We need to replace USB stick, but no idea how the system is built

[drbaer]

Dear community,

We've did some research, but until now it's not clear for us what to do.
We got a customer with a FREE NAS 9.3 installed. No idea, if the system is installed on the disks itself, or it runs from USB (maybe that's the problem, why we got stuck).
Anyway, the USB stick was removed from someone, and now the FreeNAS tells in the system, that the USB stick is removed, and in the Boot section he also misses him.

What does that mean, and how can we make sure, the next boot, the FreeNAS boots again.
What we've done is:
- make a config backup (DB-File)
- "burned" the 9.3 ISO on a USB

What is not clear for us, is, if thats the way it was installed, or how we make FreeNAS system to boot from USB stick itself.
Is there not a possibility, as long FreeNAS runs, that we plug in a new stick and tell the system to put all the Boot-Data on the stick again.

As I've said, I'm not sure, what is the way it was installed - boot from the stick itself, or somehow else.

I don't want to get too deep in the FreeNAS, as it get's removed soon, but just want to make sure, the NAS boots again with the correct config next time.

 

[danb35]

"burned" the 9.3 ISO on a USB

What you've burned to the USB stick is the installer. You'll need to boot that, then install to a different device--it can be another USB stick, or (better) a small SSD. FreeNAS always has the boot device separate from data.

 

[drbaer]

Okay, so there is no way to get FreeNAS directly bootable to a USB stick.
Do you think I could boot the ISO-USB and install FREE NAS on a second stick on a completely different PC than the NAS, then boot from the second stick and import the config?
My goal is to NOT reboot the NAS, until I've got a new bootable stick with the correct configuration (from config-export)

 

[danb35]

Do you think I could boot the ISO-USB and install FREE NAS on a second stick on a completely different PC than the NAS, then boot from the second stick and import the config?

No reason you shouldn't be able to do that.

 

[drbaer]

No reason you shouldn't be able to do that.

But how are the correct steps:
- Boot USB-ISO on a normal computer with a second USB plugged in
- Install FreeNAS on the second USB stick

And now, how Do i get the config file into the new booting USB stick, without touching the existing NAS?

 

[diedrichg]

But how are the correct steps:
- Boot USB-ISO on a normal computer with a second USB plugged in
- Install FreeNAS on the second USB stick

And now, how Do i get the config file into the new booting USB stick, without touching the existing NAS?

FreeNAS is accessible through a web browser GUI.

1. Make the USB installer.
2. Install a SSD (or USB if there are no SATA ports on the motherboard)
3. Boot to the USB on any computer.
4. Follow the prompts and install to the SSD
5. Once complete, connect the SSD (or USB) to the FreeNAS system.
6. Make sure the motherboard boots to the SSD/USB
7. FreeNAS will be available for use within 2-3 minutes. You will be able to see the web GUI address if you have a monitor connected to the FreeNAS system. It will be above the menu that finally appears
8. Once you have that address, simply enter it into a web browser. You will then go through prompts to setup FreeNAS - one of which will be to upload your config through the web browser.

Here are the documents for the current version

FreeNAS® 11.3-RELEASE User Guide — FreeNAS®11.3-RELEASE User Guide Table of Contents

www.ixsystems.com

Previous version docs are accessible from the drop-down at the top of the page.

If that system was still on FreeNAS 9.3, you'll need to install 9.3 first and upgrade versions through a defined path up to 11.3. I don't recall that versioning path though, you'll have to do some searching here on the forums.

9.3 download:

http://download.freenas.org/

Navigate to Archive to find 9.3

 

[drbaer]

FreeNAS is accessible through a web browser GUI.

1. Make the USB installer.
2. Install a SSD (or USB if there are no SATA ports on the motherboard)
3. Boot to the USB on any computer.
4. Follow the prompts and install to the SSD
5. Once complete, connect the SSD (or USB) to the FreeNAS system.
6. Make sure the motherboard boots to the SSD/USB
7. FreeNAS will be available for use within 2-3 minutes. You will be able to see the web GUI address if you have a monitor connected to the FreeNAS system. It will be above the menu that finally appears
8. Once you have that address, simply enter it into a web browser. You will then go through prompts to setup FreeNAS - one of which will be to upload your config through the web browser.

Here are the documents for the current version

FreeNAS® 11.3-RELEASE User Guide — FreeNAS®11.3-RELEASE User Guide Table of Contents

www.ixsystems.com

Previous version docs are accessible from the drop-down at the top of the page.

If that system was still on FreeNAS 9.3, you'll need to install 9.3 first and upgrade versions through a defined path up to 11.3. I don't recall that versioning path though, you'll have to do some searching here on the forums.

9.3 download:

http://download.freenas.org/

Navigate to Archive to find 9.3

Okay, but where is the recovered config finally located (after recovering), on the installed SSD/USB drive?
So, recovering the config to the SSD/USB BEFORE connecting SSD/USB to the original NAS (for example on the PC where I am installing it to SSD/USB) is not possible, because he won't find all the harddisks?

 

[danb35]

So, recovering the config to the SSD/USB BEFORE connecting SSD/USB to the original NAS (for example on the PC where I am installing it to SSD/USB) is not possible

It is possible, if you have it. But why is this a concern of yours?

 

[drbaer]

I'm just afraid, the NAS won't boot anymore, so I would like to test recovering the config file, before plugging the boot SSD/USB to the NAS.
Never had to do with the FreeNAS, and now I have one with a defect Boot USB, that's why I have a lot of concerns ;-)

 

[diedrichg]

Anyway, the USB stick was removed from someone, and now the FreeNAS tells in the system, that the USB stick is removed, and in the Boot section he also misses him.

It sounds like your USB boot devices were in a mirror? @danb35 If this is the case, they can just plug in a new USB and tell the system to use it as the replacement for the mirror?

What we've done is:
- make a config backup (DB-File)
- "burned" the 9.3 ISO on a USB

Okay, but where is the recovered config finally located (after recovering), on the installed SSD/USB drive?

To clarify, you have access to the GUI now? It sounds like you've already made a backup of the config? Did you save that config to your client computer (the one you will use to make the new USB boot device?)

 

[drbaer]

It sounds like your USB boot devices were in a mirror? @danb35 If this is the case, they can just plug in a new USB and tell the system to use it as the replacement for the mirror?
If you can tell me, how to find out, I'll check. We've had just one USB stick connected

To clarify, you have access to the GUI now? It sounds like you've already made a backup of the config? Did you save that config to your client computer (the one you will use to make the new USB boot device?)

Yes, we still have access to the GUI and exported the config DB file. But we are afraid of rebooting the NAS, before we don't know, that it will boot again without problems