Can I install web-bassed JBOD management tools alongside TrueNAS?

[Sniper_X]

I have a JBOD that is managed via commands sent over the SAS Controller via the cables to the JBOD controller.
This requires the server running the management tools to be directly connected to the JBOD via SAS cabling.

It is also WEB based.

Can I install this management platform alongside TrueNAS and just change the ports to prevent interference with the TrueNAS web interface?
I know that Jails are the way to install other functions and apps, but will a Jail prevent the platform from using the SAS controller card natively?

I do not want to burn SAS interface ports by installing another system and cabling that into the JBOD just for this JBOD management platform.
I'm hoping there is a method that allows jails to use SAS tools and commands.

(for example: sg3 tools/utilities - can they run in a Jail and still see the storage chassis and devices?)

 

[Sniper_X]

UPDATE:
Here are the requirements for using this management platform I need:

Compatible Operating Systems

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.6, 7.9, 8.0, 8.2, 8.3
• CentOS 7.6, 7.9, 8.0, 8.2, 8.3
• Ubuntu 16.04, 18.04, 20.04
• Debian 10.9
• Oracle Linux 8.2

Required Software

• Apache HTTP Server 2.4.46
• MongoDB
• sg_utils
• Python
• Python Modules:
  • pip
  • Flask
  • Flask-Cors
  • Flask-RESTful
  • pymongo
  • requests
  • PyJWT
  • json2html
  • waitress
  • Paste
  • pyOpenSSL

I'm wondering if I should attempt to install this in the same context (alongside) TrueNAS or if using a jail (preferred) would render the management platform unable to use sg_utils ans to see the JBOD over the SAS HBA natively.

 

[Sniper_X]

Can anyone help address the possibilities?

 

[Ericloewe]

Simple answer is no. You'll need to do whatever management is needed ahead of time (It's a disk shelf! How much management can it seriously require that can't be done over SES?) or out of band.

Are you sure that sesutil won't do what you need?

 

[Sniper_X]

Simple answer is no. You'll need to do whatever management is needed ahead of time (It's a disk shelf! How much management can it seriously require that can't be done over SES?) or out of band.

Are you sure that sesutil won't do what you need?

So, I suppose, but it also does monitoring and other tasks.

I will be using this as a training tool for JBODs, and having the GUI from the resource manager up and running would be ideal.
It's all web based, and I have the option to change the ports used.

Are you certain that I cannot at least put this in a jail or something?
I'm concerned that a Jail would prevent the native HBA access the platform needs.

 

[Ericloewe]

Are you certain that I cannot at least put this in a jail or something?

You could, but the actual communication is a bit of a dead end, since the host controls the SAS devices, as you surmised.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

It could be run in a jail with some devfs_rules tuning, but FreeBSD (TN CORE) is not in your list of supported operating systems. No idea how to do anything like this on SCALE, sorry.

 

[Ericloewe]

Well, RHEL 7 uses a positively ancient kernel at this point, so a Linux jail might work... But the interactions with SES would make me nope out of that idea pretty quickly.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Yep. That's why FreeBSD support would be required. Exposing the devices to the jail is rather trivial in comparison.

 

[Sniper_X]

Perhaps the components of the web interface for TrueNAS could help host the web portion and I could adjust the ports for the other stuff.

Since the platform has all kinds of *NIX and Windows support, I might be able to "interleave" it into the TrueNAS itself.
I wanted to ask the group since you all have far more experience than I on TrueNAS, jails, etc.

Would it be more possible if I used CORE? (Or less)

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Less chance to get it working with CORE because FreeBSD is not supported by your software. CORE is not a Linux system.

You might be able to pull it off with an LXC container on SCALE:

GitHub - Jip-Hop/ubernerd: Run Docker and LXC-like containers with a portable install of nerdctl on a systemd based host

Run Docker and LXC-like containers with a portable install of nerdctl on a systemd based host - Jip-Hop/ubernerd

github.com

 

[Sniper_X]

Less chance to get it working with CORE because FreeBSD is not supported by your software. CORE is not a Linux system.

You might be able to pull it off with an LXC container on SCALE:

GitHub - Jip-Hop/ubernerd: Run Docker and LXC-like containers with a portable install of nerdctl on a systemd based host

Run Docker and LXC-like containers with a portable install of nerdctl on a systemd based host - Jip-Hop/ubernerd

github.com

Thanks for that.

I wasn't looking forward to having to try CORE.

I'll give this a shot in the coming days - will report what happened.