Unraid Future Feature Desires Poll

[Matthewmilesuk]

On 8/8/2024 at 7:37 PM, Espressomatic said:

I'm fine with the way things are for my personal use. I'm just thinking out loud about what can be beneficial for a higher-level customer who doesn't have either our experience, or knack for digging up technical info.

 

There's still a big market out there for the very tech-literate crowd, but the market for more consumer-focused individuals is huge. People who aren't going to even be looking at things like TruNAS, ProxMox, etc. But might be headed toward proprietary solutions from QNAP, Synology, etc. and might not mind stepping up to a simple bolt-together alternative.

On a personal level, I'm more interested in remote management of Unraid systems that I can deploy for others who would love the benefits of what this type of system can offer, but aren't necessarily up to doing even a pre-made Synology solution. So not quite a homelab for those ppl, but a storage and application server that "just works" (with a casual maintenance schedule) - plex, home assistant, etc.

I agree with the above. I think there are some commercial decisions which could be made here - specifically to increase adoption and market share away from ready-made solutions like Synology and Qnap.

 

I have only been using Unraid for a fortnight, and was tempted by the “Unraid array” option as I have outgrown my Synology NAS in terms of drive bays. The thought of having a 30-drive array was VERY appealing, and I equated this to the SHR/SHR2 format that Synology offers - parity protected, can grown in drive capacity over time, can use variable size drives. When I found out I could only set this up as a single array (and then had to use other pool options), I was a bit disappointed.

 

However, 14 days of playing has convinced me Unraid is the right solution for me and I’ve just bought a lifetime license.

 

I would consider myself fairly technical - I’m not a sysadmin, dev, etc in everyday life, but am an experienced ‘tinkerer’ and home enthusiast. My suggestion would be to create wizards in the system to help with core functionality:

 

Initial config

How do you want to use the system?

NAS-type device (no VM or Docker)

Apps & Services (docker and/or VMs)

All rounder (show me everything)

 

Create a storage space

What is the purpose you’re trying to achieve?

Parity protected storage long-term

Unprotected, fast, SSD storage

Etc

 

This is LESS about the file system type and more about the end goal. Less technical users won’t know the difference between xfs, zfs, btrfs, etc. and most won’t care. They want to know their data is protected against a couple of drive failures, if it’s fast for multimedia creation, if it’s safe for long time storage of documents, etc. 

 

Create a cache

Outline WHY this would help

What drive types are best (SSD or NVME)

Create as a read or write cache (again, Synology offers this)

 

If you’re looking to tempt people away from the other ready-built players, then you have a real opportunity to not only win market share but also educate your customer base. Give simple or advanced options for config, remember that not everyone has been using the software for years and it can be very daunting! YouTube and the community forums have been SUPER helpful for me, but there is an opportunity for Limetech to create some basic e-learning (which isn’t hard these days!). System overview, understanding different filesystem types, docker management, VM management, community applications, etc. help build up knowledge so users become more invested in your ecosystem. You could possibly look at certification options for installers/professional users too?

 

Lastly, could you publish a planned development roadmap? For example, there’s lots of “ooh multiple Unraid arrays will be supported” but no idea of when this will likely be, so people end up drawing their own conclusions which can lead to misinformation being spread and potentially hurting the product. Could you pin down features (and requests you’re progressing from this thread) into a basic roadmap:

V7.0 - major release (clearly outlining features like you’ve done with the beta releases, but AHEAD of release)

V7.1 - multiple unraid arrays, new mobile UI, iOS and android unraid connect companion app

V7.2. - etc

 

I don’t think anyone would be upset if features get bumped to a later release and an explanation given ahead of time, and it’s not something to hold you to account over (well, maybe a little), but it would help manage customer expectations and let everyone understand where their requests feature, plan for any major upcoming changes, etc. This should be fairly easy if you’re using an Agile-based sprint planning cycle or Kanban approach?

 

One final thing… I’d personally like to thank the Limetech team for your hard work, community engagement, and thoughtful development. It shows true passion for your product, and means that it continues to meet the needs of your customers. Lots of companies don’t get this right, but from what I’ve seen so far; you are nailing it!

 

I’d be very happy to chat through with the developers or other Limetech colleagues to give a total “newbie” view or feedback if that’s of interest.

Edited August 14 by Matthewmilesuk
Spelling mistake

[Brian_Lee]

On 7/9/2024 at 7:19 PM, SpencerJ said:

 What feature do you want the most in upcoming Unraid releases?

 

I hope to develop an app that can manage the switches of virtual machines and containers and display system status information. It would be best if it has its own proxy to directly access the internal container web interface, which is safer without opening the public network.at last Integrated Backups and Responsive WebGUI  Urgent need.

[cprn.1337]

Webui for mobile device.

[piyper]

Just a comment,

Out of the choices above, most either have a process for getting around the deficiency or could be accomplished by the work of our community developers as an app or plugin. It is always nice to know what is wanted and what cool ideas people have, but it would also be nice if priority was given to the things that only the folks at Unraid can do and do not have an easy work around.

 

[globadyne]

ZFS Snapshot Replication Via Gui or ZFS Master Plugin 
Responsive UI 

[guybrush2012]

An onboard backup feature

[dopeytree]

I'd mainly like UI tweaks.

 

More data but in a Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy Way.

 

- What's my most used disk?

- How many hours has it run?

- How many unraid users are there in the community?

- What's my power consumpter this month compared to last month?

- How many files were modified this last week?

- How many files were deleted this last week?

- Random Linux fact

- This months in season vegetable from the garden

- This day in history

 

A wait to quickly drill down how much space folders are using but make it an unraid feature so we can see per share and per disk etc.

Something like www.daisydisk.com the way it's interactive.

[itimpi]

2 hours ago, dopeytree said:

A wait to quickly drill down how much space folders are using but make it an unraid feature so we can see per share and per disk etc.

You can do this already using Dynamix File Manager plugin (which is integrated into Unraid 7).

[jclaydon1969]

On 7/9/2024 at 11:19 AM, SpencerJ said:

 What feature do you want the most in upcoming Unraid releases?

 

 

 

 

It would be nice to select a zpool as the secondary storage option when using the mover to transfer. or maybe it exists and I'm just not understanding how it works..

[bmartino1]

3 hours ago, jclaydon1969 said:

It would be nice to select a zpool as the secondary storage option when using the mover to transfer. or maybe it exists and I'm just not understanding how it works..

I think better vdev control would be needed first before move could be use or leveraged to go to a specific zfs point.

zfs master plugin is great and with some of zfs native especially in beta 7. the we ui would need more in terms of how vdevs are create, used and maintained without th use of the terminal...

https://klarasystems.com/articles/openzfs-understanding-zfs-vdev-types/

[JorgeB]

12 hours ago, jclaydon1969 said:

would be nice to select a zpool as the secondary storage option when using the mover to transfer. or maybe it exists and I'm just not understanding how it works..

You can do that with v7.0.0-beta

[m411b]

I understand Unraid is exactly what it is named. But the option to utilize an actual RAID level would be nice for certain "arrays".

[JonathanM]

9 minutes ago, m411b said:

I understand Unraid is exactly what it is named. But the option to utilize an actual RAID level would be nice for certain "arrays".

That's exactly what pools are, and have been for the last few years.

[m411b]

14 hours ago, JonathanM said:

That's exactly what pools are, and have been for the last few years.

So you're saying use spinners in pools rather than in what Unraid calls an array? I see no options anywhere to make, what Unraid calls an array, use any actual RAID level. Yeah, cache pools can use certain RAID levels. But what Unraid calls the array, cannot...

[JonathanM]

23 minutes ago, m411b said:

So you're saying use spinners in pools rather than in what Unraid calls an array? I see no options anywhere to make, what Unraid calls an array, use any actual RAID level. Yeah, cache pools can use certain RAID levels. But what Unraid calls the array, cannot...

You can use any disks you want in pools, and select pretty much any RAID level. There is no requirement to use the Unraid array in version 7, you can set up whatever arrangement of pools you want.

 

"Cache" in the Unraid context is an old term, pools now can be used as the main storage if you want.

[dopeytree]

On 9/18/2024 at 1:26 PM, m411b said:

So you're saying use spinners in pools rather than in what Unraid calls an array? I see no options anywhere to make, what Unraid calls an array, use any actual RAID level. Yeah, cache pools can use certain RAID levels. But what Unraid calls the array, cannot...

 

Attached my setup for an example.

 

- Normal Array at the top.

- 3x ZFS pools below a mixture of spinners & SSDs.

- Consisting of:

- 2x mirror pools using SSDs (note cctv is connected via USB)

- 1x ZFS-1 pool using 4x 12TB drives. Gives SSD type speeds using RAID on Spinners.

 

Edited September 20 by dopeytree

[orlando500]

On 7/19/2024 at 8:46 PM, Espressomatic said:

 

I'd love to see this as well, but for different reasons - I've had the same Kingston USB key in use since 2018 and it's had zero issues, so stability isn't an issue for me personally.

 

I'm thinking more of removing friction for installation and testing, with a goal of increasing sales and market share.

 

Booting from any disk would make Unraid more attractive to a lot of people considering a move from another platform or testing multiple platforms at one time.  see a lot of folks complaining about the USB key before having ever trying Unraid - installing to any media, would likely get them to try an install, easily spinning up a VM without having to pass a USB port before installing.

 

More people trying leads to more people buying - which is good for everyone.

 

 

 

For me its a pain to have to get a new key to match a new usb drive, to get my server going again after a usb drive failed. I have tried to buy good drives but have had at least 2 fails.

[bmartino1]

11 hours ago, orlando500 said:

 

For me its a pain to have to get a new key to match a new usb drive, to get my server going again after a usb drive failed. I have tried to buy good drives but have had at least 2 fails.

Is it possible, yes, will it be integrated? Most likely not. From deep diving into Unriad. At best they have a very nice closed webserver and administration scripts acted form within there emhttp application (was ngnix at one time...could still be ngnix esc/ish and easily become a spin off... IDK)... The point, the creator of that web administration software was using mutable flash disk and version of linux on a disk during the era Prime for Unraid, at that time this was a standard practice DOS... Its mutated code and evolution is what makes unraid what it is today.. Alot of things from containerized systems and multiple kernel and layers of a OS would have to be redone for a mutable os similar to arch linux steam os on steam deck... At this time, that open the current secured system they have to other threats. 80% of problematic things are sovled with a restart that clears the ram. Unriad os is mutable by booting off the flash disk. To install on a Disk they can lose mutable things... Mutable OS can have an enhanced security... look into selinux... Unless they release the emhttp and there scripts for other distors I don't see this happening. Otherwise, look into webmin on debain. as alot of what unraid has done was make a nice UI interface... everything unraid does is accomplishable on other linux distros...

SO, while in ethical hacking school, we actually took a look at different and interesting mutable like boot systems. Unriad has a interesting ramdisk setup and bzroot file system built from Slackware.

https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/install-os-on-a-ram-disk-4175527521/

while you will still need the licensed USB pluged in, its only task after boot it to be there for bzoverlay to read that "UNRAIDs" partition (specially the intrid...) and UUID that is Key licensed... look into bz overlays and grub. You can have the contents of the flash drive exist as a # disk in unraid. 

look into project:
https://github.com/toneomgomg/unRAID-bzoverlay

Things have changed from the grub day to systemd days that are now.... So I would have to retake a dive into the bz firmware again. while possible, as i have tested the overley... It is Highly complicated and not worth the trouble. at best you have a flash drive in the system that is used for read only, while the contents if being read and written act as a separate partition and remap to unraids /boot ...

At worst you have a SDD/HDD copy of unriad and its hoard to tell which one is being booted and read from after osboot/array start.

[Espressomatic]

12 hours ago, orlando500 said:

For me its a pain to have to get a new key to match a new usb drive, to get my server going again after a usb drive failed. I have tried to buy good drives but have had at least 2 fails.

In my history of using thumb drives, probably sometime around 2001, I have only ever had 1 go bad. Never any with Unraid.

 

But yesterday, even though I didn't have a bad drive, I decided to migrate one system to a new physically smaller drive. It took a few seconds to download my flash backup, used Unraid media tool to make the new bootable drive with that backup (on my Mac!), then popped it into its system and booted.

 

Upon boot and hitting the webUI, a BIG ORANGE button displayed right in the middle of the screen to request a new license for this drive. Clicked it and within seconds it was re-registered, my old key blacklisted and system working the same as it always has.

 

So... I don't get it when people talk about the flash drive negatively. It's INSANE how fast you can be back up and running compared to booting off a fixed disk. The thumb drive is an invaluable feature, not a negative.

 

 

Edited September 23 by Espressomatic

[dopeytree]

On 9/23/2024 at 6:50 AM, orlando500 said:

 

For me its a pain to have to get a new key to match a new usb drive, to get my server going again after a usb drive failed. I have tried to buy good drives but have had at least 2 fails.

 

Try using them in the usb2 port rather than usb3 port. 

Alternatively try a industrial usb key.

 

There is an automated process for transferring new keys plus email support usually reply within 24hours.

Would have same key issues no matter what the device is. i.e usb, HD, SSD etc.

 

A solution could be to have to login via internet to authenticate an installation. But then people would say it has to connect to internet. 

Edited September 24 by dopeytree

[Faceman]

On 9/21/2024 at 12:22 AM, dopeytree said:

 

Attached my setup for an example.

 

- Normal Array at the top.

- 3x ZFS pools below a mixture of spinners & SSDs.

- Consisting of:

- 2x mirror pools using SSDs (note cctv is connected via USB)

- 1x ZFS-1 pool using 4x 12TB drives. Gives SSD type speeds using RAID on Spinners.

 

 

 

This is where I'm heading with my setup, currently have the main array as a big archive, but there are two ZFS pools, one is a mirror of M.2 disks, the other a Raidz1 of SataSSDs which is my main working cache.., different shares go to different primary pools, and in Unraid 7 I can have shares move from pool to pool, or pool to array, with the primary/secondary options. However, there is no easy way to have a third tier, like SSDZFS>HDDZFS>ARRAY.

 

 

[ados]

Fixing docker hub rate limits

Edited September 28 by ados

[itimpi]

8 hours ago, ados said:

Fixing docker hub rate limits

I would think that is a docker hub issue over which Limetech have no control so cannot be fixed at the Unraid level.