From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Oct 28 00:57:22 2013 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 320D564B for ; Mon, 28 Oct 2013 00:57:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from aurfalien@gmail.com) Received: from mail-ob0-x22c.google.com (mail-ob0-x22c.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4003:c01::22c]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id EAC86278D for ; Mon, 28 Oct 2013 00:57:21 +0000 (UTC) Received: by mail-ob0-f172.google.com with SMTP id gq1so2972101obb.17 for ; Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:57:21 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=subject:mime-version:content-type:from:in-reply-to:date:cc :message-id:references:to; bh=DEe5IR0tCXzAKpBaHgQ9gbznZ0cfnOUPYZk4ribh7UE=; b=rUPI4CT+edUUJUHL7+c81M4sO5sXEtGgx8dS2kzeCQDnk/Yjf/eQt3nMv7AzVGAwOU lTH+fV12D7rB0TPSJLK6kL/pDzXV9XLJsctPIvarhUAarp9wXuNhxbEJ21LJQqU9UNQQ hEmUFnfnFRWiMlICg2RzGRsEdUvP/A9sxbYQJgr0BG6tf4tUKponkjQfDlcH46Zj4LDJ rD410KMVp3I1rCH5V1OZUR3rEyMkRvUA1QbsG7BVZpDkI++QGSUNa7rw/sdFx6mvybye WN7ISurDPBb5xPp9/TmRM+zmHuvScsodXu8Ux4o30lwmzwBkiWrFYkem6iCQahqjsGCj LpPQ== X-Received: by 10.60.134.230 with SMTP id pn6mr146109oeb.52.1382921841152; Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:57:21 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [192.168.1.74] (75-63-29-182.lightspeed.irvnca.sbcglobal.net. [75.63.29.182]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPSA id rr6sm28602753oeb.0.2013.10.27.17.57.19 for (version=TLSv1 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA bits=128/128); Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:57:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: FreeNAS vs. FreeBSD? Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1085) From: aurfalien In-Reply-To: Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:57:17 -0700 Message-Id: References: <44326394-E318-41B2-B85D-EA17E50B9230@gmail.com> To: C. P. Ghost X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1085) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.14 Cc: FreeBSD Mailing List X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 00:57:22 -0000 One last thing I forgot to mention is ashift. FreeNAS auto partitions to allow an ashift of 12. This was key for me due to my drives (Seagate ES.2) are 4K but report = back as 512 byte. So in FreeBSD my vdevs had an ashift of 9. In FreeNAS the partitions = were such that my vdevs were 12. Now in FreeBSD one can use the gnop hack to get 12, or simply partition = in such a way like starting the partition on 1M block which will allow = 12 as well. No one auto 12's your vdevs other then FreeNAS since its partitioning = for you. In ZoL, Solaris, FreeBSD, one must consciously force the 12. = I'll bet Nexenta also defaults to 9 and will check this week. - aurf On Oct 27, 2013, at 10:25 AM, C. P. Ghost wrote: > On Sun, Oct 27, 2013 at 5:13 PM, aurfalien = wrote: > I've tested with and w/o swap on a ZFS data set and have seen no = degradation in ZFS performance. >=20 > That's interesting. Are you using a box with AES-NI instructions or = just > plain ZFS (without encryption)? >=20 > That's one of the reasons I'm still undecided. With FreeBSD, I could = set up > swap on a dedicated slice/mirror without going through ZFS/GELI; which > is important on older CPUs that don't have AES-NI instructions. I'm = quite > afraid of the performance hit if swap is on ZFS/GELI. >=20 > Any changes made can be backed up to a file and restored on a fresh = install etc... which is simply either the ability to resort to defaults = and reboot or a fresh USB key. >=20 > That's a very useful feature indeed. I just booted a server with a USB > key containing the FreeNAS image, and it works like a charm. Maybe > something similar would be possible with plain vanilla FreeBSD; will > have to investigate. > =20 > So its more then just a GUI. >=20 > Indeed. > =20 > However they do not have a well defined or a defined for that matter, = roadmap. >=20 > Yup, that's the other concern I have with FreeNAS. >=20 > The most important question would be: would FreeNAS ZFS/GELI volumes > be importable into a regular FreeBSD system, should I decide to switch = back > to FreeBSD (e.g. if FreeNAS ceases to be supported/updated sometimes)? > I suppose yes, provided the keys are properly backed up, but without = testing, > I wouldn't bet the farm on it. > =20 > Thanks, > -cpghost. >=20 > --=20 > Cordula's Web. http://www.cordula.ws/ >=20