The Server that might be TrueNAS Scale
Tags: nas, linux, server, docker
Published: 2021-03-24 22:15:50

---
title: The Server that might be TrueNAS Scale
published: true
date: 2021-03-24 21:56:31 UTC
tags: NAS, Linux, Server, Docker
canonical_url: https://kylerconway.com/2021/03/24/the-server-that-might-be-truenas-scale/
---

What happens when you just get frustrated and buy an old server on ebay? Well… I don’t know yet because at the moment I’m checking the RAM with [memtester](https://linux.die.net/man/8/memtester) on a [System Rescue CD](https://www.system-rescue.org/) running off of a bootable USB drive. What I _do_ know is that this computer has 64G of ECC RAM, 2 Intel xeon processors with a combined 24 cores, and 8 3.5″ drive bays.

[![](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/memtester.png)](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/memtester.png)<figcaption><em>It seems to have completed successfully. If you’re wondering what steps it processes through it seems to start on “stuck address” and end on “16-bit Writes”.</em></figcaption>

After generally confirming the memory was working as intended I ran a CPU [stress](https://packages.debian.org/buster/stress) test for an hour or so a few times. Watching all 24 cores light up in [htop](https://htop.dev/) was thrilling.

[![](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/htop.png)](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/htop.png)<figcaption><em>Everything seems to be humming along just fine…</em></figcaption>

My general plan here is to consolidate other computers that were providing FreeNAS (now [TrueNAS](https://www.truenas.com/)), [XCP-ng](https://xcp-ng.org/), and other functions into a single unit using the now alpha_―should I be scared?―_[TrueNAS Scale](https://www.truenas.com/truenas-scale/). I’m not switching because TrueNAS is lacking in general as a NAS because it’s been great. It’s just that the VM solution[, bhyve](https://bhyve.org/), is both not what I’m familiar with **and** seems generally less good for the virtualization I do. Additionally, TrueNAS is based on BSD, and while BSD is great, I’m far more experienced with Linux having used it for 10 years, and Scale is:

- Built on Debian Linux
- Maintains ZFS for file system
- Integrates the more familiar KVM for virtual machines
- Adds Docker for containers

Basically, it should allow me to consolidate:

1. My virtual machines
  - Currently running on a mix of desktop computers with KVM and a hobbled together machine running XCP-ng.
2. My NAS
  - Currently a dedicated old desktop computer with the sides off.
3. My Docker Containers
  - Running everything from [Nextcloud](https://nextcloud.com/) to [Minetest](https://www.minetest.net/) and [Veloren](https://veloren.net/) servers (and increasingly other things).
4. Maybe PFSense (dare I virtualize this?)

[![](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/inside-1-1024x630.jpg)](https://kylerconway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/inside-1.jpg)<figcaption><em>Inside a bigger computer.</em></figcaption>

I’m have some trepidation about using the alpha TrueNAS Scale on this system that I actually intend to use _for real_, but I’ve also been very _very_ interested in using this particular iteration of the Free and Open Source project TrueNAS since I heard about it sometime last year (or was it 2019?―what actually is time?).

## End of post update

Since I started writing this post I’ve:

- generally validated the hardware is working
- added an internal SSD to directly to the SATA ports
- installed a fresh copy of TrueNAS Scale alpha
- Setup a single-disk pool (pool?) to test things
- installed a docker version of Nextcloud that works well
- created a working VM of Debian 10 Linux and accessed via included VNC
- happily played in the shell with my known panoply of Linux terminal commands (so much less context switching!)
- and generally explored the new web-based GUI (I’m liking it).

I’m not sure exactly when I’m going to _fully_ fully commit to moving all of my day-to-day data over to the new machine (need to add non-test disks for non-test pools), but I suspect in the coming weeks I’ll gain an amount of trust to do so. The [release notes](https://www.truenas.com/docs/hub/scale/releasenotes/21.02-alpha.1/) indicate a certain stability in many of the elements independently (though when you bring things together who knows), but it looks good.

I’ll likely update here as I encounter problems or move additional items to the server.