Does TrueNAS Scale support a single storage pool for expansion? For example, TrueNAS Scale starts with one server, but the capacity is insufficient. It expands by adding another server. Can this expanded server be expanded into a single storage pool without the need to create a new storage pool?
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The wording you’ve used is a bit odd. So I will describe several methods to expand storage:
- Replace all existing disks in a ZFS vDev with larger disks, and that vDev can then be grown by the difference in size. Example, 2 x 6TB disks in a Mirror give about 5.5TB of usable space. Replacing both, (1 at a time), with 10TB disks gives about 9.5TB of usable space.
- Add new ZFS vDev with new disks. Example, you start with 2 x 6TB disks in a Mirror, giving about 5.5TB of space. Adding 2 new 10TB disks in a Mirror, (requires additional power & SATA ports), as a new ZFS vDev, gives the pool about 15TB of space.
- RAID-Zx vDevs can be expanded 1 disk at a time. Or by the same replace all disks method shown in 1.
ZFS vDevs, (virtual devices), are how ZFS performs redundancy. ZFS supports Mirror, (2 or more disks), RAID-Z1/2/3, (a parity based method similar to RAID-5/6) and dRAID, (most new or home users would not want dRAID). Their is also the possibility of non-redundant pools if the need arises.
TrueNAS does NOT cluster. You’ve used the word server indicating perhaps you mean to combine several NAS servers into one. TrueNAS does not support that functionality.
It is highly recommended that new users likely yourself, read up on both ZFS and TrueNAS. While both are great software, they both have limitations, quirks and different from other small NAS solutions. I don’t have a recommended reading list handy, but others do. And you can peruse the Resources section of this forum.
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