A local replication creates a zfs snapshot and saves it to another location on the same TrueNAS system either using a different pool, or dataset or zvol. This allows users with only one system to take quick data backups or snapshots of their data when they have only one system. In this scenario, create a dataset on the same pool to store the replication snapshots. You can create and use a zvol for this purpose. If configuring local replication on a system with more than one pool, create a dataset to use for the replicated snapshots on one of those pools.

The Snapshots screen lists dataset snapshots on the system. It allows you to add new or manage existing snapshots.

Access to the Snapshots screen is available using the Manage Snapshots link on the Data Protection widget on the Datasets screen and by clicking Snapshots on the Periodic Snapshot Tasks widget on the Data Protection screen.

If the selected dataset does not have snapshots, the screen displays No Snapshots are Available.

Taking snapshots requires the system have all pools, datasets, and zvols already configured.

File Explorer limits the number of snapshots Windows presents to users. If TrueNAS responds with more than the File Explorer limit, File Explorer shows no available snapshots. TrueNAS displays a dialog stating the dataset snapshot count has more snapshots than recommended and states performance or functionality might degrade.

There are two ways to view the list of snapshots:

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.

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.

Use this procedure to create ZFS snapshots when using TrueNAS as a VMWare datastore.

You must have a paid edition of VMWare ESXi to use the TrueNAS VMWare Snapshots feature. ESXi free has a locked (read-only) API that prevents using TrueNAS VMWare Snapshots.

This tutorial uses ESXi version 8.

When creating a ZFS snapshot of the connected dataset, VMWare automatically takes a snapshot of any running virtual machines on the associated datastore. VMware snapshots can integrate VMware Tools, making it possible to quiesce VM snapshots, sync filesystems, take shadow copy snapshots, and more. Quiescing snapshots is the process of bringing VM data into a consistent state, suitable for creating automatic backups. Quiesced snapshots can be file-system consistent, where all pending data or file-system changes complete, or application consistent, where applications complete all tasks and flush buffers, prior to creating the snapshot.See Manage Snapshots from VMWare for more information.

Use the VMware Snapshot Integration option on the Data Protection > Periodic Snapshot Tasks widget to create snapshots when you are using TrueNAS as a VMWare datastore. See Creating VMWare Snapshots for a detailed tutorial.

VMware Snapshot Integration opens the VMWare Snapshots screen.

Add opens the Add VMware Snapshot screen.

Click Fetch DataStores to connect TrueNAS to the VMWare host. This synchronizes TrueNAS with the VMWare host and populates the ZFS Filesystem and Datastore dropdown lists with the information from TrueNAS and the VMWare host response.