1 hour ago, JorgeB said:

You can use zfs in the array without that limitation, because every device is a single filesystem, without raidz obliviously, for pools nothing that can be done since it's a zfs limitation, btrfs is more flexible, though not as robust, unfortunately you rarely can have everything.

If all the devices are their own filesystem, then how does parity work? If I'm not mistaken, I believe there has to be at least 4 drives in a pool in order for it to have redundancy. I could be wrong though. I appreciate your input and knowledge @JorgeB.

is having multple vdev on a single dataset possible?, and can we just add another pool_3 to increase the size of pool_2? or will they be a seperate vdev thus seperate filesystem and different mountpoint? are are we able to combine them?

25 minutes ago, Tucubanito07 said:

If all the devices are their own filesystem, then how does parity work?

That's how it always worked with the array, parity is just bits, it doesn't care about the file systems.

https://wiki.unraid.net/Parity#How_parity_works

 

26 minutes ago, Tucubanito07 said:

If I'm not mistaken, I believe there has to be at least 4 drives in a pool in order for it to have redundancy.

2 devices for a mirror, 3 minimum for raidz, this is for pools, not the unRAID parity array.

 

24 minutes ago, jonathanselye said:

is having multple vdev on a single dataset possible?

Yes.

 

24 minutes ago, jonathanselye said:

and can we just add another pool_3 to increase the size of pool_2?

You will be able to add more vdevs to an existing pool.

... i would like to request a new feature based on the promising updates 

The possibilty to mount an (XFS)  unraid array on demand, 

The Background :

I use Unraid + ZFS for long time,

a XFS Pool witch is always "on" and a ZFS Pool witch i mount over the ZFS Plugin

This way i make my Backups to the ZFS Pool. whenever i plug in the ZFS Pool via THunderbolt.

 

With ZFS on Board i would like to switch it ... Unraid XFS Pool as Backup and ZFS as always on Storage 

 

thanks for reading & reply !

 

 

 

6 hours ago, FlyingTexan said:

I’m here with an a380 sitting in a drawer myself.

Is this for transcoding rather than passthru?

Exciting to hear some official details on this.

 

I will keep my media on a traditional unraid array but migrate important stuff to a zfs pool (likely a mirror of two 4TB hard drives). The important stuff would be documents, family photos, etc.

 

I will likely also migrate docker and vms to a zfs pool of two nvme disks.

 

Loving the potential here.

3 hours ago, SimonF said:

Is this for transcoding rather than passthru?

Everything. A full fledge GPU to use for the system anytime acceleration can help

Can someone in layman’s terms tell ‘em the advantage of switching from BTRFs?

2 minutes ago, FlyingTexan said:

Can someone in layman’s terms tell ‘em the advantage of switching from BTRFs?

 

ZFS has been around much longer and is battle tested in production with many businesses. I would trust my data longterm with ZFS more than BTRFS. Other than this, they are pretty similar in terms of feature set.

So nothing as far as speed or anything goes? 

It depends on the setup..

 

Please chime in if I'm wrong but I think general read should be way faster basicaly a bit less than double per drive. Writes should be somewhat faster but parity work is still slow by comparison as it's on a single drive not striped parity but still faster than current parity in unraid array.

 

https://calomel.org/zfs_raid_speed_capacity.html

            ZFS Raid Speed Capacity and Performance Benchmarks
                   (speeds in megabytes per second)

 1x 4TB, single drive,          3.7 TB,  w=108MB/s , rw=50MB/s  , r=204MB/s 
 2x 4TB, mirror (raid1),        3.7 TB,  w=106MB/s , rw=50MB/s  , r=488MB/s 
 2x 4TB, stripe (raid0),        7.5 TB,  w=237MB/s , rw=73MB/s  , r=434MB/s 
 3x 4TB, mirror (raid1),        3.7 TB,  w=106MB/s , rw=49MB/s  , r=589MB/s 
 3x 4TB, stripe (raid0),       11.3 TB,  w=392MB/s , rw=86MB/s  , r=474MB/s 
 3x 4TB, raidz1 (raid5),        7.5 TB,  w=225MB/s , rw=56MB/s  , r=619MB/s 
 4x 4TB, 2 striped mirrors,     7.5 TB,  w=226MB/s , rw=53MB/s  , r=644MB/s 
 4x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),        7.5 TB,  w=204MB/s , rw=54MB/s  , r=183MB/s 
 5x 4TB, raidz1 (raid5),       15.0 TB,  w=469MB/s , rw=79MB/s  , r=598MB/s 
 5x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),        7.5 TB,  w=116MB/s , rw=45MB/s  , r=493MB/s 
 6x 4TB, 3 striped mirrors,    11.3 TB,  w=389MB/s , rw=60MB/s  , r=655MB/s 
 6x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       15.0 TB,  w=429MB/s , rw=71MB/s  , r=488MB/s 
10x 4TB, 2 striped 5x raidz,   30.1 TB,  w=675MB/s , rw=109MB/s , r=1012MB/s 
11x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       30.2 TB,  w=552MB/s , rw=103MB/s , r=963MB/s 
12x 4TB, 6 striped mirrors,    22.6 TB,  w=643MB/s , rw=83MB/s  , r=962MB/s 
12x 4TB, 2 striped 6x raidz2,  30.1 TB,  w=638MB/s , rw=105MB/s , r=990MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz (raid5),        41.3 TB,  w=689MB/s , rw=118MB/s , r=993MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       37.4 TB,  w=317MB/s , rw=98MB/s  , r=1065MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       33.6 TB,  w=452MB/s , rw=105MB/s , r=840MB/s 
22x 4TB, 2 striped 11x raidz3, 60.4 TB,  w=567MB/s , rw=162MB/s , r=1139MB/s 
23x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       74.9 TB,  w=440MB/s , rw=157MB/s , r=1146MB/s
24x 4TB, 12 striped mirrors,   45.2 TB,  w=696MB/s , rw=144MB/s , r=898MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz (raid5),        86.4 TB,  w=567MB/s , rw=198MB/s , r=1304MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       82.0 TB,  w=434MB/s , rw=189MB/s , r=1063MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       78.1 TB,  w=405MB/s , rw=180MB/s , r=1117MB/s 
24x 4TB, striped raid0,        90.4 TB,  w=692MB/s , rw=260MB/s , r=1377MB/s 

Edited January 12, 20233 yr by dopeytree

Is there any advantage to converting the single array drives from XFS to ZFS?  If we do convert them to ZFS, would they be faster, slower, or the same speed?

9 minutes ago, dopeytree said:

It depends on the setup..

 

Please chime in if I'm wrong but I think general read should be way faster basicaly a bit less than double per drive. Writes should be somewhat faster but parity work is still slow by comparison as it's on a single drive not striped parity but still faster than current parity in unraid array.

 

https://calomel.org/zfs_raid_speed_capacity.html

            ZFS Raid Speed Capacity and Performance Benchmarks
                   (speeds in megabytes per second)

 1x 4TB, single drive,          3.7 TB,  w=108MB/s , rw=50MB/s  , r=204MB/s 
 2x 4TB, mirror (raid1),        3.7 TB,  w=106MB/s , rw=50MB/s  , r=488MB/s 
 2x 4TB, stripe (raid0),        7.5 TB,  w=237MB/s , rw=73MB/s  , r=434MB/s 
 3x 4TB, mirror (raid1),        3.7 TB,  w=106MB/s , rw=49MB/s  , r=589MB/s 
 3x 4TB, stripe (raid0),       11.3 TB,  w=392MB/s , rw=86MB/s  , r=474MB/s 
 3x 4TB, raidz1 (raid5),        7.5 TB,  w=225MB/s , rw=56MB/s  , r=619MB/s 
 4x 4TB, 2 striped mirrors,     7.5 TB,  w=226MB/s , rw=53MB/s  , r=644MB/s 
 4x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),        7.5 TB,  w=204MB/s , rw=54MB/s  , r=183MB/s 
 5x 4TB, raidz1 (raid5),       15.0 TB,  w=469MB/s , rw=79MB/s  , r=598MB/s 
 5x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),        7.5 TB,  w=116MB/s , rw=45MB/s  , r=493MB/s 
 6x 4TB, 3 striped mirrors,    11.3 TB,  w=389MB/s , rw=60MB/s  , r=655MB/s 
 6x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       15.0 TB,  w=429MB/s , rw=71MB/s  , r=488MB/s 
10x 4TB, 2 striped 5x raidz,   30.1 TB,  w=675MB/s , rw=109MB/s , r=1012MB/s 
11x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       30.2 TB,  w=552MB/s , rw=103MB/s , r=963MB/s 
12x 4TB, 6 striped mirrors,    22.6 TB,  w=643MB/s , rw=83MB/s  , r=962MB/s 
12x 4TB, 2 striped 6x raidz2,  30.1 TB,  w=638MB/s , rw=105MB/s , r=990MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz (raid5),        41.3 TB,  w=689MB/s , rw=118MB/s , r=993MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       37.4 TB,  w=317MB/s , rw=98MB/s  , r=1065MB/s 
12x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       33.6 TB,  w=452MB/s , rw=105MB/s , r=840MB/s 
22x 4TB, 2 striped 11x raidz3, 60.4 TB,  w=567MB/s , rw=162MB/s , r=1139MB/s 
23x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       74.9 TB,  w=440MB/s , rw=157MB/s , r=1146MB/s
24x 4TB, 12 striped mirrors,   45.2 TB,  w=696MB/s , rw=144MB/s , r=898MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz (raid5),        86.4 TB,  w=567MB/s , rw=198MB/s , r=1304MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz2 (raid6),       82.0 TB,  w=434MB/s , rw=189MB/s , r=1063MB/s 
24x 4TB, raidz3 (raid7),       78.1 TB,  w=405MB/s , rw=180MB/s , r=1117MB/s 
24x 4TB, striped raid0,        90.4 TB,  w=692MB/s , rw=260MB/s , r=1377MB/s 

That looks like a great reason to me to switch. I’m guessing this would require rewriting the entire array? Like formatting and starting all over?

More clarifications:  in Unraid OS only user-defined pools can be configured as multi-device ZFS pools.  You can select ZFS as the file system type for an unRAID array disk, but will always be just a single device.  The best way to think of this, anywhere you can select btrfs you can also select zfs, including 'zfs - encrypted' which is not using zfs built-in encryption but simply LUKS device encryption.

 

Also note that ZFS hard drive pools will require all devices in a pool to be 'spun up' during use.  IMO where ZFS will shine is in large flash-based pools (SSD, NVMe, etc).

Neat always thought it would work

best as pools like at present but new format. Cool to have single zfs drives too.

Is their pool to pool movement? What an exciting year! 

4 hours ago, JoeUnraidUser said:

Is there any advantage to converting the single array drives from XFS to ZFS?  If we do convert them to ZFS, would they be faster, slower, or the same speed?

Doubtful that there would be any speed difference.

2 hours ago, limetech said:

Also note that ZFS hard drive pools will require all devices in a pool to be 'spun up' during use.  IMO where ZFS will shine is in large flash-based pools (SSD, NVMe, etc).

Will it be possible to automatically spin down an entire raidz pool when inactive? Example use case would be a pool that is used for nightly backups. 

5 hours ago, brandon3055 said:

Will it be possible to automatically spin down an entire raidz pool when inactive? Example use case would be a pool that is used for nightly backups. 

 

Sure, powertop or hdparm can set HDD spinning speed.

12 hours ago, brandon3055 said:

Will it be possible to automatically spin down an entire raidz pool when inactive?

Yep.

 

re: performance, preliminary testing shows that when used as a single device pool writes to zfs are a little slower than to xfs and btrfs, this for a large file transfer with disks, it's around 5 to 10% slower depending on the disk used, but still needs more testing, and still need to test with single pool flash-based devices and also compare performance with the various multi device pool options between btrfs and zfs.

 

 

6 minutes ago, gyto6 said:

Sure, powertop or hdparm can set HDD spinning speed.

Just need to set a spin down timeout on the GUI, like for other pools.

13 minutes ago, JorgeB said:

Just need to set a spin down timeout on the GUI, like for other pools.

 

Good to know. I've no HDD on my setup, so I wasn't aware that the GUI has this functionnality... 😅

Would be great if ZFS snapshot and replication management was available natively through the web GUI, but I understand if this will be in a later update.

14 hours ago, limetech said:

The best way to think of this, anywhere you can select btrfs you can also select zfs, including 'zfs - encrypted' which is not using zfs built-in encryption but simply LUKS device encryption.

 

Can we get the zfs built-in encryption for zfs-only pools, or will these disks still be encrypted via LUKS?

 

As far as I know the currently available btrfs-pools are using LUKS.

But the zfs built-in encryption would allow for different encryption settings for each dataset.

I think it would be a bit much to expect ZFS feature parity with a project like TrueNAS that has always been ZFS focused for years. I think allowing ZFS in pools is a nice complement to unRAID. Snapshot/replication management would be nice, not only for ZFS but BTRFS as well, but I think the existing LUKS encryption implementation is a suitable compromise for now.