FreeNAS Mini - ZFS: i/o error & can't load 'kernel'

[Mark Fuller]

Hi - my FreeNAS Mini isn't booting any more. The system gets to:
/boot/kernel/kernel text=0x1655860 ZFS:i/o error - all block copies unavailabl
elf64_loadimage: read failed
can't load 'kernel'

System:
FreeNAS Mini 2016, 32GB ECC RAM. v11

lsdev shows 4 disk devices
disk0 BIOS drive C ( 312777232 x 512 ):
disk0p1: FreeBSD boot
disk0p2: FreeBSD ZFS
disk1 BIOS drive C ( 5860533168 x 512 ):
disk1p1: FreeBSD swap
disk1p2: FreeBSD ZFS
disk2 ditto
disk3 ditto

So it looks like disk0 is the 64GB Flash drive plugged into the motherboard and is recognised. Don't understand why p2 says ZFS though - the flash drive should be a single-partition read-only dedicated boot drive shouldn't it? It's odd that there is no disk4 as well because this system should have 4 identical spinning HDDs. Last time I was in the UI there were no alerts.

What do I do next?, thanks

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

FreeNAS boots from ZFS since version 8 ...

Probably: get a new boot medium, reinstall.

 

[danb35]

the flash drive should be a single-partition read-only dedicated boot drive shouldn't it?

In addition to Patrick's mostly correct answer (the boot device became a live ZFS pool with 9.3, not with 8), it's never been the case that the boot device was only one partition--it's always been partitioned. I'm a little surprised at a device failure--the FN Mini uses a SATA DOM, IIRC, which should be much more durable than a USB stick--but I agree with Patrick's recommendation.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

So your memory is better than mine. But for a 2016 mini he's definitely running ZFS.

 

[danb35]

But for a 2016 mini he's definitely running ZFS.

Agreed--and if there were any doubt, it's confirmed by (1) his statement that he's on v11, and (2) the lsdev output.

 

[Mark Fuller]

Thanks Patrick and Dan - I'll replace the SATA DOM and reinstall the OS.

I'm in Australia and cannot find an Apacer SATA-DOM like the one in the FreeNAS. Indeed on initial searching, Mouser, RS Components, Element13 etc I cannot find a SATA DOM. All I can find is on EBay Australia at https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-DEL...785357?hash=item2d062793cd:g:HuwAAOSwDdxeZ1-X .

Any advice sourcing compatible parts most appreciated. I'm not comfortable sourcing parts with unknown provenance. Thanks

 

[Redcoat]

Mark, ex-Mini owner here. My SATA-DOM croaked - replaced it with "what I had on the shelf at the time" - a used SATA laptop hard drive that performed just fine. You could also choose to use an SSD. In my two Supermicro's now I have SSD's as boot drives, each one backed up with a used laptop hard drive. SATA-DOM's are, in my view, overrated and usually expensive by comparison with perfectly serviceable and more readily available alternatives.

 

[Mark Fuller]

That's a good call. Off to the parts-bin. Cheers

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

Mark, ex-Mini owner here. My SATA-DOM croaked - replaced it with "what I had on the shelf at the time" - a used SATA laptop hard drive that performed just fine. You could also choose to use an SSD. In my two Supermicro's now I have SSD's as boot drives, each one backed up with a used laptop hard drive. SATA-DOM's are, in my view, overrated and usually expensive by comparison with perfectly serviceable and more readily available alternatives.

Current Mini 2.0 owner here. My SATA-DOM died and I'm thinking since I see room and cables in the case for (2) 2.5" drives, I might follow your guidance with two SSDs for a boot and backup. My question is - if I install the same version of Freenas I was using at the time of failure, and my backup settings, will there be any issues seeing my storage pool?

Thanks in advance for considering my noob questions. Its been a while since i had to get into the weeds like this - I prefer plug-n-play.

 

[danb35]

if I install the same version of Freenas I was using at the time of failure, and my backup settings, will there be any issues seeing my storage pool?

Nope. Install the same version (or even a more recent version, if close), upload a saved config file, and you're ready to go.

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

Thanks a ton! I'm thinking the FreeNAS image isnt very large and I could get away with a couple of small capacity SSDs?

 

[Ericloewe]

The image terminology is not what I'd use, since it's not a static image, but even a 64 GB SSD would be ample.

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

The image terminology is not what I'd use, since it's not a static image, but even a 64 GB SSD would be ample.

I get ya. Thinking of taking matters into my own hands as waiting for support is taking a bit too long for me. I really cant complain as it has run pretty much non-stop for just over 3-years.

 

[Ericloewe]

DOM reliability in general seems to have been somewhat iffier than I'd be comfortable with... Dead units are fairly common.

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

Thanks for engaging me! Two more quick questions before I embark on recovering my storage -

1. Can I used my saved settings file with the latest version? I was on 11.3-U4.1 I think.
2. If the answer to #1 is no, where can I find a download of 11.3-U4.1?

 

[Ericloewe]

You can use it, the migration will run, then the server will reboot and the new environment will have the config applied.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

May I recommend Transcend brand SSDs for your purpose? They are not dirt cheap but affordable, still available in small sizes, and have a great write endurance for the size. Perfect for boot drives, IMHO.

SATA III 6Gb/s SSD370S | 2.5" SSDs - Transcend Information, Inc.

Transcend's 2.5

us.transcend-info.com

Kind regards,
Patrick

 

[danb35]

where can I find a download of 11.3-U4.1?

You can find everything back to 11.0 at:

https://download.freenas.org/

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

You can find everything back to 11.0 at:

https://download.freenas.org/

thank you!

 

[borrowedlightphoto]

May I recommend Transcend brand SSDs for your purpose? They are not dirt cheap but affordable, still available in small sizes, and have a great write endurance for the size. Perfect for boot drives, IMHO.

SATA III 6Gb/s SSD370S | 2.5" SSDs - Transcend Information, Inc.

Transcend's 2.5

us.transcend-info.com

Kind regards,
Patrick

Patrick, I took your advice and got an SSD for boot. I plugged it into the same port that held the failed DOM, but something is still not quite right? After restart, the BIOS seems to be looking at the my storage disks, not the new boot disk. I noticed this after finally getting to the dashboard and trying to restore my last good configuration settings. After reboot, I could no longer access the dashboard and got an error that the disk was a data disk.

However, after another search of the forums, I found a solution with regard to BIOS settings and I'm back in business! Thanks again all for sharing your experience.