I am a long time linux user and have several ubuntu servers in my home network. Currently have several computers, a QNAP ts469, and 5 ubuntu servers (3 web, 1 backup, 1 media).
My QNAP is my “data” server that holds my stuff, business, pictures, videos, and music. It has qty 4 3TB drives with raid and encryption, so does the backup server.
Debating building truenas servers for the DATA and Backup, my requirements for both of these are as follows:
can rebuild a failed drive in a raid array
can do encryption
run smb’s and do resilio sync for copying things on the flay from data to backup
I like running ubuntu because when using webmin internally on my network to manage the ubuntu servers makes it very easy to manage and do updates.
All in one appliance. Proven track record. Works. Decent documentation.
That said, steep learning curve, some rough edges around VMs, Apps, etc. outside of file server core competency.
Some folk like to roll their own NAS using the same Debian building blocks. Comes down to how much you enjoy ZFS / sharing / etc. via the CLI, I guess.
Thank you sir, the app side and updates I think are leaning me towards ubuntu. Its so nice to be able to open up a terminal and some functionality to one of my servers. I am playing with scripting and python quite a bit these days.
Well tbh truenas is “just” a customized debian based appliance. You could of course reinvent the wheel and customize some other linux to serve the same purpose, but why reinvent the wheel when you can just as well get a preconfigured solution like truenas, unraid, etc. Those save time, can be installed on a wide range of hardware and are “field proven” with thousands of installations. Some appliances might be more tailored for virtualization whereas truenas is - as the name suggests - more on the NAS aspect of things with zfs,raid, snapshots, etc.- but that seems to be what you are looking for.
You mention encryption. Since you encrypt your current NAS, you are probably aware what at rest encryption does and does not do.
However, TrueNAS only supports ZFS encryption, which “leaks” dataset & pool type information. Basically no file names, no file data, so those are secure. However, some people think that allowing encrypted dataset name(s) and dataset attributes is a security violation. Perhaps. Depends on the goal of the encryption.
Next, TrueNAS, (and ZFS), supports 2 types of authentication for encryption. Passphrase which must be entered at each reboot, or before first use of the encrypted dataset, (or encrypted pool). Then their is Passkey, which TrueNAS has automated so that on reboot the encrypted dataset(s) or pool(s) are automatically unlocked.
Further, pool wide encryption can be tricky. You have to plan for a location of the system dataset in relation to your encryption. Simple installations that have a boot pool and 1 data pool, sometimes get confused because the default location of the system dataset is on the data pool.
Last, datasets, (or complete pools), have to be created with encryption. You can’t change your mind later. Well, you can, by creating a new dataset or pool that is encrypted. And then copying the data over…
Even though TrueNAS is an Appliance like firmware / software, knowledge of ZFS is useful. Both in pre-build planning and later support.
thanks for that, good information ….. my encryption has one purpose. If some one breaks into my house and steals my servers, they shut down, so one will only have the hardware, and I have offsite back up of the zipped and encrypted image of the data server …..
I think I will stick with just using ubuntu, I found I can rebuild the raid if I have a failed drive, I like the flexibility of being able to access the server with webmin/terminal works quite well …..
