Adding a Storj Cloud Sync Task

TrueNAS can send, receive, or synchronize data with the cloud storage provider Storj. Cloud sync tasks allow for single-time transfers or recurring transfers on a schedule. They are an effective method to back up data to a remote location.

To take advantage of the lower-cost benefits of the Storj-TrueNAS cloud service, you must create your Storj account using the link provided on the Add Cloud Credentials screen.

You must also create and authorize the storage buckets on Storj for use by SCALE.

iXsystems is not responsible for any charges you incur using a third-party vendor with the cloud sync feature.

TrueNAS supports major providers like Amazon S3, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. It also supports many other vendors. To see the full list of supported vendors, go to Credentials > Backup Credentials > Cloud Credentials click Add, and open the Provider dropdown list.

You must have all system storage (pool and datasets or zvols) configured and ready to receive or send data.

To create your cloud sync task for a Storj-TrueNAS transfer you:

1. Create the SCALE cloud credential.

   Adding the cloud credential in SCALE includes using the link to create the Storj-TrueNAS account, creating a new bucket, and obtaining the S3 authentication credentials you need to complete the process in SCALE.

2. Create the Storj-TrueNAS account.

   You must create a new Storj-TrueNAS account to use SCALE to access a Storj account.

3. Add a new Storj bucket.

4. Create Storj S3 access for the new bucket.

5. Finish creating the SCALE cloud credential using the S3 access and secret keys provided by Storj.

6. Create the cloud sync task for one bucket.

The instructions in this section cover adding the Storj-iX account and configuring the cloud service credentials in SCALE and Storj. The process includes going to Storj to create a new Storj-iX account and returning to SCALE to enter the S3 credentials provided by Storj.

Go to Credentials > Backup Credentials and click Add on the Cloud Credentials widget. The Add Cloud Credential screen opens with Storj displayed as the default provider in the Provider field.

1. Enter a descriptive name to identify the credential in the Name field.

2. Click Signup for account to create your Stor-iX account. This opens the Storj new account screen for TrueNAS.

   You must use this link to create your Storj account to take advantage of the benefits of the Storj-TrueNAS pricing!

   After setting up your Storj-TrueNAS account, create your Storj bucket and the Storj S3 access for the new bucket.

3. Enter the authentication information provided by Storj in the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key fields.

4. Click Verify Credentials and wait for the system to verify the credentials.

   

5. Click Save.

After completing this configuration form, you can set up the cloud sync task.

You can create your iX-Storj cloud service account using two methods:

• Go to the TrueNAS Storj web page and click Sign Up & Log In - iX-Storj.
• Go to Credentials > Backup Credentials and click Add. Select StorjiX as the Provider on the Cloud Credentials screen, then click Signup for account.

The Storj Create your Storj account web page opens. Enter your information in the fields, select the I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and click the button at the bottom of the screen. The Storj main dashboard opens.

Now you can add the storage bucket you want to use in your Storj-TrueNAS account and SCALE cloud sync task.

From the Storj main dashboard:

1. Click Browse on the navigation panel on the left side of the screen to open the Browse Buckets screen. Click New Bucket to open the New Bucket window.

   

2. Enter a name in Bucket Name using lowercase alphanumeric characters, with no spaces between characters, then click Create Bucket. Your new bucket displays on the Browse Buckets screen.

   

3. Click on the new bucket to open the Enter passphrase window and configure encryption. Enter a secure passphrase in Encryption Passphrase.

   

4. Click Continue to complete the process and open the Browse Files screen with your new bucket.

   

After creating your bucket, add S3 access for the new bucket(s) you want to use in your Storj-TrueNAS account and the SCALE cloud sync task.

1. Click Access Keys to open the Access Keys dashboard, then click New Access Key.

   

   The New Access Key window opens.

2. Enter the name you want to use for this credential. Select S3 Credentials for access type, then click Next to open the Access Permissions window.

   

3. Select the permissions you want to allow this access from the Access Permissions dropdown and select the bucket you want to have access to this credential from the Access Buckets dropdown.

   

   If you want to use the SCALE option to add new buckets in SCALE, set Storj Access Permissions and Access Buckets to All.

4. Select an Access Expiration Date if you want to set the duration or length of time to allow this credential to exist. You can select a preset period, use the calendar to set the duration or select No expiration. Click Next to open the Access Encryption window.

   

5. Select the encryption option you want to use. Select Use the current passphrase to use the passphrase for the bucket you created above and click Next or select Advanced Options.

   Select Generate Passphrase to allow Storj to provide the encryption passphrase (see 5a below) or select Enter a new passphrase to enter a passphrase of your choice.

   Click Next to open the Confirm Details screen.

   

   a. If Generate Passphrase is selected, use Copy or Download to obtain the Storj-generated passphrase. Keep this passphrase along with the access keys in a safe place where you can back up the file.

   

   If you lose your passphrase, neither Storj nor iXsystems can help you recover your stored data!

   Select I saved my encryption passphrase and then click Next.

6. Review access details and then click Create Access to open the S3 Credentials Generated window.

   

7. Use Copy All or Download All to obtain the access key, secret key, and endpoint. Keep these in a safe place where you can back up the file.

   Click Finish.

   

This completes the process of setting up your Storj buckets and S3 access. Enter these keys in the Authentication fields in TrueNAS SCALE on the Add Cloud Credential screen to complete setting up the SCALE cloud credential.

To add the Storj cloud sync task, go to Data Protection > Cloud Sync Tasks:

1. Click Add to open the Cloudsync Task Wizard.

   

2. Select the Storj credential on the Credential dropdown list, then click Next to show the What and When wizard screen.

3. Set the Direction and Transfer Mode you want to use.

   

4. Browse to the dataset or zvol you want to use on SCALE for data storage. Click the arrow to the left of the name to expand it, then click on the name to select it.

   If Direction is set to PUSH, click the folder icon to add / to the Folder field.

5. Select the bucket you created in Storj from the Bucket dropdown list.

   If you set the Storj S3 access to only apply to the new bucket created in Storj, you can only use that bucket, selecting Add New results in an error. If you set the Storj S3 Bucket access to All, you can select the new bucket you created in Storj or Add New to create a new Storj bucket here in SCALE!

   If Direction is set to PUSH, click on the folder icon for the Folder field to select the desired folder in the Storj bucket from the dropdown list if not copying/moving/syncing the entire contents of the bucket with the dataset selected in the Directory/Files field.

6. Set the task schedule for when to run this task.

7. Click Save.

TrueNAS adds the task to the Cloud Sync Task widget with the Pending status until the task runs on schedule. To test the task, click Dry Run or Run Now to start the task apart from the scheduled time.