Dataset Structures for TrueNAS Beginners

TrueNAS General
1

Hello everyone,

I hope you can give me an advice on how to structure Datasets, specifically when it comes to TrueNAS. I also know there’s already various Youtubers out there, each having their own philosophy on this topic. I guess it’s also the reasons why they won’t really deep in to the topics anywhere and giving insight to where in their datasets things get saved, moving to some production ready solutions.

So, my usecase is a very mixed one, having to store private and personal data (encrypted), having to store some sensitive information for family (encrypted shares, but restricted on ACL’s) and also storing some data that are business relevant or might become. However, I don’t want to have certain data as a duplicate, just because I would go for a dataset structure that would clearly separate the nature of data by topic, encryption and who will be able to access it. But having to rebuild the folder structure for different use cases.

What dataset structure approach would you suggest me, having a “unified” experience for the end user (finding everything in an orderly folder structure in SMB), whilst being able to differentiate in TrueNAS for some datasets or shares to apply different rules for snapshots, retentions, etc.?

I’ve learned already that you can not simply move datasets by the UI to another location or make it another dataset’s child, as you would be able to do with folders to restructure. But maybe I am just caught in my mind’s loop here, thinking in Folders to structure things. Some of that structure I want to have preserved in shares however, if things are shared.

I’ve set up my pools without encryption and just apply encryption to datasets with sensitive information.

2

I think we should realize what you really want the encryption to do. I am far from an encryption expert for TrueNAS, however as I understand it, dataset encryption protects the data when the system is powered up. You must enter a passphrase to unlock the data. Once done, I believe it remains unlocked, for any authorized user to have access to.

So, Cussin Jimmy stores his finances on a dataset for him, but you would also be able to access that data. Would Jimmy like that?

I personally find it best to encrypt the data before I put it on the NAS. This way Jimmy would have his own password that even you would not have.

If I said something wrong, I am 100% certain, someone will correct me.

So encrypt the datasets to protect the server from being stolen and someone from accessing the data, and/or encrypt the data that needs protecting before storing it.

But it is good to figure out how you want your pool/datasets configured.