Should I Upgrade to OpenZFS 2.1?

Beginning with version 13.0, FreeBSD supports the long-anticipated OpenZFS native encryption. If you’ve used FreeBSD’s GELI encryption in the past, you may wonder if switching to OpenZFS native encryption makes sense.

Check out the differences between GELI encryption and OpenZFS native encryption, and the main benefits of native encryption, let’s take a look at how to create an encrypted database and reroot to an encrypted database.

NFS Shares with ZFS

Why would you use the sharenfs property for NFS configuration and how to do so? FreeBSD’s built-in integration of OpenZFS and NFS makes it easy for any administrator to configure and manage NFS shares. By using OpenZFS’ sharenfs property, managing NFS shares can be added to your arsenal of scripts and procedures for monitoring and maintaining the data stored on OpenZFS filesystems.

OpenZFS Native Encryption

Encryption

Beginning with version 13.0, FreeBSD supports the long-anticipated OpenZFS native encryption. If you’ve used FreeBSD’s GELI encryption in the past, you may wonder if switching to OpenZFS native encryption makes sense.

Check out the differences between GELI encryption and OpenZFS native encryption, and the main benefits of native encryption, let’s take a look at how to create an encrypted database and reroot to an encrypted database.

Demystifying OpenZFS 2.0

OpenZFS 2.0 has been released for a while now and, needless to say, FreeBSD 13 was shipped with OpenZFS 2.0. However, there are still questions about how the change from feature flags happened and why version 2.0 of OpenZFS was decided.
With this article, we’re hoping to clear the air around the release of OpenZFS 2.0.

Advanced ZFS Snapshots 

In our previous articles, we introduced you to the basics of ZFS snapshot management, and explained concepts such as creating OpenZFS snapshots, restoring files from a snapshot, and deleting snapshots.
With this article, we dive a bit deeper into OpenZFS snapshot management with snapshot holds, clone creation and promotion, and assigning permissions to snapshot-related operations.

Manipulating a Pool from the Rescue System

We’ve all been there: that moment of panic when a system fails to boot back up. Perhaps there was a glitch with an upgrade. Maybe you’re wondering if you fumble-fingered a typo when you made that last change to loader.conf.
Fortunately, with FreeBSD and its built-in rescue mechanisms it is possible to quickly recover from most scenarios that prevent a system from booting into normal operation. And if you’re using OpenZFS, you can rest assured that your data is intact.
With this article, let’s take a look at some common recovery scenarios.

What Makes a Good Time to Use OpenZFS Slog and When Should You Avoid It

In this article, we’re talking about the OpenZFS SLOG. Find out, among others, about synchronous vs asynchronous writes and the ZIL, why you should use a SLOG and on what type of devices.

Understanding ZFS Channel Programs

Understanding ZFS Channel Programs

One of the newer OpenZFS features that became available with FreeBSD 12.0 is ZFS Channel Programs. This article addresses questions to clarify what a ZFS channel program is, why you should use it, what are the operations supported by channel programs, or what a channel program looks like. Follow our guide and resources to learn how to create your own Channel Programs.

Choosing the right ZFS pool layout

zfs pool

Setting up a ZFS pool involves a number of permanent decisions that will affect the performance, cost, and reliability of your data storage systems, so you really want to understand all the options at your disposal for making the right choices from the beginning.
Let’s talk about mirror vdevs, RAID-Z or dRAID to better understand real redundant data storage.

History of ZFS – Part 3: Heading Into the Future

History of OpenZFS Part 3

In our last entry of the “History of ZFS” series we look to the future of OpenZFS.

After documenting and thoroughly analysing the events that shaped OpenZFS as we know it today, let’s talk about what future features you should look forward to and just how things are shaping.