iXsystems continues to advance open source storage with FreeNAS 9.2.0

Latest update includes many user-requested features and improvements, as well as a REST API for remote administration of FreeNAS.

iXsystems has announced the release of FreeNAS 9.2.0. This update incorporates all the improvements made in FreeBSD 9.2, as well as a vast collection of minor and major tweaks throughout the FreeNAS web user interface. This release is made possible through the efforts of an active and engaged FreeNAS community. Nearly every sub-system, including sharing services, plugin jails, storage management and user accounts, has been improved with community-submitted feedback in the form of bug reports, feature requests, forum discussions, and user-submitted patches.

The biggest new addition in FreeNAS 9.2.0 is a REST API, allowing FreeNAS to be controlled remotely and programmatically. This allows for the creation of third-party applications, potentially on mobile devices, that provide alternative interfaces to FreeNAS. The REST API can also be used to manage multiple FreeNAS appliances simultaneously, using custom scripting or applications which configure FreeNAS automatically for specialized roles.

Almost every existing FreeNAS feature has been improved as well. ZFS performance has been increased through the use of the kernel UMA allocator by default. Encryption performance on AES-NI capable hardware is now nearly indistinguishable from non-encrypted performance, thanks to improvements to the FreeBSD GELI subsystem being incorporated into FreeNAS. Netatalk was updated to version 3.1.0, bringing a number of improvements and somewhat simplifying the interface for the AFP service. The Active Directory and CIFS services were also simplified and now have defaults that make it easier to configure both services correctly.

Along with the core services, the FreeNAS plugin system continues to improve. There is now a jail template system which allows users to create templates based on existing jails and quickly deploy additional jails based on those templates. A number of new default jail templates are also available, including jails for a number of popular Linux distributions such as Debian 7.1.0 and Ubuntu 13.04. FreeNAS 9.2.0 also adds a shell button for jails, allowing quick and easy access to the command line interface for individual jails.

Several new plugins have also been made available in FreeNAS since 9.1.0 was released, including updated versions of SABnzbd and SickBeard and a brand-new BTSync plugin, all submitted by community members. For those who want to get the absolute most out of FreeNAS, this is the most flexible and customizable release yet.

About FreeNAS®

FreeNAS is a free and open source Network Attached Storage operating system 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, full ZFS implementation, and the ability to interface with existing networks – regardless of operating system or protocol. FreeNAS also includes the first Free and Open Source ZFS encryption offering in the world. (via)