Restore a new ZFS install from a config file made on a UFS install
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I just got a used Dell r210 ii to load pfSense and the install and restore from backup was delightfully smooth. I was super nervous about it so I thought best not to throw too many variables in and just did the classic UFS restore, but now that I'm up and running and cause I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm thinking I should redo the whole process and turn my new install into a ZFS one.
My question is, can I restore it with the config backup generated on my old UFS install? Is there an easier/better way than just reinstalling from scratch?
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The underlying file system will have no impact on the backed up config file.
You might want to try our new Config Backup (have a copy of it locally and use the online version to restore).
Follow the instructions below, as this might be your first time before doing any changes I would get a local copy downloaded in case there is a setting missed (password or key).
https://www.netgate.com/docs/pfsense/backup/autoconfigbackup.html
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Thanks! I know this is a broad question, but would you recommend I redo my new setup now to ZFS now that I'm running on a backup (the original machine)?
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UFS is still the default and recommended install FS type. However it's likely we will move to ZFS at some point.
Right now UFS is far more widely tested, because it's the default, so you're far less likely to hit some obscure edge case issue.
ZFS does have significant advantages; better resilience to power failure, system snapshots. It does use more memory though, in some cases a lot more. You shouldn't attempt to run it on a low RAM machine with a large drive.
Steve
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I would be running it on a Dell r210 ii with 8gb of ram so I think that would be plenty, however I'm far from a power user and am worried I'll experience more headache with idiosyncrasies of the new file system that benefit I'd derive from it. Thanks for your input...
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In all probability you would not experience any issues with either filesystem. If you can run ZFS more people running it to expose any issues that might be there is good.
Steve
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I'm a glutton for punishment so I'll probably give it a try;)
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Well, I finally got around to giving it a try, but I got stumped during the install. None of the "Pool Type/Disks:" options worked for me. They all are raids (which is kind of my understanding as being related to the benefits of ZFS) but I only have the one disk currently in my R210 ii. I thought I had read somewhere else that ZFS was still of benefit by "mirroring itself" or something. Any advice would be appreciated, but in the meantime I'll just stick with UFS.
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@rickybaker said in Restore a new ZFS install from a config file made on a UFS install:
Well, I finally got around to giving it a try, but I got stumped during the install. None of the "Pool Type/Disks:" options worked for me.
It's really easy select "Auto (ZFS)", set the pool to stripe for a single disk, mark the disk that should be used and let it install. As for redundancy on a single disk read up on the "copies" attribute, but be aware that it is far inferior to a real mirror.
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I kept selecting the default option, selecting my disk, and it saying "failure, not enough disks 0<1" or something to that affect.
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The installer doesn't make it obvious as I recall but that means that you really don't have any disks selected. You have to select at least one drive to continue at this point after just accepting all the other defaults:
pfSense Installer ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┌────────────────────────────ZFS Configuration───────────────────────────────┐ │ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │[*] ada0 NT-32 │ │ │ │[ ] da0 IS917 innostor │ │ │ │[ ] label/swap0 GEOM LABEL device │ │ │ │[ ] mmcsd0 MMCHC M32508 5.2 SN 0B455B3B MFG 02/2018 by 112 0x0000 │ │ │ │[ ] mmcsd0boot0 MMCHC M32508 5.2 SN 0B455B3B MFG 02/2018 by 112 0x0000 │ │ │ │[ ] mmcsd0boot1 MMCHC M32508 5.2 SN 0B455B3B MFG 02/2018 by 112 0x0000 │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ < OK > < Back > │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Use space to select a drive. I've selected ada0 there.
Steve
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@stephenw10 OOOOOOOOOOO Thanks!l I'll give it a shot tomorrow and report back!
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So I was able to upgrade to the ZFS install of the latest PFSense. I used the manual Restore method and everything seems alright (just wasn't that comfortable with the Autobackup and the other was so easy). I'll have to fully slot it in place of my current PFSense box to see if it's 100% working (and re-add my vlan) but seems good. One question: since I only have 1 hdd in the Del r210ii right now, is adding a mirror drive relatively easy? I assume it's from the command line and I'll need to learn a few ZFS commands, but guaging how easy to retrofit the mirror is (as opposed to building it that way from the start).
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Hmm, interesting question, I've never tried.
My instinct there is that is would require reinstalling but ZFS is far more capable so....
More research needed.Steve
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@rickybaker said in Restore a new ZFS install from a config file made on a UFS install:
I assume it's from the command line and I'll need to learn a few ZFS commands, but guaging how easy to retrofit the mirror is (as opposed to building it that way from the start).
Shouln't be a problem, though I haven't tried it myself: https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/zfs-zpool.html the only thing that might be a bit risky is updating the bootcode with the correct one if you use UEFI boot. On the other hand, reinstalling pfSense with config recovery is likely to be equally as fast, if not faster.
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@grimson said in Restore a new ZFS install from a config file made on a UFS install:
Shouln't be a problem, though I haven't tried it myself: https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/zfs-zpool.html the only thing that might be a bit risky is updating the bootcode with the correct one if you use UEFI boot. On the other hand, reinstalling pfSense with config recovery is likely to be equally as fast, if not faster
Well shoot, i was thinking it would be easier than that. Oh well, guess I'll look into installing another harddrive and do this again:)
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So, sorry to bump my old topic, but I was experiencing some issues with this install and I was wondering if it could be related to the ZFS I installed. I had it up and running on th enew Dell r210ii in my condo and tested it for weeks as my main router without issue. I unplug it and move it to the new house and it doesn't work (WAN gives an IP of 0.0.0.0). I troubleshoot for days before giving up and going back to my condo to grab the old ufs install of pfsense I used to run and that worked without issue. It theoretically should be identical to the ufs install besides the zfs, so I'm not sure what broke, but I'm about to reinstall pfsense and start over so I'd love to know if I should abandon zfs. (the reinstall and restore should identify if it's purely hardware of that NIC I suppose)...
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That seems unlikely to be filesystem related. If it was I would expect some sort of error, if it couldn't read the dhclient conf fiel for example. But even so ZFS is less likely to have that sort of issue.
Steve
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@stephenw10 said in Restore a new ZFS install from a config file made on a UFS install:
if it couldn't read the dhclient conf fiel for example. But even so ZFS is less likely to have that sort of issue.
I mean, it could be an error right? Or are you implying that reading 0.0.0.0 is indicative of normal (though unfortunate) behavior that belies there isn't an error. I haven't gotten around to reflashing pfsense, but I'm really hoping my NIC isn't shot...
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I'm saying if there's a fault with the pfSense there it's probably not with reading the filesystem as much more would be broken then simply not pulling an IP address on WAN.
Check the DHCP logs.
Run a packet capture, make sure it's sending DHCP requests. See what, if anything, comes back.Steve
