Error: This is a NAS data disk and can not boot system. System halted.

[bstoiber]

I similar posts have been made on this but I am trying to restore a system that I had no hand in creating or maintaining so some of the common knowledge might not be apparent to me.

I have a FreeNAS server that is failing to boot with the error in the subject of this post. I am wondering if it could be a failed USB flash drive that it was booting off of. From what I have found in the old employee's files, I have a bunch of database files, the newest being freenas-FreeNAS-9.10.2-U2 (e1497f2)-20210810095019.db. Is there any way to rebuild the boot USB and try to boot off of it?

I am guessing FreeNAS is using 9.10.2-U2. Can I use a newer version of FreeNAS or do I have to use the version that the .db files references?

 

[HoneyBadger]

Hello!

Check the server's BIOS boot order first - it might have been somehow reset, and it's trying to boot from the data disks as opposed to the USB flash drive. But if you're reasonably confident the drive has failed, then you can boot a new boot USB.

If you want to import the .db backup file, I believe you'll need to use the same version of FreeNAS (or at least the same major version) - newer versions can read the disks and ZFS pool itself, but won't be able to import that configuration file, so you would have to re-define things like IP addresses and SMB shares.

A word of caution though - if you're doing to do a new FreeNAS/TrueNAS installation, disconnect all of your data drives beforehand. This will prevent you from accidentally selecting a disk with data on it during the install process and inadvertently overwriting one of the pool storage devices. Once you've completed the initial install and have assigned an IP address from the console, power the system off, reconnect the data disks (check the BIOS boot order) and then power it back on. You should be able to import the pool and continue from there.

 

[bstoiber]

I was able to boot up FreeNAS this morning. It seems like the USB flash drive was not appearing in BIOS. After unplugging it and plugging it back in, it did appear and I was able to set that as the primary boot disk. Seeing as USB flash drives have a higher failure rate than hard drives, is there a way to clone the boot drive or if I am in FreeNAS, to create a new one?

What other backups should I be performing on FreeNAS to ensure I am able to recover if something happens again? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[danb35]

is there a way to clone the boot drive or if I am in FreeNAS, to create a new one?

There are a couple of options:

• Add the new one as a mirror of the old one--this can be done through the GUI
• Do a clean install to the new one, then upload a saved copy of your config database

What other backups should I be performing on FreeNAS to ensure I am able to recover if something happens again?

What I just mentioned above: you should have (or, more to the point, know how to access) regular backups of your configuration database.