saving its documents on your NAS.

You're just trying to have fun at my expense now. I am not a pro with TN, I've not ever had to use many special functions or unique ways of trying to use the storage. I always only need NFS and SMB so it's always simple. I'm not here to fight or to argue so please don't drag me down into that.

>This is hard to follow. (Not trying to be offensive, but it doesn't actually make sense. "Formatting a part of or section of the pool".
>This is meaningless in terms of ZFS.)

Why do you think I posted asking then? Because to me, it also doesn't make sense so I wanted to ask some folks that know TN better than I do.

>What exactly is the setup on your TrueNAS server?


There is one single pool and several datasets which are then shared as NFS and SMB.
I'm not sure I'm answering your question however.

>We still don't know what "formatting an SMB share" even means. I would ask Hikvision. It's being used in a nebulous manner.

To me, it seems the camera thinks this is storage it can use, it can see it and it wants to initialize it, prepare it in some way.
Yes, I'll contact hikvision (a very well known brand of cameras) but no matter their answer, I'm still curious about this now as I've never come across this kind of thing before.

Again, that's why I wanted to ask here.

 

[LarsR]

I just did a quick google search and found some tutorials for Hikvision cameras that suggest that those cameras require a dedicated partition on a drive and want to format it - in which format isn't stated. With this i don't even know if it's possible to use those cameras with truenas/zfs.
Maybe it would work with creating a dedicated zvol and let the camera have access to it?

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

@LarsR.

I was just about to contact hikvision.
I'll do that or just build a small TN box just for these. I just didn't want to take chances on my larger storage.

Thanks very much for your input.

 

[danb35]

You're just trying to have fun at my expense now.

No, I'm trying to illustrate that your question does not have "everything to do with TrueNAS." Because it doesn't.

With this i don't even know if it's possible to use those cameras with truenas/zfs.

I'm seeing tutorials about using network storage as well, e.g.:

Configure Hikvision camera to save images to Shared Network Folder — SecurityCamCenter.com

This guide explains how to configure a Hikvision IP camera to save images to a shared network folder. Follow the configuration steps one by one.

securitycamcenter.com

But their terminology is just weird. They say "Net HDD" for SMB (or apparently other protocols) shared network storage. And then once you've set up that share you have to "format" it. I know, more or less, what formatting does for an actual hard drive; I can only guess at what it does on a network share in this context (and that guess is that they're creating a series of folders and perhaps index files). I haven't as yet been able to find anything that describes in any detail what happens on a network share when they "format" it.

But, for the third time: if you only give the camera credentials for one share, whatever it does will (and can) only affect that one share. It can't destroy your pool. It can't format your hard drives. It can't damage or affect data in other shares. That's the whole point of having different shares with different permissions.

 

[LearnLearnLearn]

>But, for the third time

Again, thank you for your help, I appreciate it but don't need to be berated for not being sure and not knowing TN enough to better explain my situation. I'll take a look at the info you shared but I'll build a small server to test before doing anything.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

It would help if you would share the details of how you set up the dataset and the share ...