This section provides a simple overview of setting up a replication task regardless of the type of replication, local or remote. It also covers the related steps you should take prior to configuring a replication task.

Advanced Settings provides configuration options for the console, syslog, kernel, sysctl, replication, cron jobs, init/shutdown scripts, system dataset pool, isolated GPU device(s), NVIDIA drivers, system access sessions, allowed IP addresses, audit logging, and global two-factor authentication. Enterprise systems with SED drives and the appropriate license also see the self-encrypting drive option. Enterprise systems also see the security options (STIG and FIPS).

TrueNAS Enterprise

Enterprise-licensed system administrators have additional options to configure security-related settings, such as FIPS and STIG compatibility and Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) configuration.

A local replication creates a ZFS snapshot and saves it to another location on the same TrueNAS system using different pools, datasets, or zvols. This allows users with only one system to take quick data backups or snapshots of their data when they have only one system.

If you have only one pool, create a dataset in that pool to store the replication snapshots. You can use a zvol for this purpose. If configuring local replication on a system with more than one pool, create a dataset for the replicated snapshots on one of those pools.

TrueNAS replication allows users to create replicated snapshots of data stored in encrypted pools, datasets or zvols as a way to back up stored data to a remote system. You can use encrypted datasets in a local replication.

Periodic snapshot tasks allow you to schedule creating read-only versions of pools and datasets at a given point in time. You can also access VMWare snapshot integration and TrueNAS storage snapshots from the Periodic Snapshot Tasks widget.

Remote replication backs up data stored on an originating TrueNAS system to a second remote destination TrueNAS system. TrueNAS allows scheduling a one-time or regularly scheduled ZFS snapshot of data stored in pools, datasets, or zvols, and saves them in another system.

With the implementation of the administration user and role-based permissions, setting up replication tasks as an admin user has a few differences from those set up when logged in as the root user. Setting up remote replication when logged in as the admin user requires selecting Use Sudo For ZFS Commands.

TrueNAS users should either replicate the dataset/Zvol without properties to disable encryption at the remote end or construct a special JSON manifest to unlock each child dataset/zvol with a unique key.

The Data Protection screen Periodic Snapshot Task widget displays periodic snapshot tasks created on the system. A periodic snapshot task allows scheduling the creation of read-only versions of pools and datasets at a given point in time.

Periodic snapshot tasks display the machine time, browser time, or both, depending on individual user timezone settings. Users can update timezone settings by utilizing the General Settings screen.

The Periodic Snapshot Task widget displays a list of tasks configured on the system. The widget shows a description of periodic snapshot tasks when a task is not configured.

The Replication Task widget on the Data Protection screen lists replication tasks configured on the TrueNAS system. The widget shows a definition of replication tasks before adding a task when none exist on the system.

Replication tasks work with periodic snapshot tasks to complete the replication. After scheduling a replication task, the Periodic Snapshot Task widget shows a new task for the newly added replication task.

TrueNAS advanced replication allows users to create one-time or regularly scheduled snapshots of data stored in pools, datasets, or zvols on their TrueNAS system as a way to back up stored data. When properly configured and scheduled, local or remote replication using the Advanced Replication Creation option takes regular snapshots of storage pools or datasets and saves them in the destination location on the same or another system.