iXsystems Announces Unification of FreeNAS and TrueNAS: Benefits, Changes, and Schedule
iXsystems announced today that it will unify its popular open source storage software, FreeNAS and TrueNAS, into a single product with the upcoming version 12.0 update. This move comes with a multitude of benefits and some notable changes for users of both systems.
What You Need to Know
Many users have expressed concerns about what this unification may entail, but iXsystems wants to assure everyone that FreeNAS will remain free, and TrueNAS will only see improvements. In fact, the two versions already have 95% of the same source code in shared, and now they will have a common Open Source code, unified documentation, and a shared product name.
Benefits of the Combination include:
Rapid Development: With unified images, iXsystems can accelerate software development and releases, bringing major updates closer to six months instead of the usual 9-12 months.
Improved Quality: By reducing development redundancy and streamlining testing, users can expect improved software quality.
Earlier Hardware Enablement: Staying in-sync with upstream OS versions allows for earlier access to newer hardware drivers, such as improved support for AMD EPYC / Ryzen platforms and enhanced CPU handling.
Simplified Documentation: With unified documentation, users no longer have to navigate through separate user guides and videos for each version.
Reduced Redundancy: Web content and videos now refer to one software family, eliminating the need for duplication.
Flexibility: Unified images make it easier to transition or upgrade between editions.
Resource Efficiency: By freeing up developers to work on new features and related products, the company can continue to innovate and improve the storage software.
Open ZFS 2.0: The upcoming release of version 12.0 also includes the highly anticipated OpenZFS 2.0, with advancements in encryption, performance, and compatibility with Linux ZFS pools.
Change is Coming
Despite its popularity, FreeNAS is sometimes overlooked in larger environments due to its name and perception of being free. In an effort to better align with its intended use case, FreeNAS will now be known as TrueNAS CORE. But don't worry, everything else about the product remains the same, and it will still be free to use without restriction. On the other hand, TrueNAS Enterprise will undergo a less drastic name change to simply TrueNAS. It will continue to offer all the same features and benefits as TrueNAS 11.3, along with the features of TrueNAS CORE.
Stay Informed
To keep users informed and gather feedback, iXsystems will offer a preview of TrueNAS 12
