iXsystems Releases FreeNAS 8.2

iXsystems, Inc. announced FreeNAS 8.2.

This release adds a plug-in system based on the PBI system from PC-BSD, allowing users to install a variety of services.

ZFS volumes now boast several new features including scrub task scheduling and interface improvements. For enterprise users, FreeNAS 8.2 now supports active-passive multipathing.

The most anticipated feature of FreeNAS 8.2 is the new plug-in system. By default, FreeNAS comes with the core services of a NAS device, but many users want access to special services or additional programs. The plug-in system, based on FreeBSD jails and PC-BSD PBIs, keeps the size of the base FreeNAS install relatively small and allows for far more features than could ever be supported by including each one in the base install. Sample plug-ins are available for the Transmission bittorrent client, Firefly Media Server, and the MiniDLNA UPnP server. Community developers across the world are already hard at work producing their own plug-ins.

FreeNAS 8.2 also includes other enhancements. An auto-tuning script is available for users with limited hardware to optimize their systems. Low-level system attributes (kernel tunables and sysctls) can now be manipulated from the GUI by advanced users. A terminal emulator in the web user interface makes remote shell access more convenient for simple tasks or when SSH is not an option. Support for running as a virtualization guest has also been improved thanks to new state-detection code.

"We’re excited to see so many new and interesting ideas for how to use FreeNAS come from the community," says Josh Paetzel, the FreeNAS project manager and director of IT at iXsystems. "Community members have helped make this release the best one yet by submitting bug reports, patches, plug-in suggestions, and feedback throughout the development process. The many creative ways community members use FreeNAS helps push FreeNAS to be the best platform it can be for all its users, from hobbyists to professional system administrators."

There have also been several improvements to the volume management in FreeNAS 8.2. The disk selection process has been altered to be consistent with common user interface design. ZFS scrub tasks can now be scheduled from the web user interface, and new ZFS volumes will begin with a scrub scheduled every thirty-five days. ZFS volumes may now be configured using command line tools and all changes will propagate to the web user interface, allowing power users to use their knowledge without missing out on the benefits of the FreeNAS web interface.

"FreeNAS 8.2 is an extremely stable and reliable product," says William Golden Wilkins, CTO at Corporate Colocation, Inc. "We presently use FreeNAS on our VM image backup servers for our managed services cloud. Our customer VMs are backed up at periodic intervals depending on the SLA to an NFS datastore, exported by FreeNAS from a ZFS volume. FreeNAS is very fast; using NFS we are able to attain a peak half-hour RPO and an RTO of approximately fifteen minutes."

About FreeNAS
FreeNAS is a free and open source NAS OS based on FreeBSD. The goal of the project is to design a lightweight, BSD-based software package that acts as a full featured NAS server, complete with a Django-based web user interface, ZFS implementation, and the ability to interface with existing networks – regardless of OS or protocol. The plug-in system introduced in FreeNAS 8.2 allows users to add third-party software that can make use of the FreeNAS Web User Interface.