Hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) have a finite lifetime and can fail unexpectedly. When a disk fails in a Stripe (RAID0) pool, you must recreate the entire pool and restore all data backups. We always recommend creating non-stripe storage pools that have disk redundancy.
To prevent further redundancy loss or eventual data loss, always replace a failed disk as soon as possible! TrueNAS integrates new disks into a pool to restore it to full functionality.
ZFS pool importing works for pools exported or disconnected from the current system, those created on another system, and for pools you reconnect after reinstalling or upgrading the TrueNAS system.
The import procedure only applies to disks with a ZFS storage pool.
TrueNAS supports pool imports using the WebUI or API only. Manual pool import via command line can cause unexpected behavior and system issues.
To import a pool, go to the Storage Dashboard and click Import Pool at the top of the screen.
The disk wipe option deletes obsolete data from an unused disk.
Wipe is a destructive action and results in permanent data loss! Back up any critical data before wiping a disk.
TrueNAS only shows the Wipe option for unused disks.
Ensure you have backed-up all data and are no longer using the disk. Triple check that you have selected the correct disk for the wipe. Recovering data from a wiped disk is usually impossible.
Click Wipe to open a dialog with additional options:
TrueNAS provides tools to manage, replace, and wipe the physical drives installed in your system.
TrueNAS Enterprise
Over-provisioning an SSD distributes the total number of writes and erases across more flash blocks on the drive. Seagate provides a thoughtful investigation into over-provisioning SSDs here: https://www.seagate.com/blog/ssd-over-provisioning-benefits-master-ti/.
For more general information on SLOG disks, see SLOG Devices.
Because this is a potentially disruptive procedure, contact TrueNAS Enterprise Support to review your overprovisioning needs and schedule a maintenance window.
Customers who purchase TrueNAS hardware or that want additional support must have a support contract to use TrueNAS Support Services. The TrueNAS Community forums provides free support for users without a TrueNAS Support contract.
Managing Pools
The Storage Dashboard widgets provide enhanced storage provisioning capabilities and access to pool management options to keep the pool and disks healthy, upgrade pools and VDEVs, open datasets, snapshots, and data protection screens. This article provides instructions on pool management functions available in the TrueNAS UI.
Select Storage on the main navigation panel to open the Storage Dashboard. To see if the AutoTRIM function is enabled, locate the Storage Health widget for the pool.
Managing Self-Encrypting Drives (SED)
UI management of Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) is an Enterprise-licensed feature in TrueNAS 25.04 (and later) that requires an active SED license. SED configuration options are not visible in the TrueNAS Community Edition. Community users wishing to implement SEDs can continue to do so using the command line sedutil-cli utility.
- Legacy interface for older ATA devices (Not recommended for security-critical environments!)
- TCG Opal 1 legacy specification
- TCG Opal 2 standard for newer consumer-grade devices
- TCG Opalite, which is a reduced form of OPAL 2
- TCG Pyrite Version 1 and Version 2 are similar to Opalite, but with hardware encryption removed Pyrite provides a logical equivalent of the legacy ATA security for non-ATA devices. Only the drive firmware protects the device.
Pyrite Version 1 SEDs do not have PSID support and can become unusable if the password is lost.- TCG Enterprise is designed for systems with many data disks. These SEDs cannot unlock before the operating system boots.
- TCG Ruby 1.0
See this Trusted Computing Group and NVM Express® joint white paper for more details about these specifications.
Disks Screen
The Disks screen lists the physical drives (disks) installed in the system. The list includes the names, serial numbers, sizes, and pools for each system disk.
Use the Columns dropdown list to select options to customize the information displayed. Options are Select All, Name, Serial (the disk serial number), Disk Size, Pool (where the disk is in use), Disk Type, Description, Model, Transfer Mode, Rotation Rate (RPM), HDD Standby, Adv. Power Management, and Reset to Defaults. Each option displays the information you enter in the Edit Disk screen or when you install the disk.
Drive Health Management
Drive Health Management (DHM) in TrueNAS monitors the condition of installed HDD and SSD drives (SAS, SATA, and NVMe) and alerts you when action is required. TrueNAS manages drive health with three layers:
- ZFS detects sudden failures in real time during active read and write operations.
- TrueNAS Middleware automatically polls SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data in each drive.
- TrueNAS Middleware handles the alert logic and provides actionable notifications.
TrueNAS DHM is designed to:
Configuring SED Settings
Advanced settings have reasonable defaults in place. A warning message displays for some settings advising of the dangers of making changes. Changing advanced settings can be dangerous when done incorrectly. Use caution before saving changes.
Make sure you are comfortable with ZFS, Linux, and system configuration, backup, and restoration before making any changes.
UI management of Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) is an Enterprise-licensed feature in TrueNAS 25.04 (and later) that requires an active SED license. SED configuration options are not visible in the TrueNAS Community Edition. Community users wishing to implement SEDs can continue to do so using the command line sedutil-cli utility.
