TrueNAS
TrueNAS is the branding for a range of free and open-source network-attached storage (NAS) operating systems produced by iXsystems, and based on FreeBSD and Linux, using the OpenZFS file system. It is licensed under the terms of the BSD License and runs on commodity x86-64 hardware. 

The TrueNAS range includes free public versions (TrueNAS CORE, previously known as FreeNAS), commercial versions (TrueNAS Enterprise), and Linux versions (TrueNAS SCALE). It also offers hardware, from small home systems to large petabyte arrays, based on the above versions.

TrueNAS supports Windows, macOS and Unix clients and various virtualization hosts such as XenServer and VMware using the SMB, AFP, NFS, iSCSI, SSH, rsync and FTP/TFTP protocols. Advanced TrueNAS features include full-disk encryption and a plug-in architecture for third-party software.

Products
TrueNAS is the brand for iXsystems' open source network attached storage platform. It includes the following:

 TrueNAS CORE (previously FreeNAS) – a free file server and expandable platform based on FreeBSD.
 TrueNAS Enterprise – an enterprise file server for commercial use, also based on FreeBSD.
 TrueNAS SCALE – a free Linux based hyper-converged scale-out version of the TrueNAS platform.
 TrueNAS hardware – Enterprise Storage Arrays, a network-attached storage (NAS) systems, storage area network (SAN) devices, and High Availability systems, with up to 22 petabytes raw capacity.

User experience
TrueNAS is managed through a comprehensive web interface that is supplemented by a minimal shell console that handles essential administrative functions. The web interface supports storage pool configuration, user management, sharing configuration and system maintenance. As an embedded system appliance, TrueNAS boots from a USB Flash device or SATA DOM. This image is configured using a USB Flash bootable installer. The TrueNAS operating system is fully independent of its storage disks, allowing its configuration database and encryption keys to be backed up and restored to a fresh installation of the Operating System. This separation also allows for TrueNAS system updates to be performed through the web interface.

History
The FreeNAS project was started in October 2005 by Olivier Cochard-Labbé who based it on the m0n0wall embedded firewall and FreeBSD 6.0. Volker Theile joined the project in July 2006 and became the project lead in April 2008. In September 2009, the development team concluded that the project, then at release .7, was due for a complete rewrite in order to accommodate modern features such as a plug-in architecture. Volker Theile decided that the project best be reimplemented using Debian Linux and shifted his development efforts to the interim CoreNAS project and eventually OpenMediaVault where he continues as the project lead. Cochard-Labbé responded to community objections to "The Debian version of FreeNAS" and resumed activity in the project and oversaw its transfer to FreeNAS user iXsystems. Developers Daisuke Aoyama and Michael Zoon continued developing FreeNAS 7 as the NAS4Free project. Meanwhile, iXsystems rewrote FreeNAS with a new architecture based on FreeBSD 8.1, releasing FreeNAS 8 Beta in November 2010. The plug-in architecture arrived with FreeNAS 8.2 and FreeNAS versioning was synchronized with FreeBSD for clarity. FreeNAS 8.3 introduced full-disk encryption and FreeBSD 9.1-based FreeNAS 9.1 brought an updated plug-in architecture that is compatible with the TrueOS Warden jail management framework. FreeNAS 9.1 was also the first version of FreeNAS to use the community-supported OpenZFS v5000 with Feature Flags. FreeNAS 9.2, based on FreeBSD 9.2 included performance improvements and introduced a REST API for remote system administration. FreeNAS 9.3, based on FreeBSD 9.3 introduced a ZFS-based boot device, an initial Setup Wizard and a high-performance in-kernel iSCSI server. FreeNAS 9.10, based on FreeBSD 10.3-RC3 brought an end to the FreeNAS/FreeBSD synchronized naming and introduced Graphite monitoring support and experimental support for the bhyve hypervisor.

In October 2015, ten years after the original FreeNAS release, FreeNAS 10 ALPHA was released, providing a preview of what would become FreeNAS Corral GA on March 15, 2017. FreeNAS Corral introduced a new graphical user interface, command-line interface, underlying middleware, container management system and virtual machine management system. FreeNAS Corral departs from FreeNAS by providing not only NAS functionality but also hyper-converged functionality thanks to its integrated virtual machine support. However, on April 12, 2017 iXsystems announced that FreeNAS Corral would instead be relegated to being a 'Technology Preview', citing issues such as "general instability, lack of feature parity with 9.10 (Jails, iSCSI, etc), and some users experiencing lower performance than expected" and the departure of the project lead. Instead, the decision was made to revert to the existing 9.10 code and bring Corral features to 9.10.3 and further.

In May 2017, iXsystems announced that FreeNAS 11 would be imminently released, which was based on 9.10 but included features such as an update of the FreeBSD operating system, virtual machine management, updates to jails, and a new beta user interface along the lines of Corral but based on Angular.

In March 2020, iXsystems announced that the 12.0 release will merge the FreeNAS code base with that of their commercial TrueNAS offering. FreeNAS will become TrueNAS CORE while TrueNAS will be renamed TrueNAS Enterprise. This change was made official with the release of TrueNAS 12.0 on October 20, 2020.

In October 2020, iXsystems announced a new product, TrueNAS SCALE would be developed. TrueNAS SCALE would still utilize ZFS, but be based on Debian Linux.

In February 2022, iX announced that TrueNAS SCALE has reached General Availability quality for their 22.02 release.

In May 2022, iX announced that TrueNAS CORE, their FreeBSD Based version of TrueNAS, has reached General Availability and is suitable for large deployments.

Architecture
The 8.0 reimplementation of FreeNAS moved the project from a m0n0BSD/m0n0wall/PHP-based architecture to one based on FreeBSD's NanoBSD embedded build system, the Python programming language, the Django web application framework and the dōjō toolkit (JavaScript library). It also used the lighttpd web server, but this was replaced with nginx in FreeNAS 8.2. The terminated successor to 9.10.2, known as FreeNAS Corral, retained the nginx web server and ZFS-based boot device of FreeNAS but replaces the Django/dōjō web application framework with an original one alongside the team at Montage Studios. FreeNAS 11 implemented a new interface using Angular.

Uses
 SoHo, SMB and Enterprise file serving
 Virtualization server storage backing (Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, PCIe pass-through)
 Media center audio/video serving and streaming to DLNA devices
 Application Services Apps (Helm Charts), Docker Containers, Kubernetes, App Catalogs, GPU Sharing (TrueNAS SCALE)

Awards
 VMware — "Ultimate Virtual Appliance Challenge, Consumer"
 sourceforge.net — Project of the Month, January 2007
 InfoWorld — Best of open source in storage
 MES Matters 2022 — Key Vendors Serving the Mid-Market
 Best In Biz Award — Most Innovative Product Line of the Year
 Tech Target Storage Magazine Gold Award — Asigra TrueNAS Backup Appliance
 Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice 2023 for TrueNAS Enterprise
 TrueNAS recognized as a Digital Public Good in 2023

See also

 Unraid
 OpenMediaVault
 XigmaNAS
 Nexenta
 Openfiler
 Zentyal
 List of NAS manufacturers
 Comparison of iSCSI targets
 File area network
 Disk enclosure
 OpenWrt

References

External links

 

FreeBSD
Enterprise Linux distributions
Free file transfer software
Free software
Home servers
Network-attached storage