Error5, Unretryable error...

[Bugsy]

Hi all,

I recently had a failed USB drive that contained the OS for my 9.10 FreeNAS box. In searching the forums, I found this thread: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/freenas-wont-boot-error-5-unretryable-error.29015/ that gave me some direction, but I am unable to boot from the USB to save the configuration. So, I found this thread that appears to be what I need to do: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/recover-configure-from-failing-boot-device.28032/ Following the thread as best I can, I was able to import the pool from the old USB into a fresh USB with FreeNAS 11.1 on it. My system now boots fine, I just don't have access to my old datasets. I imported the old Volume (oldboot) and it shows the old directories under Storage/Volumes/mnt/oldboot... Now what do I do? How do I get it boot using the old info? I'm basically in over my head here -- I really don't know what steps I should take at this point. I can get the old USB to read, it just won't boot. I also have snapshots from before the crash visible under Storage/Snapshots. I'm thinking I could probably restore from one of these, but I have no idea how to do so and I don't want to destroy anything accidentally.

I really need someone to spell it out step by step for me. Thanks in advance!

 

[joeschmuck]

I'm a little confused so let me state what I think you have said and propose a solution. Correct me where you think I have misunderstood you.

You had a failure with your boot media (FreeNAS 9.10) and you did not maintain a copy of your configuration data.
You then created a new bootable device using FreeNAS 11.1 and imported your pool and that worked fine.
The problem, you can see your data on the pool but you cannot access it from outside your FreeNAS machine, such as like on a Windows machine.

If the above is true, have you setup new shares to that data? Follow the 11.1 user guide on how to add a share.

And once you are done reconfiguring your system, create a backup of your configuration file so that when this happens again, you can easily recover from this kind of error.

 

[Bugsy]

Yes, you've got it mostly correct. The boot media (FreeNAS 9.10) failed and I did not have a copy of the configuration data. I created a new bootable device (FreeNAS 11.1), and I think I've imported the data set, however it's not accessible from anywhere and my 11.1 FreeNAS system isn't visible on my network. I am able to open up the GUI in a browser via the IP address. I can see the Volume "oldboot" and all of my old directories.

Before I go any further, I want to make sure I'm going about restoration correctly. I don't want to set up new shares if possible because I'd prefer not to lose the old data. I do have a backup of all of my files that I can restore, but it's on an external hard drive that and would have to go through Windows to be restored. That will take many hours to accomplish so I'd prefer to leave that for the last option. I'm thinking it may be possible to just restore the old groups, users, jails, permissions, etc. to the new 11.1 system. Or am I wrong on this?

Thanks again!

 

[joeschmuck]

Do not try to restore an old snapshot. As I understand it this will not restore your configuration data, you have lost it. You also have upgraded to FreeNAS 11.1 when you should have stuck with 9.10. All your data is on your system however you will need to recreate the shares and any user accounts, your netrwork configs, email account, all that stuff you do to configure the system needs to be done.

Did you upgrade your ZFS system to the new feature flags when you installed 11.1? If you did not then there may be some hope for you. You could reinstall 9.10 and then you need to doa Google type search for "recovery of freenas-1.db from pool" or similar, I think there might be instructions on how to do that. If you can recover that database file then you can import that configuration file and be back online, assuming that file isn't corrupt.

That is about all I can offer for help. Good Luck.

 

[Bugsy]

I can definitely reinstall 9.10. I haven't made any changes to the new 11.1 install, other than importing the Volume "oldboot", which I'm sure I can just import again to the new 9.10. The original USB stick does work, it just won't boot most of the time.

 

[joeschmuck]

If you can get the original USB stick to boot then you should do so and save your config data. This will save you a ton of work if the config file isn't corrupt.

 

[Bugsy]

I've been trying to get it boot, but I only got lucky with it once, and then sometime later (before I saved the config) the system went down and never came back up. I may keep trying but I think it's not gonna work.

Thanks again! Have a Merry Christmas!

 

[danb35]

You could reinstall 9.10 and then you need to doa Google type search for "recovery of freenas-1.db from pool"

...or he could recover the config file from the pool (it'll be in the .system dataset) and upload it to his 11.1 installation. There's no reason OP needs to downgrade back to 9.10 to do this.

 

[Ericloewe]

And there should be an option in the 11.1 GUI to grab one of those backups.

Don't ask me where, I'm not sure the docs team knows either. It's probably in the new GUI.

 

[danb35]

"Should be" as in you think it would be a good idea, or "should be" as in you understand it's there?

 

[Ericloewe]

I understand it's there. Somewhere.

https://redmine.ixsystems.com/issues/24173

 

[joeschmuck]

...or he could recover the config file from the pool (it'll be in the .system dataset) and upload it to his 11.1 installation. There's no reason OP needs to downgrade back to 9.10 to do this.

My thinking is the OP had already installed a clean install of 11.1 and imported the pool and now the system dataset version has been replaced by the newer version. Is that not correct? Did I talk myself out of this being a possible solution because I thought of it already but dismissed it.

I understand it's there. Somewhere.

https://redmine.ixsystems.com/issues/24173

I don't see it in 11.1, maybe it's actually in the Nightlies somewhere. I need to build up my FreeNAS Test VM again I guess.

 

[danb35]

My thinking is the OP had already installed a clean install of 11.1 and imported the pool and now the system dataset version has been replaced by the newer version.

I wouldn't think an existing .system dataset (or its contents) should be destroyed in that situation, but I can't say that I've checked. When you go to /var/db/system/, you see directories like configs-(longhexnumber), rrd-(longhexnumber), and syslog-(longhexnumber). For all three of those, (longhexnumber) is the same. My assumption is that, with a new installation using the same pool, a new (longhexnumber) would be generated, but the existing directories would stay unchanged. But, again, I haven't tested that.

I understand it's there. Somewhere.

If it's in 11.1-RELEASE, it's well hidden--I don't see it in the old or the new GUI.