TrueNAS for content creators: storage and maintenance

We run TrueNAS internally, and many of the reasons we chose it also apply to content creators. It is worth comparing with Unraid if you have a production team, a large amount of media to keep on site, or particular requirements for protecting that data.

The choice depends on how you work. A storage system for one editor has different demands from a shared system serving several people at once.

What a NAS does

A network attached storage system, or NAS, keeps files on a separate device that computers reach over a network. Several people can use the same storage without passing a portable drive around.

That can help teams working across different operating systems. Remote access is also possible, but needs its own configuration and access controls. Calling a device a NAS does not make it safe to expose to the internet.

ZFS and data protection

TrueNAS uses ZFS. Tom Lawrence has a detailed video about it, or a shorter introduction if you want to start with the basics.

The features most relevant to a media library include:

• Checksums to detect changes to stored data and metadata.
• Scrubs that check stored data for integrity problems. Repair depends on having a usable redundant copy.
• Snapshots that retain earlier states of the file system for recovery from unwanted changes or deletions.
• Copy-on-write, which writes changed data to a new location before updating the references to it.

These features help protect the storage, but they do not remove the need for backups and a recovery plan. Decide which failures your system needs to survive and test how you would recover important files.

Data protection settings in TrueNAS.

CORE and SCALE

The versions discussed in this article are TrueNAS CORE, based on FreeBSD, and SCALE, based on Debian Linux. Both use ZFS. Their operating systems and application options differ, so check the supported release and features before planning a new installation.

SCALE can also run applications and virtual machines. Examples include document services such as Nextcloud, photo tools such as Immich or PhotoPrism, and remote access tools such as Tailscale.

Running applications beside your storage can be convenient, but include their memory, processing and maintenance needs in the plan. A file server doing extra jobs may need more resources than one serving files alone.

Plan how the storage will grow

TrueNAS can grow with your storage needs, but adding a second server does not automatically create a supported storage cluster. The experimental Gluster-based TrueCommand clustering feature was removed in SCALE 24.04. See the 24.04 release notes.

Plan expansion around the drive bays, controllers and ZFS features supported by your chosen release. Multi-system high availability needs a separately supported design.

Before buying hardware, estimate how much space the current library needs, how quickly it grows and how many people will read or write files at the same time. Network capacity matters too. Fast storage cannot compensate for a connection that is too slow for the editing workflow.

Monitoring helps identify where the storage or network is under load.

What self-hosting involves

TrueNAS is open-source software. You can inspect its code and run the relevant free edition without a software licence fee, but the hardware and work needed to operate it remain part of the cost.

The person maintaining it needs to understand the storage layout, updates, access permissions and backup process. Write those decisions down so the system does not depend on one person's memory.

Open source does not guarantee that software is secure or that an installation will be maintained indefinitely. Treat the availability of the code as one factor in the choice, alongside support and recovery requirements.

Where the extra work may not be worthwhile

TrueNAS gives you many storage options. That also means more decisions during setup and more to learn when something goes wrong.

Pool creation is one of the decisions to plan before loading the system with data.

Choose the drive layout, usable capacity and redundancy before moving the library. Include the time needed to understand snapshots, replication and recovery, rather than discovering those subjects during a failure.

If you only need a small shared folder and do not have someone to maintain the system, a simpler managed option may suit you better. If your team needs more control over a large media library, the planning can be worthwhile.

Book a call if you want help comparing TrueNAS and Unraid against your editing workflow, storage growth and support requirements.