How does bulk dataset creation without GUI work?

[wilschie]

Hello,

Can someone please point me to some documentation on how to create datasets via script or command line?

Every few months I get 10 to 20 new users who need their own data shares and after a few months the user accounts and the data shares are deleted. On Solaris I do that with a simple bash script, with zfs create, chown and chmod. Does this also work with TrueNAS? Or do I have to use the GUI, which would be quite cumbersome given the high fluctuation rate of users and their data shares? How do larger companies with hundreds of users or dozens of user groups do it?

Best
Willi

 

[Ericloewe]

Yes and no. This sounds like something you would want to use the API for.

 

[sretalla]

a simple bash script, with zfs create, chown and chmod. Does this also work with TrueNAS?

Yes. (for the datasets). For the users, you will need to use API calls as suggested, or do it in the GUI.

EDIT: maybe the CLI is actually more useful here:

cli at the shell, then you can use account user create (you get prompts there to help you fill it)

 

[wilschie]

The users live in a Samba AD DC. On this Samba server I have a user_create script which creates the accounts. After account creation the script SSH connects to the file servers where it creates the user's and/or group's datasets (zfs create) and sets permissions (chown and chgrp). This works for NFS exports. SMB exports are configured in a simple smb.conf file. Can I do the same with a TrueNAS system? Can I SSH into the TrueNAS CLI?

 

[Ericloewe]

Can I SSH into the TrueNAS CLI?

Yeah, it should be in $PATH, so you should be able to run it with cli.

 

[sretalla]

SMB exports are configured in a simple smb.conf file. Can I do the same with a TrueNAS system?

Perhaps you should be using the "Use as home share" option in the SMB share you set up just once... then all users connect to the exact same share, but see only their own files.

 

[wilschie]

Great! Thank you for your help. I will start testing the CLI option.