No previous versions found in Windows, SMB share with snapshots of datasets

[cat3481]

I am running TrueNAS core version TrueNAS-13.0-U3.1 on physical hardware on a small local home network.

I have 5 pools set up, only 4 of which really get used. I want to restore a previous version of some files from the pool "Main-Storage/Backup". When I go to:

Storage -> Snapshots

and filter this for "backup" 7 snapshots are shown, each referencing 7.5 TiB of data. Used space ranges from 300 GiB to 600 MiB for these snapshots, and the date and time look good. So I assume the snapsots are good.

When I go to:

Tasks -> Periodic Snapshot Tasks

I have the pool/dataset "Main-Storage/Backup" listed and enabled, with the naming scheme "auto-%Y%m%d.%H%M-6w"

Reading the page:

13. Sharing — FreeNAS®11.3-U5 User Guide Table of Contents

www.ixsystems.com

I seem to have done this right. This used to work, some time ago, probably a couple of years ago, when I last needed to restore a previous version. I have been using the same hardware for a few years, upgrading the software in place. Since accessing the shares and backing up to them works correctly I assume this is a software problem, probably a configuration problem. I have restarted the SMB service and rebooted the TrueNAS box. No effect. I have rebooted the Windows machines, no effect.

I have accessed the SMB share from both Windows 10 64bit fully patched and Windows 11 64bit fully patched. I am always told there are no previous versions found.

I have looked at:

13. Sharing — FreeNAS®11.3-U5 User Guide Table of Contents

www.ixsystems.com

but everything seems correct, and as I say, I can read and write to the shares quite happily.

Can anyone advice? I assume I have done something basic wrong, but honestly no idea where to look.

 

[Tipenso]

Same problem here on TrueNAS-13.0-U4.
Suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[cat3481]

Still no good ideas why this is happening, but I have created a new dataset on my existing pool, called "History", purely for testing previous version access. I have set it up as a SMB share, and enabled daily snapshots. snapshots are being taken, and after I figured out the access permissions were wrong, it shows up just fine in Windows 11.

I have started editing a simple Word document file daily on this share, and currently one previous version of the edited file is being offered in Windows previous versions. So it suggests that there is a settings problem with my existing datasets, but doesn't really offer any clues as to where to look.

Tipenso, did your TrueNAS system start with a much older version of TrueNAS? I started with FreeNAS on my system, so I wonder if the age is somehow a factor.

 

[FP IT]

Hello, this is my first post - I found your post as I was having the same issue. I then noticed in one of your links it says

• The periodic snapshot task should be created and at least one snapshot should exist before creating the SMB share. If the SMB share was created first, restart the SMB service in Services.

I had created the share before the task. I restarted the SMB service on TrueNAS and refreshed my Windows Explorer (latest W11) and my Previous Versions now show.