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Contact an Enterprise SpecialistTrueNAS Nightly Development Documentation
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Pool Creation Wizard
24 minute read.
The Pool Creation Wizard configuration screens include a configuration preview and an inventory list of disks available on the system.
Create Pool at the top right of the Storage Dashboard screen opens the Pool Creation Wizard.
Configuration Preview lists pool and VDEV settings that dynamically update as you configure settings in the wizard.
Inventory displays the number of available disks by size on the system, and this list dynamically updates as disks move to VDEVs added in the wizard.
The Pool Creation Wizard for most systems has seven configuration screens, numbered in sequence, to create a pool with VDEVs.
TrueNAS Enterprise
Larger iXsystems-provided servers for Enterprise users equipped with expansion shelves include the additional Enclosure Options screen.
Each wizard VDEV configuration screen includes the Automated Disk Selection and Advanced Options areas. Click Manual Disk Selection to open the Manual Selection screen.
Back and Next move to the previous or next wizard screen. Reset Step clears the VDEV settings for the VDEV type selected. For example, Data VDEV configuration. Save And Go To Review saves the current selections and goes directly to the Review wizard screen.
The General Info area includes two default settings, Name and Encryption.
Name is a required field. Enter a pool name of up to 50 characters in length that follows ZFS naming conventions. Use lower-case alpha characters to avoid potential problems with sharing protocols. Names can include numbers and special characters such as underscore (_), hyphen (-), colon (:), or a period (.).
Encryption applies key-type encryption to the pool. Select to enable ZFS encryption for the pool and all datasets (or zvols) created within the pool. See Storage Encryption for more information on using TrueNAS storage encryption. An encryption warning dialog displays with a Confirm checkbox. Select to enable the I Understand button. I Understand allows you to continue adding the pool with encryption applied.
Applying encryption at the pool level also encrypts all datasets (and zvols) within the pool.
Keep the encryption key file in a safe location where you perform regular backups. Losing the encryption key file results in lost data you cannot recover.
If system disks contain data exported from pools, a warning displays with a checkbox for the pool name.
If system disks have non-unique serial numbers, a warning displays with additional fields.
Allow non-unique serialed disks has two radio buttons, Allow and Don’t Allow.
Allow permits using disks with non-unique serial numbers, such as those that can occur on virtual disks, and displays them as available disks on the Data wizard screen. Don’t Allow does not permit using disks with non-unique serial numbers.
The Enclosure Options screen shows in the Pool Creation Wizard if the iXsystems hardware includes one or more expansion shelves.
The Enclosure Options screen shows three radio buttons that could apply a set pool storage configuration topology when using the Automated Disk Selection option to assign disks to a VDEV.
- No Enclosure Dispersal Strategy does not apply a dispersal strategy in how the system adds disks by size and type to the pool VDEVs created when using the Automated Disk Selection option. Does not show additional options. Disks added to the pool VDEVs are assigned in sequence based on disk availability and are not balanced across all enclosures.
- Maximum Dispersal Strategy applies a maximum dispersal strategy in how the system adds disks by size and type to the pool VDEVs created when using the Automated Disk Selection option. This balances disk selection across all enclosures and available disks. Does not show additional options. Disks added to the pool VDEVs are spread across all available enclosure disks.
- Limit Pool To A Single Enclosure applies a minimum dispersal strategy in how the system adds disks by size and type to the pool VDEVs created when using the Automated Disk Selection option. Shows the Enclosure dropdown with a list of available expansion shelf options. Disks added to the pool VDEVs are spread across the enclosure disks that align with the selection in Enclosure.
The Data wizard screen includes the option to automatically or manually add disks to a data VDEV. You must add a data VDEV before you can add other types of VDEVs to the pool.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
The Layout dropdown list shows the Stripe, Mirror, RAIDZ1, RAIDZ2, RAIDZ3, dRAID1, dRAID2, and dRAID3 VDEV types on the Data wizard screens.
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
Use the Log wizard screen to configure a log VDEV. ZFS log devices can improve the speeds of synchronous writes.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
The Layout dropdown list includes the Stripe or Mirror types.
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
Use the Spare wizard screen to configure a hot spare for a drive in a data VDEV.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
Use the Cache wizard screen to configure a ZFS L2ARC read-cache VDEV.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
Use the Metadata wizard screen to configure a special allocation class VDEV. Metadata VDEVS are used when creating a fusion pool. This VDEV type is used to speed up metadata and small block IO.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
The Layout dropdown list includes the Stripe or Mirror types.
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
Use the Dedup wizard screen to configure a VDEV. A Dedup VDEV is used to store de-duplication tables. Size dedup VDEVs as x GiB for each x TiB of general storage.
Common Pool Creation Wizard Settings
The Layout dropdown list includes the Stripe or Mirror types.
This wizard screen lets you configure a VDEV using the Automated Disk Selection fields. To individually find and select disks for a VDEV, click Manual Disk Selection in the Advanced Options area.
Choosing a dRAID VDEV layout removes the Manual Disk Selection button and adds different options to the Automated Disk Selection area. It also removes the Spare VDEV section from the pool creation wizard and replaces it with the Distributed Hot Spares option in the Data VDEV section.
Stripe
Designates that each disk is used sequentially in the VDEV. Requires at least one disk and has no redundancy. A data VDEV with a stripe layout irretrievably loses all stored data if a single disk in the VDEV fails. Not recommended for data VDEVs storing critical data.
Mirror
Denotes that each disk in the VDEV stores an exact data copy. Requires at least 2 disks in the VDEV. Storage capacity is the size of a single disk in the VDEV.
RAIDZ and dRAID
Each of these layouts has 1, 2, and 3 options. The options indicate the number of disks reserved for data parity and the number of disks that can fail in the VDEV without data loss to the pool. For example, a RAIDZ2 layout reserves two additional disks for parity, and two disks can fail without data loss.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Width | Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. |
Similar to RAIDZ, dRAID layout numbers (1, 2, or 3) indicate the parity level and how many disks can fail without data loss to the pool.
TrueNAS defaults to allocating 10 disks minimum as dRAID VDEV in Children. If creating a data VDEV with fewer than 10 disks, using a RAIDZ layout is strongly recommended for better performance and capacity optimization.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Disk Size | Select the disk size from the list that displays. The list shows disks by size in GiB and type (SSD or HDD). |
| Treat Disk Size as Minimum | Select to use disks of the size selected in Disk Size or larger. If not selected, only disks of the size selected in Disk Size are used. |
| Data Devices | Data stripe width for the VDEV. Select the number of disks from the options provided on the dropdown list. TrueNAS recommends that dRAID layouts have data devices allocated in multiples of 2. |
| Distributed Hot Spares | Number of disk areas to actively provide spare capacity to the entire VDEV. These areas are active within the pool and function in of adding a Spare VDEV to the pool. It is recommended to set this to at least 1. The Distributed Hot Spares number cannot be modified after the pool is created. |
| Children | The total number of disks to allocate in the dRAID VDEV. The field selection and options update dynamically based on the chosen dRAID Layout, Disk Size, Data Devices, and Distributed Hot Spares. Increasing the number of Children in the dRAID VDEV can reduce the options for Number of VDEVs. |
| Number of VDEVs | Select the number of VDEVs from the options provided on the dropdown list. Options are populated dynamically depending on the selections made in all the other fields. |
The Manual Selection screen allows adding a Stripe or the Data VDEV Layout, then selecting individual disks to add to the new VDEV. You can filter disks by type or size.
Add places a VDEV area to populate with individual disks.
The screen shows disk icons for available disks, or click on the system field to expand the dropdown list to show a list of available system disks. You can use the disk filters separately or together to find disks of the same type and size. Drag disks to the VDEV to add them.
Save Selection creates the VDEV and closes the window.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Enter the disk name or other details to search for disks matching the specified value to filter available disks in the system. |
| Filter by Disk Type | Resets the available disks list to show only the selected type (HDD or SSD). |
| Filter by Disk Size | Resets the available disks list to show only disks matching the selected size. |
| TrueNAS System | Click to expand and show the list of available disks in the system. Filter options change disks displayed on this list. |
The Review wizard screen displays a summary of the pool VDEV configuration.
Inspect VDEVs opens the Inspect VDEVs screen that shows the VDEVs with assigned disks added to the pool.
Start Over clears the current pool configuration so you can start over.
Create Pool completes the configuration process and adds the pool.