To Update or not to Update? (FreeNAS 9.10)

[ceofreak]

Hi everybody!

I'm currently not sure if I should upgrade my NAS to a newer Version or not. I'm currently running FreeNAS-9.10.2-U6 (561f0d7a1).

I am not entirely happy with it, I have a couple of errors I want to get rid of. (I use this build: https://www.ceos3c.com/2016/08/25/diy-nas-freenas-server/)

I only run a couple file shares on it and a Plex Jail.

I would like to completely re-install FreeNAS on it from scratch, not just update.

Now I've read a couple of posts where people have problems with newer builds, so I am not sure which build I should currently choose for a fresh install?

Can you guys help me? What is the most stable build?

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

Our largest production FreeNAS install is running FreeNAS-9.10.2-U3. All other installations are running the latest version of FreeNAS 11. Except that no one wants to do the paperwork and give up a few hours on a weekend, we'd be running FreeNAS 11 everywhere.

Upgrading from 9.10 to 11.x doesn't worry me at all. A clean installation and bringing over a pool doesn't worry me.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[marian78]

I run production fileservers on FreeNAS-9.10.2-U3 (e1497f269). Uses only SMB....

 

[ceofreak]

Our largest production FreeNAS install is running FreeNAS-9.10.2-U3. All other installations are running the latest version of FreeNAS 11. Except that no one wants to do the paperwork and give up a few hours on a weekend, we'd be running FreeNAS 11 everywhere.

Upgrading from 9.10 to 11.x doesn't worry me at all. A clean installation and bringing over a pool doesn't worry me.

Cheers,
Matt

So you would say it's a good thing to upgrade to version 11 and it will be an improvement over using 9.10?

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

So you would say it's a good thing to upgrade to version 11 and it will be an improvement over using 9.10?

We like to stay reasonably current so, one of these days, we will bring production up to the most recent FreeNAS version.

I don't expect to see a performance improvement by upgrading, however. V11 certainly has more features and the underlying BSD has a wider range of hardware support. But, the way we use FreeNAS - just as a file server, no jails, no VMs, no plugins, etc. - there isn't much to improve. ZFS as a filesystem is a mature product as is the networking in BSD has been solid for years.

About the only thing that would stop us from upgrading FreeNAS is if the new GUI becomes mandatory. At that point, we will be locked to whatever version has the old GUI until it stops serving our needs.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[CPP-IT]

@MatthewSteinhoff , you find the upcoming Beta UI lacking?

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

@MatthewSteinhoff , you find the upcoming Beta UI lacking?

Very much so; a giant leap backwards in terms of functionality, especially for those of us with larger installations.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[CPP-IT]

Very much so; a giant leap backwards in terms of functionality, especially for those of us with larger installations.

Fair.
Since we have just have the one FreeNAS in our office, I haven't come up against anything the new UI couldn't do for me. Also we just started using FreeNAS this past year, so I have far less history with the current UI.

Appreicate the insights of a veteran of the FreeNAS world. :)

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

Here's an example, @CPP-IT. We have two pools on our replication target. With the classic GUI, we can see both pools at the same time as well as all the details...



Everything is there and easily accessible. I can see everything I need from a single screen. One click 'View Volumes', exposes everything.

In the new GUI, when I click 'View Volumes', I see just the top level...



...then I have to click again...



...then I have to click again...



But that only shows ONE pool. To show the other pool, I need another TWO clicks. And, when I start to drill down on the second pool, the first pool view closes. So I can no longer see both pools at the same time. What if I wanted to rebalance pools by moving datasets around? Wouldn't it be nice to see both the source pool and target pool at the same time? To eyeball the space available? The new GUI also doesn't expose compression types or ratios near as I can see.

Now maybe you think I'm just being a complainer. And, you're probably right. But we also have a FreeNAS server with five pools. With the classic GUI, I can see all five pools and dozens of datasets at the same time. With the new GUI, that's not possible. One click now becomes, what?, 12 clicks?

The new GUI is very pretty. And, for a home user, it might even be better since home users don't typically have multiple pools or datasets. They also tend not to care about historical trends so they won't notice that the RRD graphs available in the classic interface aren't available in the new GUI. But I do.

The new GUI is far less informationally dense then the classic GUI. The new GUI fails to scale for folks with multiple pools. The new GUI requires far more clicks to accomplish the same tasks. It's just not good.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[CPP-IT]

Here's an example, @CPP-IT. We have two pools on our replication target. With the classic GUI, we can see both pools at the same time as well as all the details...

... {pulled out the images for easier reading}

But that only shows ONE pool. To show the other pool, I need another TWO clicks. And, when I start to drill down on the second pool, the first pool view closes. So I can no longer see both pools at the same time. What if I wanted to rebalance pools by moving datasets around? Wouldn't it be nice to see both the source pool and target pool at the same time? To eyeball the space available? The new GUI also doesn't expose compression types or ratios near as I can see.

Now maybe you think I'm just being a complainer. And, you're probably right. But we also have a FreeNAS server with five pools. With the classic GUI, I can see all five pools and dozens of datasets at the same time. With the new GUI, that's not possible. One click now becomes, what?, 12 clicks?

I'd say that's a reasonable critique of the beta UI; hopefully the designers/devs are seeing feedback like this.

I also happen to agree that the amount of info that the new UI shows is more limited. Maybe if there was a "Power User" or "Advanced" view that was more like the existing UI, that would help bridge the use cases.

 

[sintax]

Very much so; a giant leap backwards in terms of functionality, especially for those of us with larger installations.

Cheers,
Matt

I agree fully. I've been a FreeNAS user for 6 yrs now, and I've had nothing but great things to say about 9.3 and 9.10...

But this new Beta UI has left me scratching my head more than a few times. Its not super easy like the old UI