TrueNAS VS Nexenta Community Edition 2024
TrueNAS OS and Nexenta community edition OS will be evaluated in this article,, we will explore the quirks and features of both with a verdict of the winner at the end..
Storage is a very important aspect of any IT infrastructure, and choosing the right storage platform can make a significant difference in terms of performance, ability to scale, and data management.
TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition are two popular storage platforms that have gained widespread adoption in recent years.
While you are here, take a look at some of our other materials about backup below that may interest you:
- Managed Mac Backups
- NAS vs SAN
- NAS4Free vs TrueNAS
- Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance vs Acronis Cyber Appliance
- QNAP TS-453D vs Asustor
- Quantum DXi-Series Backup Appliances vs Commvault Hyperscale Appliance
- Server vs NAS Strategies
We will provide an overview of TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition, highlighting their quirks and features.
Additionally, we will provide insights into the future developments of these platforms and their implications for I.T implementation service organizations.
Selecting the right storage platform that meets the unique needs of each business is one of the more important tasks of a service provider. Whether it is for small businesses or enterprise-level organizations, the right storage platform can help improve efficiency, productivity, and ultimately, profitability.
This article will serve as a guide for I.T organizations who are considering either TrueNAS or Nexenta Community Edition for their clients' storage needs. By the end of this article, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and be better equipped to make an informed decision.
As a secondary goal of the main discussion here, I will also discuss how documentation can help IT consulting services manage and maintain backup and data recovery solutions effectively as it specifically relates to this topic.
We can help you respond faster to your clients needs, allow less experienced staff handle tasks they otherwise could not and ultimately improve your profit margins while getting ahead of your competition.
Tech records are an essential aspect of the IT industry whether it be storage solutions discussed here or the steps involved on how you retain client data and when it should be deleted based on criteria such as their wishes along with regulations governing this activity.
It enables IT consulting advisors to manage and maintain the IT infrastructure of their clients effectively.
We have years of experience in working with service providers to document their procedures and as mentioned, there is no area more important to a service provider than how their clients' backup and disaster recovery systems are documented.
TrueNAS versus Nexenta Community Edition
As I.T implementation service organizations consider different storage solutions for their clients, it's important to compare the market leaders in mature open sourced storage operating systems - TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition.
Chances are you have almost made a decision on either of these two backup OS solutions but are just not sure which one is the right fit for your situation. This article will help alleviate that concern.
Storage Operating System - Hardware Requirements
TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition have different hardware requirements that I.T organizations should consider when selecting a storage solution for their clients.
TrueNAS requires at least 8GB of RAM, a 64-bit CPU, and a minimum of two NAS compatible hard drives. However, for optimal performance it recommends at least 16GB of RAM, an Intel Xeon processor, and a minimum of six hard drives.
On the other hand, Nexenta Community Edition has higher hardware requirements, with a minimum of 16GB of RAM, a 64-bit CPU, and a minimum of three hard drives.
For optimal performance, Nexenta Community Edition recommends at least 32GB of RAM, an Intel Xeon processor, and a minimum of six hard drives.
Supported Storage Protocols
| Protocol | TrueNAS | Nexenta |
|---|---|---|
| NFS | YES | YES |
| SMB/CIFS | YES | YES |
| iSCSI | YES | YES |
| Fibre Channel | NO | YES |
| SCSI | NO | YES |
| SAS | NO | NO |
| S3 | NO | NO |
| AFP | NO | NO |
| FTPS | YES | NO |
| SFTP | YES | NO |
| WebDAV | YES | NO |
| AoE | NO | NO |
| NFSv4 | YES | YES |
| NBD | NO | NO | FCoE | NO | NO |
| iSER | NO | NO |
| IPoFC | NO | NO |
| NVMe-oF | NO | NO |
| NVMe over TCP | NO | NO |
| NVMe over RDMA | NO | NO |
File System Compatibility
| File System | TrueNAS | Nexenta |
|---|---|---|
| NTFS | NO | NO |
| FAT | NO | NO |
| ext4 | NO | NO |
| NFS | YES | YES |
| CIFS | YES | YES |
| HFS+ | NO | NO |
| APFS | NO | NO |
| ZFS | YES | YES |
| exFAT | NO | NO |
| XFS | NO | NO |
Hardware Specifications
| TrueNAS - Minimum | Nexenta - Minimum | TrueNAS - Recommended | Nexenta - Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8GB Ram | 8GB Ram | 16GB Ram | 16GB Ram |
| 1 Hard Disks | 1 Hard Disk | 5 Hard Disks | 5 Hard Disks |
| 64 Bit CPU | 64 Bit CPU | Xeon/EPYC CPU | Xeon/EPYC CPU |
| 16GB Flash Drive | 8GB Flash Drive | 64GB Flash Drive | 64GB Flash Drive |
| 1x Gigabit Ethernet | 1x Ethernet | 10GbE or Higher | 10GbE or Higher |
Supported Storage Protocols and File Systems
TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition support slightly different protocols and file systems.
TrueNAS supports NFS, SMB/CIFS, AFP, iSCSI, FC, and S3 protocols. Additionally, it also supports the ZFS file system, which provides advanced data management features such as snapshots, clones, and data compression.
Nexenta Community Edition supports NFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, and FC protocols.
It also supports the ZFS file system, as well as the traditional UFS file system.
However, Nexenta Community Edition does not support advanced data management features such as snapshots, clones, and data compression for the UFS file system.
Storage Scalability and High Availability
Scalability and high availability are important considerations for I.T service organizations when selecting a storage solution. TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition have different approaches to scalability and high availability.
Both TrueNAS and Nexenta support scale-up and scale-out architectures. In a scale-up architecture, additional hard drives can be added to a single system to increase storage capacity. In a scale-out architecture, additional systems can be added to the network to increase storage capacity.
Additionally, TrueNAS supports high availability through active-passive failover, where a secondary system takes over if the primary system fails.
Storage Data Protection and Management
Data protection and management are sought after aspects in any storage solution, and both TrueNAS and Nexenta Community Edition offer different features in this regard.
TrueNAS offers advanced data protection features such as disk snapshots, clones, and data compression.
Snapshots allow users to take point-in-time copies of their data for backup and recovery purposes. Clones allow users to create multiple copies of a dataset without duplicating data. Data compression reduces the size of data on the disk, resulting in improved storage efficiency.
Nexenta Community Edition offers basic data protection features such as RAID levels, hot spares, and replication. RAID levels provide redundancy in case of hard drive failure, while hot spares allow for immediate replacement of a failed drive. Replication allows data to be copied to a remote location for backup and recovery purposes.
Nexenta Community Edition
Nexenta Advantages
Nexenta Community Edition has several benefits that make it an appealing choice for some users:
Storage Flexibility
One of the main advantages of Nexenta Community Edition is its flexibility. It can be customized to suit the specific needs of a particular organization or individual user. It also supports a wide range of hardware platforms and architectures, making it a versatile solution.
Open Source Based Software
Nexenta Community Edition is an open-source solution, which means that the source code is freely available and can be modified and distributed by anyone. This can be an advantage for organizations that want to customize the software to meet their specific needs, or for individuals who want to learn more about how the software works.
Nexenta Disadvantages
However, there are also some drawbacks to using Nexenta Community Edition:
Complexity
Nexenta Community Edition can be more complex to set up and configure than TrueNAS. It requires a certain level of technical expertise to install and manage, which may not be suitable for all users.
Limited Support
Unlike TrueNAS, Nexenta Community Edition does not offer commercial support. This means that users are reliant on community support forums and documentation for assistance with any issues that may arise.
Compatibility
Finally, Nexenta Community Edition may not be compatible with all hardware platforms and architectures. Users should ensure that their hardware is supported before attempting to install the software.
The Verdict
TrueNAS is developed and supported by iXsystems, a reputable company with history in the storage industry. iXsystems has committed to continuing its use of open-source software and is dedicated to the ongoing development and improvement of TrueNAS (I should get a commission for that last paragraph)
Their focus on continuous innovation and customer satisfaction contributes to the reliability and quality of the TrueNAS platform.
While Nexenta also offers storage solutions, TrueNAS generally provides a more comprehensive and mature feature set, better community support, scalability, and overall reliability for commercial environments.
TrueNAS is generally preferred for commercial environments and with good reason, there are certain circumstances where Nexenta may be a more suitable choice such as integrating into an existing Nexenta deployment. It can also be argued that Nexenta has better 3rd party storage integration as well as being a more flexible platform allowing greater customization.
TrueNAS is however the class leader in our opinion for most scenarios. We found it easier to navigate around and use. Lead time to become proficient seemed to take quite a bit less time than with Nexenta.
The Conclusion
Both of these storage focused operating systems should be on your shortlist, both have the ability to effectively run your network storage devices with ease although we recommend TrueNAS for serious commercial undertakings. We hope this article has provided you with a solid foundation and understanding of this topic.
We have a number of other backup hardware articles listed below that will provide you with more detailed information on a number of related topics:
https://optimizeddocs.com/blogs/backups/backup-hardware-index
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