Create more than one point of mount

Status
Not open for further replies.

baglio

Dabbler
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
40
Hello guys, Is it possible to create on an HDD more than one point of mount in order to set different permission from owners to groups?

My HDD is now formatted with FileSystem UFS, it's a unic partition and it already has one point of mount.
Thanks.
 

peterh

Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
315
You may "export" any directory on that drive independently of any other "exports", this is valid
independent of method ( cifs/nfs/afp)
The down side is that the "top" mount will have access to the "lower" level.

A more structured way is to install a zfs filesystem, where you can create logical filesystems, as many
as you like, from your physical pool, each of them will behave like a separate disk-drive in all respects.
So if you have the means ( 8G of mem, a 64-bits cpu) i'd suggest that you move your data and reformat.
 

baglio

Dabbler
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
40
You may "export" any directory on that drive independently of any other "exports", this is valid
independent of method ( cifs/nfs/afp)
The down side is that the "top" mount will have access to the "lower" level.

A more structured way is to install a zfs filesystem, where you can create logical filesystems, as many
as you like, from your physical pool, each of them will behave like a separate disk-drive in all respects.
So if you have the means ( 8G of mem, a 64-bits cpu) i'd suggest that you move your data and reformat.

Thank you very much for your answer!
Though there's downsides, that's exactly the solution I'm looking for! XD

I'd like to "give" to my relatives a folder in which they can do stuff, perhaps, I'd like to keep mine untouchable while I can see their in order to prevent some unpredictable things they can do: such as remove / rename / destroy files.

What do you mean with "export"? Can you explain me how to proceed? I've installed FreeNAS 7.

P.S. Yes, I'd rather use ZFS but my specs are far from what you suggested! :D
My NAS runs on a Pentium 4 with 512 Mb of RAM.
Thanks again!!!
 

peterh

Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
315
Well, this is freenas8 forum :smile: But the same principles applies.

The meaning of "export" here is that a local ( to the freenas) filesystem is shown to other computers via a network
and some protocol. The collective process of "making available, transporting and accessing a remote filesystem" could
be called "export" ( or share as it's called in some groups).

The various protocols has to do with how-to present a network disk, unix/linux uses NFS , microsoft CIFS and apple AFP.
A filesystem might be exported via several protolcols, however there is some finer details in the protocols that
makes this less desirable. Note however that what you export is a local directory that might or might not be
a filesystem boundry. The result however ( as seen from the remote system) is a filesystem root-ed at the point
where you exported it.

I assume that you will use CIFS to make the filesystem available to windows machines.

As your computer (Pentium 4 with 512 Mb ) is far from ideal to use zfs i thing it's best to use ufs.

As an example i'll discuss a freenas system, where all exports are located at /mnt where the various
filesystems are mounted below. /mnt/data in this example.
By creating two directories : /mnt/data/tree-one and /mnt/data/tree-two you have two points that could be
exported ( or defined as cifs shares ). They will appear as 2 different disks when observed through the windows
tools. They will however share the same disk-space, if one of them is filled up, so is the other. Here comes the
biouty( sorry for the spelling) of zfs, you may create "virtual disks" from a common pool, each disk has a size that you actually
configure, acting like a quota. Whenever you like you may change the size of the disk ! Only restriction is
that you may not fill up the pool with more data that available ( overcommittment is allowed as long as you don't
use it - exactly like the airliners who sells more tickets then seats.)

An alternate strategy for storage might be to have /mnt/data/tree as one share and /mnt/data/tree/sub as another share.
Then the computer that mounts /mnt/data/tree will "see" 'sub' ( but the reverse will not be, the computer
mounting "/mnt/data/tree/sub" will not be able to come above it's mount-point.
You may combine these strategies, but usually the simplest model is the best to maintain.

/PS
why freenas7 ? Why not freenas 8 ?
/DS
 

baglio

Dabbler
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
40
Well, this is freenas8 forum :smile: But the same principles applies.

The meaning of "export" here is that a local ( to the freenas) filesystem is shown to other computers via a network
and some protocol. The collective process of "making available, transporting and accessing a remote filesystem" could
be called "export" ( or share as it's called in some groups).

The various protocols has to do with how-to present a network disk, unix/linux uses NFS , microsoft CIFS and apple AFP.
A filesystem might be exported via several protolcols, however there is some finer details in the protocols that
makes this less desirable. Note however that what you export is a local directory that might or might not be
a filesystem boundry. The result however ( as seen from the remote system) is a filesystem root-ed at the point
where you exported it.

I assume that you will use CIFS to make the filesystem available to windows machines.

As your computer (Pentium 4 with 512 Mb ) is far from ideal to use zfs i thing it's best to use ufs.

As an example i'll discuss a freenas system, where all exports are located at /mnt where the various
filesystems are mounted below. /mnt/data in this example.
By creating two directories : /mnt/data/tree-one and /mnt/data/tree-two you have two points that could be
exported ( or defined as cifs shares ). They will appear as 2 different disks when observed through the windows
tools. They will however share the same disk-space, if one of them is filled up, so is the other. Here comes the
biouty( sorry for the spelling) of zfs, you may create "virtual disks" from a common pool, each disk has a size that you actually
configure, acting like a quota. Whenever you like you may change the size of the disk ! Only restriction is
that you may not fill up the pool with more data that available ( overcommittment is allowed as long as you don't
use it - exactly like the airliners who sells more tickets then seats.)

An alternate strategy for storage might be to have /mnt/data/tree as one share and /mnt/data/tree/sub as another share.
Then the computer that mounts /mnt/data/tree will "see" 'sub' ( but the reverse will not be, the computer
mounting "/mnt/data/tree/sub" will not be able to come above it's mount-point.
You may combine these strategies, but usually the simplest model is the best to maintain.

Thank you again, you're answer is very complete!
Anyway, the example you explained it's what I was intended to do, but seems that FreeNAS 7 has less configuration parameters in this way.

In fact, when I set an export in SMB I can just configure which host are allowed and which no, this is pointless to me due I use dynamic IP on my machines (the only static is the freenas IP for convenience).

why freenas7 ? Why not freenas 8 ?

That's a good question.
At the very beginning of my freeNAS experience, I started with freeNAS 8. I found it great, but then I realised that there was some missing functionality.
The most important to me, is the Upnp function.
Unfortunately, in the end, I found out that fuppes it's not compatible with my Samsung smart TVs, so keep freeNAS 7, at this point, have no more sense.

I'm considering to install freeNAS 8.0.4 now... too bad for the media sharing... : (
 

baglio

Dabbler
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
40
I figured out how to do that.
I've just changed the owners and permission for the folders via ssh.

Thanks anyway.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top