FreeNAS Mini Entry-Level and High-End Models Unveiled by iXsystems

iXsystem, Inc. the FreeNAS Mini series of network storage systems with the addition of two new models and tighter integration with TrueNAS and cloud services.

It can now also be managed by TrueCommand, a unified management system, to monitor and control all TrueNAS and FreeNAS systems from a ‘single pane of glass’.

FreeNAS is the highly functional, Community Edition of TrueNAS, the world’s #1 open source storage OS. The Community edition and the TrueNAS Enterprise edition share a common code base and are designed to operate together in the same network. TrueNAS systems provide high availability and enterprise support for organizations across the globe.

The FreeNAS Mini series is designed for smaller offices and provides traditional NAS with file, block, and object storage. FreeNAS also delivers Network Application Services (NAS) via plugin applications that add user value. All FreeNAS Mini models are designed to be compact, low power and whisper quiet for use in offices and homes.

FreeNAS plugins feature both open source and commercial applications to enhance usability for entertainment, collaboration, security, and backup. Examples of plugins include Plex, NextCloud, and ClamAV. Recently added plugins include Asigra (enterprise backup), GitLab (software development), Iconik (multimedia editing), and ZoneMinder (surveillance video).

Two new FreeNAS Mini systems join the FreeNAS Mini and Mini XL:

• FreeNAS Mini XL+: This 10-bay platform (8x 3.5” and 1x 2.5” hot-swap, 1x 2.5” internal) includes a compact server technology and provides dual 10GbE ports, 8 CPU cores and 32GB RAM for high performance workgroups. The Mini XL+ scales beyond 100TB and is for very demanding applications, including hosting VMs and multimedia editing. Starting at $1,499, the Mini XL+ configured with cache SSD and 80TB capacity is $4,299, and consumes about 100W.

  

• FreeNAS Mini E: This cost-effective 4-bay platform provides the resources required for SOHO use with quad GbE ports and 8GB of RAM. The Mini E is for file sharing, streaming and transcoding video at 1080p. Starting at $749, the Mini E configured with 8TB capacity is $999, and consumes about 36W.

  

Unlike most consumer NAS platforms, all FreeNAS Mini models support ECC RAM and ZFS with data check summing, unlimited snapshots, and replication to avoid any chance of data corruption. Remote management via IPMI is available for IT operations. Depending on performance and/or capacity needs, systems can be built as hybrid HDD and SSD or all-flash storage.

Powered by FreeNAS and Managed by TrueCommand
FreeNAS 11.2 provides a modern web interface and encrypted cloud sync to all of the major cloud vendors including Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Drive, and Backblaze B2. Replication and snapshots can be used to protect against ransomware attacks.

FreeNAS development is always ongoing with 11.3 in beta, featuring enhancements to both setup and replication. The upcoming 12.0 release includes many ZFS enhancements, including optimized pools, which combine SSDs and HDDs in the same pool and automatically assign data and metadata, optimizing performance and efficiency. All FreeNAS Minis can run any version of FreeNAS and support any of the numerous plugins.

When managing more than one FreeNAS or TrueNAS system, TrueCommand provides a central web-based command post for a team of admins to monitor and control an entire fleet of storage from a single UI. Teams share access to alerts, reports, and control of the storage systems with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). A free license for TrueCommand is available for FreeNAS deployments of less than 50 drives.

“The TrueNAS family, including FreeNAS, is designed to go everywhere. Powered with the ZFS file system, data is stored with reliability as the first priority. With TrueCommand, users can better manage how that data is stored, monitored, and backed-up. The FreeNAS Mini lowers the access barrier to enterprise storage reliability and data protection by allowing more organizations to build storage infrastructure that uses the #1 Open Storage OS,” said Brett Davis, EVP, iXsystems

The FreeNAS Mini reduces TCO through its combination of enterprise-class data management and open source economics. Users can deploy and manage FreeNAS systems at minimum cost and use TrueNAS systems where enterprise-class support and HA are preferred. Partners of iXsystems provide TrueCommand, FreeNAS Mini, and TrueNAS platforms as total solutions to their customers.

The FreeNAS Mini series is also available preconfigured through Amazon and in custom configurations with specific drives, directly through iXsystems.

FreeNAS Mini datasheet and FreeNAS documentation.

Download TrueCommand software to get started managing NAS fleet.

Read also:
iXsystems TrueCommand Brings Single Pane of Glass Management to TrueNAS and FreeNAS Fleets
Unified mnagement system embraces open source eonomics to reduce TCO and simplify operations.
June 21, 2019 | Press Release