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Accessing NAS from a VM or Apps

3 minute read.

Last Modified 2024-11-15 16:32 EST

If you want to access your TrueNAS directories from a VM or within an app container, you have multiple options:

If you have only one physical interface, you must create a bridge interface.
If your system has more than one physical interface you can assign your VMs to a NIC other than the primary one your TrueNAS server uses. This method makes communication more flexible but does not offer the potential speed of a bridge.

Before making network interface changes:

Stop running apps.
Power off running virtual machines (VMs).
Remove active NIC devices for VMs.

Sharing services such as SMB that use the IP address(s) assigned to the primary interface might cause issues with testing network changes. To resolve issues, stop sharing services such as SMB, make the interface change and test the connection, and when complete restart the service.

Creating a Bridge: Single Physical Interface

If your system only has a single physical interface, complete these steps to create a network bridge.

Go to Virtualization, find the VM you want to use to access TrueNAS storage, and toggle it off.
Figure 1: Virtual Machine Screen
Go to Network > Interfaces and find the active interface you used as the VM parent interface. Note the interface IP Address and subnet mask. Click the interface to open the Edit Interface screen.
Figure 2: Network Interfaces
If enabled, clear the DHCP checkbox. Note the IP address and mask under Aliases. Click the X next to the listed alias to remove the IP address and mask. The Aliases field now reads No items have been added yet. Click Save.
Figure 3: Edit Network Interface
The Interfaces widget displays the edited interface without IP information.
Figure 4: Network Interface Widget
Add a bridge interface.
Edit VM device configuration.
Go to Virtualization, expand the VM you want to use to access TrueNAS storage, and click Devices. Click in the NIC row and select Edit. Select the new bridge interface from the NIC to Attach dropdown list, then click Save.
Figure 5: Edit NIC Device

You can now access your TrueNAS storage from the VM. You might have to set up shares or users with home directories to access certain files.

Assigning a Secondary NIC: Multiple Physical Interfaces

If you have more than one NIC on your system, you can assign VM traffic to a secondary NIC. Configure the secondary interface as described in Managing Interfaces before attaching it to a VM.

If you are creating a new VM, use the Attach NIC dropdown menu under Network Interface to select the secondary NIC.

To edit the NIC attached to an existing VM:

Go to Virtualization, expand the VM you want to use to access TrueNAS storage, and click Devices.
Figure 6: Virtual Machine Devices
Click in the NIC row and select Edit.
Figure 7: Attach Secondary NIC Device
Select the secondary interface from the NIC to Attach dropdown list, then click Save.