How to Install and Configure FreeNAS (Network Attached Storage)

Index:
FreeNAS is an operating system that can be installed on virtually any hardware platform to share data over a network. FreeNAS is the simplest way to create a centralized and easily accessible place for your data. Use FreeNAS with ZFS to protect, store, backup, all of your data. FreeNAS is used everywhere, for the home, small business, and the enterprise.
“The World's #1 Storage Operating System with over 8.5+ Million Downloads - Enterprise-Grade Features, Open Source, BSD Licensed”



1. File Sharing
File sharing is what FreeNAS does best. Every major operating system is supported with SMB/CIFS (Windows file shares), NFS (UNIX file shares) and AFP (Apple File Shares) as well as FTP, iSCSI (block sharing), WebDAV and other methods of sharing data over the network are available. ISCSI also supports VMware VAAI, Microsoft ODX and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and 2012 R2 Clustering.
Most operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, many Linux distributions, and PC-BSD® can connect using SMB shares with little or no additional configuration needed on the client side. Most Unix-like operating systems support connecting with NFS out of the box, and free clients are widely available. FreeNAS also supports Time Machine backups.
2. Web Interface
If FreeNAS has one goal, its simplifying complex administrative tasks for as wide a user base as possible. Every aspect of a FreeNAS system can be managed from a Web User Interface. A setup Wizard further simplifies configuration at installation time or later in the setup process. Volume creation, or the setting of permissions on individual shares or performing software updates, can be done without missing a critical step or encountering a silent failure.
 Many services have advanced configuration options available from the Web User Interface that is available in advanced menus. The full power of the FreeBSD shell environment is also available just a click away or through SSH. Ultimately, FreeNAS makes NAS deployment easier than ever but doesn’t get between you and the solution you need.

3. Data Protection
ZFS is designed for data integrity from top to bottom. RAID-Z, the software RAID that is part of ZFS, offers single parity protection like RAID 5, but without the “write hole” vulnerability thanks to the copy-on-write architecture of ZFS. The additional levels RAID-Z2 and RAID-Z3 offer double and triple parity protection, respectively. A software mirror option is also available. The FreeNAS Volumes screen lists each possible parity arrangement based on the number of disks you select when creating a new volume.
Every ZFS filesystem is also verified with checksums from top to bottom to ensure data integrity. If inconsistencies are found, parity blocks can be used to repair corrupt data. A regular scrub is turned on by default and can be rescheduled or configured from the web interface.
4. Snapshots
Thanks to ZFS, snapshots of the entire filesystem can be made and saved at any time. As long as a snapshot exists, administrators can access files as they were when the snapshot was made.
Snapshots can be made on a one-off basis or scheduled as a cron job from the web interface. At any time, the entire filesystem can be rolled back to the most recent snapshot. Older snapshots can be cloned and accessed to recover data from that version of the filesystem. From the web interface, users can see how much space a particular snapshot is occupying on the volume and delete, clone, or roll back to individual snapshots as needed.


5. Replication
ZFS Snapshots are more than just local backups – they can be used to create remote backups as well. Replicating snapshots of the filesystem to a remote ZFS filesystem creates a complete duplicate there. Furthermore, additional snapshots of the same filesystem can be sent incrementally, reducing the size of each backup to the changes that were made between snapshots. In case of catastrophic damage to a local ZFS filesystem (such as disk failure in excess of parity protection or irrecoverable log device failure), any backed-up snapshot can be sent to a new ZFS filesystem, recovering all data up to that backup.
6. Encryption
FreeNAS is the first and only open source project to offer encryption on ZFS volumes! A full-volume encryption option is available during volume creation, providing industry standard AES-XTS encryption which can be hardware-accelerated (when the processor has AES-NI capability).
Encrypted volumes can only be read by FreeNAS systems in possession of the master key for that volume. The user can optionally create a passphrase to add an additional layer of protection for when the whole system is stolen.
Encryption allows for confidence when retiring and recycling hard drives because the drives no longer need to be wiped provided the master keys are obliterated.

7. Backup Services
Windows Backup
rsync
Apple Time Machine
PC-BSD Life Preserver

FreeNAS Services: providing so many Services, Please have a look on below screen

8. Plugins
FreeNAS® supports the core features of a NAS appliance out of the box. However, many users like to enhance their NAS appliance with third party software for media streaming, alternative protocols, or web applications.
To make sure your NAS can do everything you want, FreeNAS offers a third-party plugin system based on the FreeBSD jails system and the PBI system from PC-BSD. The plugin system isolates third-party software from the core operating system but allows plugins access to user-specified directories and configuration from the main Web User Interface.
Plugins List:
bacula Network backup solution (server)
couchpotato An automatic NZB and torrent downloader
gamez Automated downloader for video games
maraschino A simple web interface to act as a nice overview/front page for an XBMC HTPC
mylar An automated Comic Book downloader (cbr/cbz) trying to follow in the lines of sickbeard and headphones.
plexmediaserver The Plex Media Server component
transmission A lightweight, yet powerful BitTorrent client
BitTorrent (Sync) Fast, private file sharing for teams and individuals. Data moves directly from device to device, skipping the cloud.
crashplan Crashplan backs up data to remote servers, other computers, or hard drives
Htpc-manager A fully responsive interface to manage all your favorite software on your Htpc.
minidlna MiniDLNA (aka ReadyDLNA) is server software with the aim of being fully compliant with DLNA/UPnP-AV clients.
owncloud Owncloud is a system for the creation and management of personal cloud resources
sabnzbd Open Source Binary Newsreader
sickbeard PVR for newsgroup users
Write Your Own Plugins While the FreeNAS project only supplies a handful of plugins, anyone can write and distribute plugins for things they want. There’s no limit to the plugins you can create!

http://www.freenas.org/download-freenas-release/
(or)
https://sourceforge.net/projects/nas4free/files/

FreeNAS Minimum Hardware Requirements:
 FreeNAS Installation:
Note: FreeNAS® boots from a GPT partition. This means that the system BIOS must be able to boot using either the legacy BIOS firmware interface or EFI.

Step 1: FreeNAS Installation process is very easy for every Sys Admin.
Once you boot up with Downloaded FreeNAS ISO file, the below screen will appears on the installation window. Within the 6 seconds time the installer process will began.

Step 2:
We can find our Hardware details in NEXT installation window

Step 3:
Now the Install/Upgrade screen is here, Please follow the directional keys for complete the installation
Select “OK” and press “Enter”

Step 4:
Here I have Two Disk for FreeNAS, Select the disk for installation
Select “OK” and press “Enter” 


Step 5:
The next window will indicate a “WARNING” this will erase ALL the partitions and data on selection Hard-Drive
Select “Yes” and press “Enter”

Step 6:
Now set the “root” password to access FreeNAS Web Interface
 Select “OK” and press “Enter” 


Step 7:
Next window will find about Base-OS version and Hash-key for the ISO file. 


Step 8:
The Next window will see Installation Status, There is no error found while installing.

Successfully installed on drive1, now remove the Installation media (ISO image), 


Restart the FreeNAS machine


Boot from FreeNAS (default)


Then Select Normal bootup 


Step 9:
Now follow the Console window and setup the Network setting and necessary settings for our requirement.

Configure Network interface settings, and set the static “IP-Adress” for FreeNAS machine.
Go to the Browser type http://IP-Address ex: http://192.168.1.209
Username: root
Password: “Your password”

FreeNAS Overview:


Step 11:
Configuration Wizard: select configuration wizard to setup initial settings.
Select Language and Timezone then click on “Next”

Give any pool name then select as shown as below, click on “Next” 


If we have Active Directory Server/LDAP/NIS, please provide the details here, or leave it as blank.
(Note: FreeNAS supports integration with above Directory service)

Share name “freenas” then select checkbox Windows (CIFS) and Allow guest click on Add then click “Next”

If want we can provide mail server details to get FreeNAS alerts of Console login messages and every activity of the server. 


Confirm the settings:

Successfully installed and imitated the setup wizard of FreeNAS.
For More Details check the source Document: https://doc.freenas.org/9.3/freenas_install.html
Follow the below link:
https://linuxwala.blogspot.in/2016/08/how-to-configure-windows-share-smbcifs.html

 Thank you and Enjoy..
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-Ashok Kalakoti

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