Goal

This article aims to let the reader know how to install ZOL (OpenZFS on Linux) on Ubuntu Linux

Prerequisite

1. A running Ubuntu Linux server (22.04 or higher is recommended.)
2. Except for the system disk, at least three empty disks are needed.

Tutorial

1. Install required packages

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install zfsutils-linux
   

2. Check the target disks, we will use disk sdb, sdc and sdd for the zfs pool.

   lsblk
   .....
   /dev/sdb   8:0    0 10G  1 disk
   /dev/sdc   8:0    0 10G  1 disk
   /dev/sdd   8:0    0 10G  1 disk
   .....
   

3. Create zfs pool

   sudo zpool create $zfs_pool_name sdb
   

   Use raidz if you need to create a mirrored RAID-Z pool. (Need at least two disks to create such pool.)

   sudo zpool create $zfs_pool_name raidz sdb sdc
   

   Use raidz2 if you need to create a double-parity RAID-Z pool. (Need at least four disks to create such pool.)

   sudo zpool create $zfs_pool_name raidz2 sdb sdc sdd sde
   

4. Check zpool status

   zpool status
   

5. Create ZFS dataset

   sudo zfs create $zfs_pool_name/$dataset_name
   

6. Check zfs dataset status

   zfs list
   # For more details
   zfs list -r $zfs_pool_name/$dataset_name
   zfs get all $zfs_pool_name/$dataset_name
   

7. Set up nfs server for k8s storage class to use

   sudo apt-get install -y nfs-kernel-server
   sudo systemctl enable --now nfs-kernel-server.service
   

8. Done! You have setup the zfs server successfully on Ubuntu Linux! Refer to [Appendix] Set up democratic-csi for TrueNAS or ZOL storage for how to setup k8s storage class for your k8s cluster.

Reference

https://zfsonlinux.org/

https://openzfs.github.io/openzfs-docs/Getting Started/Ubuntu/index.html

https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19253-01/819-5461/gaynr/index.html

https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19120-01/open.solaris/817-2271/gcvjg/index.html

https://serverfault.com/a/562568