User article TrueNAS Core - First touch

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User article TrueNAS Core - First touch

First, some diff names for diff purposes:
- TrueNAS Core (FreeNAS) is a community edition
- TrueNAS Enterprise - is
- TrueNAS SCALE - scale-out storage and hyper-convergence system ... in Alpha development phase now


Installation background:
Virtualbox at Ubuntu 20.04, i5-4460T CPU @ 4x1.90/2.3GHz
shared just 4.6GB RAM (8GB is a minimum)
downloaded official last image from TrueNAS Core
few minutes for all necessary installation

First point - setup:
- you can install entire system into separated drive or the defined drive partition, then you can use plenty of backup/restore of them
- you can setup all the standard features as you know from Lnx installations (swap, ..)
- also root password is here first time defined

Second point - first boot:
1616675732218.png

- no need more explanations

When first boot is finished:
- fast initial setup there (NIC setup, reset of root psw, ...)
- you have clear message how to connect web based GUI by http(s)

First touch with web GUI:
- conservative design
- this isn't GUI for the newbies, what is more useful for an advanced user
- you can setup integrated console for an immediate check of the system operation, include integrated SSH shell (useful)

1616675522130.png


Boot pool:
- you can manage/edit/change boot pool, what is useful, when you need change boot media ..... this is my nightmare for Syno setup and their showstopper for the enterprise market
1616677057797.png


SSH setup:
- you can define a specific user(s) for the SSH connections
- include Keypars management

UPS:
complex NUT server/client GUI integration
then:
CSS:
Mar 25 14:11:22 truenas 1 2021-03-25T14:11:22.537063+01:00 truenas.local upsmon 2836 - - Communications with UPS [email protected]:3493 established
Mar 25 14:11:22 truenas 1 2021-03-25T14:11:22.537286+01:00 truenas.local upsmon 2836 - - UPS [email protected]:3493 on line power

Customer's tickets:
- directly integrated Jira ticketing (you need TrueNAS registration) for a troubleshooting. Great.

Two kind of virtualization:
- Jail - lightweight, operating-system-level virtualization. One or multiple services can run in a jail, isolating those services from the host TrueNAS system. It is important to understand that users, groups, installed software, and configurations within a jail are isolated from both the TrueNAS host operating system and any other jails running on that system. ... from my side - when you will run 3rd party sw, like Plex, Nexcloud, Unifi controller, Emby, Grafana incl Influx, OpenVPNServer, ... you can use the Jail for that
- VMs - as you know from Syno
- Direct Docker support is missing. When you need run the Docker you need install VM first with Linux based OS (e.g. Ubuntu), then you need install there the Docker. This attitude has Pros/Cons vs. the Syno. Pros - you can run last possible Docker enviro include all missing services in Syno. Operated by Portainer as well from the Jail.

Snapshot/Replica, extensive rSync are part of the core services here.

Some missing preinstalled environment (for me):
- something like HB, but there is a Plugins pool
- something like AB4B, dtto
- something like Drive, dtto ... maybe NextCloud in the Jail

So done for now.
 
So AB4B is possible to change by Veam Community edition. Win/Mac/Lnx clients now available for Snapshot/Replica. Need a test.

FreeNAS has Native feature like HB sync to Cloud.
 
I was very disappointed after installing Veeam Community edition (VCE) for Backup/Replication (B/R), which for WinOS contains a lot of mess.
Compared to Syno AB4B, these are fundamentally different products from the administrator's and user's point of view.

Also, there is a limitation for protecting up to 10 instances – where workstations consume 1 instance and servers 3 instances. Then you can use just 7 workstation agents, what is over in my home environment. For some it's OK.
Finally, I can't use multiple backup scenarios for the same workstation - a single machine with several backup jobs. So no way to setup multiple jobs, e.g. 1xweek baremetal + 1x day selected partition(s) by VCE.

Verdict:
VCE for the Backup/replication is not full 100% substitution for the Syno AB4B, when you will use TrueNAS for the desktop B/R services based on the VCE.
There is also FREE NFR Key for Veeam Availability Suite, what does unlock all features from non VCE products, but ... limited for use, valid just for one year w/o guarantee to next year availability.
The real advantage is, that VCE agents work with Win/Mac/Lnx OSs.
 

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