TrueCommand 2.0 is Released

Kris Moore

SVP of Engineering
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TrueCommand 2.0 is now available after completing its BETA phase. Significant new features include:

  • Faster Time-Series Database
  • Real-Time Stats & Analysis
  • Storage Navigator
  • iSCSI Manager
  • Improved System-Down Alerts
  • Secure Web-Proxy for Cloud
  • TrueNAS SCALE cluster UI

TrueCommand 2.x uses a much faster and lightweight InfluxDB instead of a PostgreSQL database. This time-series database improves general performance and specifically improves the performance of Cloud instances significantly. This extra performance gives TrueCommand the ability to monitor real-time, per-second statistics rather than the previous 30 second intervals without changing the network bandwidth significantly. These additions will dramatically improve the ability to diagnose occasional performance issues and their root causes.

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Improvements to real-time monitoring and stats gathering

TrueCommand 2.0 also brings new features including a Storage Navigator and iSCSI Manager. Previously, it was possible to monitor datasets, but now it is possible to create, manage, and delete datasets and volumes. Also new is the ability to automate the creation of iSCSI LUNs. System-down alerts have been improved to be less sensitive to network interruptions. These additions will save administrators time and simplify the management of multiple TrueNAS nodes.

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Storage Navigator simplifies Dataset Management

TrueCommand Cloud benefits significantly from the improved database performance and also gets a cloud-secure Web Proxy capability to enable Single Sign-On for all TrueNAS systems. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) will significantly benefit from this.

TrueCommand 2.0 is the primary cluster management UI for TrueNAS SCALE with Single Sign-on (SSO). TrueCommand 2.0 can create clusters and cluster volumes. Alerts for the whole cluster can be managed from a single screen and fed to either email or PagerDuty. The whole TrueNAS cluster can be managed via TrueCommand Cloud as a service.

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TrueCommand 2.0 is the TrueNAS SCALE Cluster UI

With all these additions, TrueCommand 2.0 is the single pane of glass for:

  • TrueNAS CORE: Manage systems on standard servers, Minis, or even AWS.
  • TrueNAS Enterprise: Manage X-Series and M-Series systems with High Availability.
  • TrueNAS SCALE: Manage a group of systems running a TrueNAS SCALE cluster.

You can download TrueCommand 2.0 immediately. Please provide any feedback via this forum post.

Important Note for Upgrading from 1.x:
When first updating to TrueCommand 2.0 from v1.3, the database migration process is run. This preserves all configuration data but does not preserve old performance statistics. It is not possible to rollback to TrueCommand 1.3, so please use caution when upgrading production TrueCommand systems. If necessary, you can run TrueCommand 1.3 and TrueCommand 2.0 in parallel for a transition period.
 

Etorix

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For docker newbies like yours truly, what is the recommended update procedure from 2.0_BETA?
 

Kris Moore

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For docker newbies like yours truly, what is the recommended update procedure from 2.0_BETA?

Re-deploy the container but switch to the ":latest" tag instead of 2.0_BETA. That should get you on the release version of 2.0.
 

Kris Moore

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Hi Kris, can I install TrueCommand in a FreeBSD Jail?

No, TrueCommand is a Linux native product, so it needs a container system that can run Linux. I.E. Docker, or some Linux VM which can run Docker.
 

smillan

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Hey Kris,
I don't see the ability to browse the disk devices as in 1.3.2, where you could click on the "drives" label from the web gui and get all the pool /disk details.
now clicking on the "drives" label gives the disk activity graph ; which only shows if the system is at least on 12.0 U3.1
is this missing or left out moving forward?
 

kenmoore

TrueCommand Project Lead
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Hey Kris,
I don't see the ability to browse the disk devices as in 1.3.2, where you could click on the "drives" label from the web gui and get all the pool /disk details.
now clicking on the "drives" label gives the disk activity graph ; which only shows if the system is at least on 12.0 U3.1
is this missing or left out moving forward?
The online/degraded popup dialog for disks and pools was replaced by the disk activity chart popup in 2.0, and the disk/pool degradation warnings were moved to alerts instead.
That just made more sense visually because that popup actually shows information now, rather than a (typically) static list of good/bad markers.
 

Etorix

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Re-deploy the container but switch to the ":latest" tag instead of 2.0_BETA. That should get you on the release version of 2.0.
"Re-deploy" is the troublesome part… I tried to follow the update instructions but could not get it though with any --name or -h option for a container name (Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS with docker version as proposed by the installer). It eventually worked by removing (sudo docker rm <ID>) by ID, as reported from docker ps, pulling :latest and restarting
sudo docker run -d -v "<PATH_NO_TRAILING/>:data" -p 80:80 -p 443:443 ixsystems/truecommand:latest
It worked, and recovered the configuration from 2.0_beta, but I forgot to add the option for autostart on boot.
 

smcclos

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Is there a plan to release a VMDK or is that stopping with 1.3.2?
 

smillan

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Hey team,
FYI
it looks like the TC V 2.web GUI doesn't show the "in progress" icon for resilver activity in either the All nodes or individual nodes views.
Verified it shows Scrub, can't comment on other tasks ATM.
 

morganL

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Is there a plan to release a VMDK or is that stopping with 1.3.2?

Its better to update the docker container within the VM... than to update the VM.
In future, we recommend deploying a generic Linux VM... and then run the TrueCommand docker container.
Most users have switched to deploying docker containers.
 
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In case you missed it (I did!), TrueCommand 2.0 is designed for TrueNAS systems (12.0-U3.1+ on standard servers. I'm not sure about the minimum SCALE version?). It's not designed to be backwards compatible with FreeNAS systems. TrueCommand 1.3.2 is the last version to fully support FreeNAS. If the majority of your fleet of servers are still running FreeNAS, stick with TrueCommand 1.3.2. To avoid disappointment, do not upgrade to TrueCommand 2.0. More info contained within JIRA tickets TC-1769 and TC-1767.
 
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morganL

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In case you missed it (I did!), TrueCommand 2.0 is designed for TrueNAS systems (12.0-U3.1+ on standard servers. I'm not sure about the minimum SCALE version?). It's not designed to be backwards compatible with FreeNAS systems. TrueCommand 1.3.2 is the last version to fully support FreeNAS. If the majority of your fleet of servers are still running FreeNAS, stick with TrueCommand 1.3.2. To avoid disappointment, do not upgrade to TrueCommand 2.0. More info contained within JIRA tickets TC-1769 and TC-1767.

Thanks for raising the issue:
This information is in the DevNotes... but we should have also added to the Release notes. I'll see if we can update.
  • FreeNAS/TrueNAS 11.3 series - No longer supported. Does not provide realtime statistics or storage information, but you can still connect to them and use TrueCommand to initiate updates.
 
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@morganL The ease of firing up TC Docker containers means that it's simple enough to run TC 1.3.2 and TC 2.0 alongside each other to monitor a mixed fleet of servers; TC 1.3.2 for FreeNAS servers, and TC 2.0 for TrueNAS servers. Anyone contemplating this approach should just make sure each version is pointing to a separate copy of the TC database.
 
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smillan

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The online/degraded popup dialog for disks and pools was replaced by the disk activity chart popup in 2.0, and the disk/pool degradation warnings were moved to alerts instead.
That just made more sense visually because that popup actually shows information now, rather than a (typically) static list of good/bad markers.

Hi,
So there will be no storage overview in TC 2.0 then?
I for one really utilized and see the benefit of disk SMART fails and disk drive failed visually represented on the TC console.
But also as a way of listing the pool devices for references and the logical raid config....very useful!

It drives the benefit of TC and the "single pane of management" for our fleet

thanks again,
 
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I for one really utilized and see the benefit of disk SMART fails and disk drive failed visually represented on the TC console.
But also as a way of listing the pool devices for references and the logical raid config....very useful!
I do agree with you. I'm going to miss this feature as well.

That just made more sense visually because that popup actually shows information now, rather than a (typically) static list of good/bad markers.
I understand your reason for replacing it, but would you consider adding it back in as a separate card in the drill-down layer?
 
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I'd recommend a tab in the storage explorer that's only visible for pool datasets.
The storage explorer would be a logical place to include it. What do you think @smillan?
 

SamM

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So far, most/all of the HA & clustering features of TrueNAS SCALE (The S, A, & E if you will...) seem to be locked behind TrueCommand, which itself seems to be locked behind "docker" or the online hosted version. Bummer... If TrueCommand (TC) is to TrueNAS SCALE what vCenter is to ESXi, then it's easy to see the value in TrueCommand; but if 'TC' is going down the 'Internet dependent subscription service' route that's plaguing our industry, then much of TC's appeal goes right out the window.

After a string of major breaches including Kaseya, SolarWinds, Exchange, vCenter, Print-Nightmare, etc..., the idea of granting management access to a SAN by a remote 3rd party will never get past management; so the seemingly easiest solution of hosted TrueCommand becomes a non-starter.

We also have neither *nux nor "docker" in any meaningful capacity leaving no viable path to try an on-premise TrueCommand, which in turn kills our ability to test TrueNAS SCALE's ability to act as a scalable, fault tolerant iSCSI server for mostly an ESXi environment.

Is there a roadmap to include users like us, who are mainly an ESXi shop, to setup a self sufficient HA iSCSI SAN?
 
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