mount replication dataset/snapshot

[urobe]

Hey there,

we have two freenas servers, one on which we work, the other is the backup. We successfully created a replication task, which finished fine.

The backup server is at a different location, and there I'd like to have read access to the data. Do I now mount the dataset or snapshot?

In the end, I'd like a smb share on which I have read access to the latest snapshot.

Any help and hint is greatly appreciated!
-Tobi

 

[garm]

Do I now mount the dataset or snapshot?

It depends on what you want to achieve.

In the end, I'd like a smb share on which I have read access to the latest snapshot.

It’s not really a backup if the data is independently changed on the backup server. It’s is fine to treat it as a replica server, but then your backup strategy should get some rethinking..

to access a snapshot you mount it to a directory. The procedure is outlined in the manual and the ZFS man page.
To get a fully independent filesystem out of a snapshot you clone it. This is a very effective method for many applications, for example it’s how iocage handles templates.
These are basic ZFS features and before doing anything in production I highly recommend you study the tech and understand how it works.

 

[urobe]

Thank you very much for the reply.

It’s not really a backup if the data is independently changed on the backup server. It’s is fine to treat it as a replica server, but then your backup strategy should get some rethinking..

Why isn't it a backup? I don't want write access on the replication, only read access. On the one side, I'd like to see "with my own eyes" that the data is there and is usable, maybe a bit paranoid I guess. On the other side, the it could be usefull on the backup site to have read access to the data. Changes are of small nature, but sometimes large parts of the data need to be copied to an external medium, therefor read access would be great. At the remote backup location the original nas is connected with about 30 mb/s, the replicated nas could have as much as 400-600 mb/s.

I'll read into the mounting the snapshot. I did see the snapshots, but they all have a timestamp, I didn't see a way to mount the latest one.

 

[urobe]

regarding the backup strategy, I was actually consiedering adding a second backup of the current data (without the snapshots) to a different system, with a different software running on it, by using the cloud credentials (Webdav or sftp).
Is that paranoid or a reasonable idea? I just read so often the words "lost the entire pool" since I started looking into freenas...

 

[garm]

Ever heard of the Mandela effect? I would testify under oath I read write access :) sry about that (!) a snapshot is always readable,

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