What's the proper way to extend the TrueNAS storage as space is needed?

[mhweb]

I'm building a backup server with TrueNAS, and I was wondering how would it work when I'm running out of space.
For example, let's say I create a backup that initially is 10TB, and the TruaNAS storage has 15TB, so what happens when I need to add more space to increase the space to 20TB to store the new backup that grew to 17-18TB?

 

[NugentS]

You create a new vdev and then add it to the existing vdev.
The problem is that ideally the new vdev should be the same as the existing vdev, with the same resiliency. You can use different disk sizes in the new vdev so vdev1 (10TB) + vdev2 (20TB) = 30TB useable

There is (I think) nothing to stop you having a Z2 vdev and then attaching a mirror or a Z3 with a different number of discs - but its generally discouraged as bad practice. There was a thread from a user a while ago that had a RAIDZ(n) array that had clearly been extended by multiple mirrored vdevs

 

[Jailer]

You create a new vdev and then add it to the existing vdev.

Or you replace all the drives in your pool with larger ones.

 

[NugentS]

oh yeah - that too - but its a ballache to do

 

[danb35]

oh yeah - that too - but its a ballache to do

Depends on the vdev (and it's strictly speaking "all the drives in at least one vdev", not necessary in the whole pool) configuration--if you're using mirrors, it isn't so bad; if you have a 10-disk RAIDZ2, well...

 

[NugentS]