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List:       opensolaris-storage-discuss
Subject:    [storage-discuss] iSCSI with Deduplication, is there any point?
From:       Chris Scerbo <cscerbo () techsolutionsinc ! com>
Date:       2009-12-20 9:56:33
Message-ID: 1207754354.251261331823864.JavaMail.Twebapp () sf-app1
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I've been using OpenSolaris for my home file server for a little over a year now.  \
For most of that time I have used smb to share files out to my other systems.  I also \
have a Windows Server 2003 DC and all my client systems are joined to the domain.  \
Most of that time was a permissions nightmare getting smb to jive with the domain.  \
The last issue I ran into was the final straw.  I backed up all my data and executed \
a zpool destroy.  And it felt kinda good...  

I then turned to iSCSI to access my files.  I've put the OpenSolaris box on a \
crossover cable hooked directly to my Windows server with a couple of gig cards.  \
I've setup iSCSI, after resolving some issues with poor performance due to sync \
writes and ZIL issues, I'm pretty happy with the setup.  I've got a 2.4T volume in my \
Raidz pool my Windows box uses for one big NTFS volume.  Windows deals with sharing \
the data to all the Windows clients and everyone is happy.  No ACL issues, no user \
maps, it just works.  I'm sure a ton of nix hardcores either stopped reading already \
or are puking in their hat.  Sorry to disturb, I don't like NTFS anymore than you.  \
But I picked the best option I could find and it works better for me.  If anyone is \
able to educate me on a better way or a way of making smb more reliable in a Windows \
Domain or any other alternative that allows me to use Windows Domain permissions I'm \
all ears.  

I have already run into one little snag that I don't see any way of overcoming with \
my chosen method.  I've upgraded to snv_129 with high hopes for getting the most out \
of deduplication.  But using iSCSI volumes I'm not sure how I can gain any benefit \
from it.  The volumes are a set size, Windows sees those volumes as that size despite \
any sort of block level deduplication or compression taking place on the other side \
of the iSCSI connection.  I can't create volumes that add up to more than the \
original pool size from what I can tell.  I can see the pool is saving space but it \
doesn't appear to become available to zfs volumes.  Dedup being pretty new I haven't \
found much on the subject online.

So my question is...  Using zfs solely for hosting iSCSI targets.  Is there any way \
                to use the space gained by deduplication?
-- 
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