Hello from Minnesota!

[Joe_Papa]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to say hi. I'm new.

I am a homelab/networking hobbyist and looking to get started with my own NAS. I have two servers and a few storage pools that I would like to build into a solid NAS for home use. I'm looking for advice about using TrueNAS or FreeNAS with my hardware and which subforum I should start in. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Samuel Tai]

Welcome aboard!

Before you jump off the deep end into building a NAS with TrueNAS or FreeNAS, you'll have to do some reading first.

1. ZFS Primer
2. The path to success for block storage
3. Please do not run FreeNAS in production as a Virtual Machine!
4. "Absolutely must virtualize FreeNAS!" ... a guide to not completely losing your data.
5. What's all the noise about HBA's, and why can't I use a RAID controller?
6. Some differences between RAIDZ and mirrors, and why we use mirrors for block storage
7. Path to Success for Structuring Datasets in Your Pool
8. Path to success for system upgrades

I apologize for inflicting such heavy tomes on you, but FreeNAS/TrueNAS is an enterprise-level storage solution, so there are many more knobs and dials available than on a desktop OS. It absolutely requires and rewards coherent planning before installation, and a cautious and disciplined approach to daily/weekly/monthly operations. You'll need to have a plan for recovering from oopses, and to learn best practices to minimize the risks associated with any configuration change. As an enterprise solution, it assumes you know what you're doing, so there's a lot less of a safety net than on a desktop.

 

[Joe_Papa]

Welcome aboard!

Before you jump off the deep end into building a NAS with TrueNAS or FreeNAS, you'll have to do some reading first.

1. ZFS Primer
2. The path to success for block storage
3. Please do not run FreeNAS in production as a Virtual Machine!
4. "Absolutely must virtualize FreeNAS!" ... a guide to not completely losing your data.
5. What's all the noise about HBA's, and why can't I use a RAID controller?
6. Some differences between RAIDZ and mirrors, and why we use mirrors for block storage
7. Path to Success for Structuring Datasets in Your Pool
8. Path to success for system upgrades

I apologize for inflicting such heavy tomes on you, but FreeNAS/TrueNAS is an enterprise-level storage solution, so there are many more knobs and dials available than on a desktop OS. It absolutely requires and rewards coherent planning before installation, and a cautious and disciplined approach to daily/weekly/monthly operations. You'll need to have a plan for recovering from oopses, and to learn best practices to minimize the risks associated with any configuration change. As an enterprise solution, it assumes you know what you're doing, so there's a lot less of a safety net than on a desktop.

Wow! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. :)

 

[Joe_Papa]

I've read most of the threads you posted. Great information! Thanks.