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Lab 06: Advanced ZFS Configuration and Data Protection

File: Lab_06_ZFS_Advanced.md
UUID: 8d3f9a4d-f61e-4425-bb8c-f71d35b98a91

Introduction

In this lab, you will build on the TechOpsPool you created in Lab 05. You will learn how to configure advanced ZFS features for data protection and reliability, and you will also connect your Lubuntu VM (from Lab 03) to test access to the storage.

By the end of this lab, you will: - Work with datasets inside the existing TechOpsPool. - Create multiple datasets for different use cases. - Configure snapshots and test restoring from one. - Configure replication between datasets. - Mount an NFS share on your Lubuntu VM to verify access to ZFS datasets.

Step 1: Verify TechOpsPool

  1. Log in to the TrueNAS Web Interface (use the IP noted in Lab 05).
  2. Go to Storage → Pools.
  3. Confirm that TechOpsPool exists and is healthy.
  4. If not, repeat Lab 05 steps to create it with Disks 2–4.

✅ You will continue using this pool for all advanced ZFS tasks.

Step 2: Creating Datasets

Datasets are like specialized folders inside a ZFS pool.

  1. Navigate to Datasets.
  2. Select TechOpsPool
  3. Click on Add Dataset

  4. Create the following:

    • WindowsData (for development files)

    Warning

    Remember to click on TechOpsPool again before creating 2nd Dataset

    • UnixData (for testing snapshot/replication)

  5. Accept default options (compression enabled, share type generic).

✅ You now have two new datasets under TechOpsPool.

Step 3: Creating an SMB User

SMB Users are the local users in FreeNAS using which you access the storage blocks or disks on client machines

  1. Navigate to Credentials → Users.
  2. Click the Add button located at top right corner.
  3. Enter the following:
  4. Full Name: SMB User
  5. Username: smb_user
  6. Password & Confirm Password: *EnterStrongPassword*
  7. Home Directory: /mnt/TechOpsPool/WindowsData
  8. Shell: nologin
  9. Home Directory Permissions:
    • Select Read, Write, Execute for User & Group
    • Select Read, Execute for Other
  10. Creaet Home Directory: Unselect the Checkbox
  11. Click on Save

✅ You now have created new user smb_user which we will use in next step

Step 4: Creating an SMB Share for Windows

SMB Shares allow clients (virtual machines, servers, apps, etc) to access the ZFS storage and its pools to store and retrieve their data

  1. Click on Shares from the side menu
  2. In Windows (SMB) Shares click on Add button
  3. Enter following details:
    • Path: /mnt/TechOpsPool/WindowsData
    • Name: WindowsData
    • Leave other fields as defaul
    • Click on Save
  4. If Promted to Start or Restart Service, click OK or Restart Service
  5. Configure ACL -> Click on Configure
  6. In the ACL Editor enter following details:
    • Owner: smb_user
    • Owner Group: smb_user
  7. Click on Save ACL button

✅ You have now created an SMB Share Drive which can be accessed on any Windows Machine inside the network.

Step 5: Accessing the Pool Storage from Windows

Now since you have created the Pool Storage, we will now access that storager and use that storage inside our Windows Device

  1. Go to your Windows 10/11 Desktop or anywhere
  2. Press CMD + R or Click on Search -> Type Run -> and Open Run Application
  3. Type: \\<ip of your FreeNAS-Server>\TechOpsPool\WindowsData
  4. Press Enter
  5. When prompted enter the following credentials:
    • Username: smb_user
    • Password: Enter the password from Step 3
  6. You should see the WindowsData Folder on your Windows 11
  7. Right click inside the folder and create new Text Document (name it anything)
  8. Open the newly created documented and wirte somethign inside that, save the file and exit

✅ You have now accessed the storage created in FreeNAS on your Windows Machine and you can use it as normal file system. So in future if you Windows gets corrupted, your data is always secred on FreeNAS!

Step 6: Configuring Snapshots

  1. Go to DataSets → WindowsData.
  2. On the right side you will see the card/window called Data Protection
  3. Inside that card, click on Create Snapshot
  4. Choose dataset: WindowsData.
  5. Name: Initial Backup
  6. Click on Save
  7. Go the same file that you created in Step 5, open it and change the contents of the same file.
  8. Take another snapshot after changes → name it BackupData_Snap2.

👉 Later, you will roll back to BackupData_Snap1 and verify that changes are undone.

Step 7: Replication Setup

Replication copies data from one dataset to another for protection.

  1. Go to Data Protection → Replication Tasks → Add.
  2. Source Location: On this System
  3. Source: WindowsData. (Select by using drop down menu)
  4. Destination Location: On this System
  5. Destination: ProjectData (Select by using drop down menu)
  6. Click on Next
  7. Replication Schedule: Run Once.
  8. Uncheck Make Destination Read-Only?
  9. Keep other details as default
  10. Click on Save

✅ You have now created a replication system. Meaning if one of your Harddisk is corrupted, your data is always there on other Harddisk on different location

Step 8: Create user for NFS

NFS User is required to access and store the data on NFS Shares.

Important

Before proceeding further, log in to your Lubuntu VM, and run the command id <your-username>. This will return the output as example (e.g., uid=1000(username), gid=1000(username)).

Note down the uid and gid

  1. Navigate to Credentials → Users.
  2. Click the Add button located at top right corner.
  3. Enter the following:
  4. Full Name: NFS User
  5. Username: nfs_user
  6. **Select the option to Disable Password. (This is required for Unix System mount, we can use SSH keys as well)
  7. Home Directory: /mnt/TechOpsPool/UnixData
  8. UID: Enter UID you received from your Lubuntu Usere above.
  9. Shell: nologin
  10. Home Directory Permissions:
    • Select Read, Write, Execute for User & Group
    • Select Read, Execute for Other
  11. Creaet Home Directory: Unselect the Checkbox
    • Uncheck SMB User
  13. Click on Save

✅ You now have created new user nfs_user which we will use in next step

✅ You have now created a replication system. Meaning if one of your Harddisk is corrupted, your data is always there on other Harddisk on different location

Step 8: Connecting Lubuntu VM via NFS

Now let’s make your Lubuntu VM from Lab 03 act as a client.

On TrueNAS (server):

  1. Go to Shares → Unix Shares (NFS).
  2. Click Add.
  3. Path: /mnt/TechOpsPool/UnixData.
  4. Allow network: 192.168.0.0/24 (adjust to your local subnet).
  5. Hosts: Authrorised Hosts and IP Addresss: Enter the IP of your Lubnutu VM
  6. Click on Advanced Options
  7. Mapall User: nfs_user
  8. Mapall Group: nfs_user
  9. Save and enable the NFS service.

On Lubuntu (client):

  1. Start your Lubuntu VM.
  2. Open the terminal.
  3. Install NFS client tools: 
    sudo apt update && sudo apt install nfs-common -y
  4. Create a mount point: 
    sudo mkdir /mnt/unixdata
  5. Mount the NFS share (replace <truenas-ip> with actual IP): 
    sudo mount <truenas-ip>:/mnt/TechOpsPool/UnixData /mnt/unixdata
  6. Verify: 
    ls -ltr /mnt/unixdata
    It should list files/datasets from the TrueNAS server. Currently it should be blank

Step 9: Testing Snapshots (Rollback)

  1. On Lubuntu, create a test file in the mounted directory: 
    echo "Test File" | sudo tee /mnt/unixdata/testfile.txt
  2. On TrueNAS, take a snapshot of UnixData dataset as mentioned in Step 6.
  3. Delete the file from Lubuntu: 
    sudo rm /mnt/unixdata/testfile.txt
  4. Roll back the dataset to the snapshot in TrueNAS web interface.
    • Go to DataSets
    • Select UnixData
    • In Data Protection Card, click on Manage Snapshots
    • Click on the snap shot created in Step 2 of this Step
    • Click on Rollback
  5. Refresh the mount on Lubuntu: 
    ls /mnt/unixdata
    ✅ The file should reappear — restored by ZFS snapshot rollback.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • NFS share not visible: Ensure NFS service is enabled on TrueNAS and firewall is off on host.
  • Mount error in Lubuntu: Double-check IP and path. Use ping <truenas-ip> to verify connectivity.
  • Low performance: Assign more RAM (6 GB) to the FreeNAS VM.
  • Replication failed: Ensure both datasets exist and have enough space.

✅ Congratulations! You’ve now configured advanced ZFS features, tested snapshots & replication, and connected your Lubuntu VM to access the storage via NFS. This demonstrates how SAN integrates with client servers in real-world setups.