Every NAS user has a unique storage setup, but we can still give general recommendations for migrating your data into TrueNAS using share protocols and cloud storage.
NFS Migration Rsync is an open-source file transfer utility that runs on computers with Linux OS (or a Unix-like OS). Locate usage instructions and tutorials for rsync here.
If you decide to use rsync, be aware that your filesystem must support Access Control Lists (ACLs).
TrueNAS CORE users utilizing the MinIO plugin can migrate to TrueNAS SCALE and keep their existing MinIO buckets and data. This process does not transfer users, groups, access keys, and all other MinIO settings. They must be manually recreated on the new SCALE app deployment.
It is possible to migrate all users, groups, access keys, and all other MinIO settings using the MinIO Client (mc) command line utility, however this requires two independent systems, for example when older hardware is being replaced with a new system.
From repurposed systems to highly custom builds, the fundamental freedom of TrueNAS is the ability to run it on almost any x86 computer.
Minimum Hardware Requirements Processor Memory Boot Device Storage 2-Core Intel 64-Bit or AMD x86_64 processor 8 GB Memory 16 GB SSD boot device Two identically-sized devices for a single storage pool The TrueNAS installer recommends 8 GB of RAM. TrueNAS installs, runs, and operates jails. It also hosts SMB shares and replicates TBs of data with less.
Now that the .iso file is downloaded, you can start installing TrueNAS!
Major Upgrades The install process can be repeated with newer installation files when the system already has TrueNAS installed. This is used for major version upgrades ISO Verification The iXsystems Security Team cryptographically signs TrueNAS ISO files so that users can verify the integrity of their downloaded file. This section demonstrates how to verify an ISO file using the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and SHA256 methods.
The Console Setup menu displays at the end of the boot process. If the TrueNAS system has a keyboard and monitor, this menu can be used to administer the system.
When connecting with SSH, the Console Setup menu is not shown by default. It can be started by the root user or another user with root permissions by entering /etc/netcli.
To disable the Console Setup menu, go to System > Advanced and select Show Text Console without Password Prompt to clear the checkbox.
Now that TrueNAS is installed, it’s time to log in to the web interface and begin managing data!
Can I configure TrueNAS using a CLI? After installing TrueNAS, configuring and using the system is all managed through the web interface. It is important to only use the web interface to make configuration changes to the system. By default, using the command-line interface (CLI) to modify the system does not modify the settings database.
Now that you have logged in to the web interface, it’s time to set up TrueNAS storage. These instructions demonstrate a simple mirrored pool setup, where you use one disk for storage and the other for data protection. However, there are many configuration possibilities for your storage environment!
You can read more about these options in the in-depth Pool Creation article. You can also use the ZFS Capacity Calculator and ZFS Capacity Graph to compare configuration options.
With TrueNAS Storage configured and backed up, it’s time to begin sharing data. There are several available sharing solutions, but we’ll look at the most common in this article. Choose a tab to get started with simple sharing examples:
Sharing Data Windows (SMB) Requirements Dataset with Share Type set to SMB. TrueNAS user accounts with Samba Authentication set. Set Permissions Go to Storage > Pools and find the dataset to share.
With storage created and shared, it’s time to ensure TrueNAS data is effectively backed up. TrueNAS offers several options for backing up data.
Cloud Sync This option requires an account with the Cloud Storage provider and a storage location created with the provider, like an Amazon S3 bucket. Major providers like Amazon S3, Google Cloud, Box and Microsoft Azure are supported, along with a variety of other vendors. These can charge fees for data transfers and storage, so please review your cloud storage provider policies before transferring any data.
With the rest of the system configured and data being shared over a network, the final step to consider for first time setup is installing any of the application solutions.
Applications or features added to TrueNAS are created in separate plugins, jails, or virtual machines that are kept separate from the base TrueNAS operating system. If anything goes wrong or a security vulnerability is exploited in one of these application environments, TrueNAS remains unaffected.
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