A TrueNAS dataset is a file system within a data storage pool. Datasets can contain files, directories, and child datasets, and have individual permissions or flags.

Datasets can also be encrypted. In TrueNAS 22.12.3 or later, the TrueNAS UI requires encryption for child datasets created in encrypted parent datasets, but you can change the encryption type from key to passphrase. You can create an encrypted dataset if the parent is not encrypted and set the type as either key or passphrase.

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

Which is it, bit or byte? And what is the difference between a bit or a byte?

Both bit and byte are basic measurements for computerized data but they represent different measurements.

A bit is the smallest unit of measure for computerized storage, and when combined with a time measurement such as seconds, becomes the common basis for determining how fast raw data bits transfer across a network, as in bits per second (bps). It is the basic unit of measurement for network bandwidth. A bit is the raw data unit, and is either a zero (0) or one (1). A bit is represented in measurements as the lower case b as it kilobits (kbs), megabits (Mbs), gigabits (Gbs), etc. When discussing the rate of speed as in bits per second (b/s or bps) you see measurements as Kbps for kilobits/second, Mbps for megabits/second, Gbps for gigabits/second, etc.

A ZFS Volume (zvol) is a dataset that represents a block device or virtual disk drive. TrueNAS requires a zvol when configuring iSCSI Shares. Adding a virtual machine also creates a zvol to use for storage.

To create a zvol, go to Datasets. Select the root or non-root parent dataset where you want to add the zvol, and then click Add Zvol.

TrueNAS uses ZFS data storage pools to efficiently store and protect data.

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:

TrueNAS allows setting data or object quotas for user accounts and groups cached on, or connected to the system. You can use the quota settings on the Add Dataset or Edit Dataset configuration screens in the Advanced Options settings to set up alarms and set aside more space in a dataset. See Adding and Managing Datasets for more information.

To manage the dataset overall capacity, use Edit on the Dataset Space Management widget to open the Capacity Settings screen.

TrueNAS pools are ZFS storage containers that combine physical disks to provide storage capacity and data protection.

TrueNAS Enterprise systems use components that are qualified and tested by the TrueNAS team to offer the best storage and performance with TrueNAS Enterprise Edition.

This guide will go over the minimum hardware requirements and offer suggestions for TrueNAS Community Edition users.

The heart of any storage system is the symbiotic pairing of the file system and physical storage devices. The ZFS file system in TrueNAS provides the best available data protection of any file system at any cost and makes effective use of spinning-disk storage, all-flash storage, or a mix of both. ZFS is prepared for the eventual failure of storage devices and is highly configurable to achieve the perfect balance of redundancy and performance to meet any storage goal. A properly configured TrueNAS system can tolerate multiple storage device failures and recreate its boot media with a copy of the configuration file.

On the Storage Dashboard, click Create Pool, or click Add To Pool, then select New Pool.