TrueNAS SCALE Version Documentation
This content follows the TrueNAS SCALE 24.04 (Dragonfish) releases. Use the Product and Version selectors above to view content specific to different TrueNAS software or major version.
Backing Up TrueNAS
5 minute read.
After configuring your TrueNAS storage and data sharing or any other function, service, or application, it is time to ensure an effective data backup.
You should also:
- Download and save your system configuration file to protect your system configuration information.
- Download a debug file.
- Create a boot environment to use as a restore point.
You should also set up a data storage backup method using either a cloud sync or replication task.
TrueNAS provides for data backup through cloud sync or replication.
Cloud sync requires an account with a cloud storage provider and a storage location created with that provider, like an Amazon S3 bucket. SCALE supports major providers like Storj, Amazon S3, Google Cloud, Box, and Microsoft Azure, along with a variety of other vendors. These providers can charge fees for data transfer and storage, so please review the policies of your cloud storage provider before transferring your data.
You can configure TrueNAS to send, receive, or synchronize data with a cloud storage provider. The simplest way to set up a cloud sync task is using an iX-Storj account.
See Adding Cloud Credentials for information on connecting TrueNAS SCALE to other cloud storage providers.
Replication is the process of taking a moment-in-time snapshot of data and then copying that snapshot to another location. Snapshots typically use less storage than full file backups and have more management options.
You can monitor created backup tasks from the Dashboard widget.
Now that you configured your system network, storage, and the data shares you want, and you have set up your data backup solution, it is time to back up your system configuration.
After saving the system configuration, go to System Settings > Advanced and click Save Debug. After the download completes, save this initial debug file with your system configuration file.
After installing and completing your SCALE system configuration, create a boot environment to use as a restore point. If an issue occurs where you lose access to the SCALE UI, you can establish an SSH session and restore it from the boot environment. You can clone the boot environment listed after the initial-install environment and rename the clone to something you recognize, such as the release number with date and time.