The combination of Proxmox VE and TrueNAS has been a winning duo for open IT infrastructures for years. TrueNAS delivers highly available, ZFS-based enterprise storage — Proxmox orchestrates virtualisation, containers, and backup.

Proxmox + TrueNAS Plugin: Hands-On Test

With the new TrueNAS over iSCSI Plugin by BoomshankerX, these two systems are now natively connected. No SSH keys, no manual shares — instead, a clean, API-based integration via the TrueNAS WebSocket API.

As an official TrueNAS partner, DATAZONE was one of the first beta testers of this plugin. Our verdict:

The plugin far exceeded our expectations — in stability, performance, and ease of use.

Overview: What the Plugin Does

The TrueNAS over iSCSI Plugin replaces older integrations (e.g. freenas-proxmox) and now uses the modern TrueNAS WebSocket API. The goal is to integrate iSCSI storage management directly into Proxmox — fully automated, API-based, and multi-server capable.

Key Features

• API-based connection between Proxmox and TrueNAS (no SSH configuration required)

• Automatic detection of ZFS pools, datasets, and volumes

• Snapshot management directly in Proxmox

• Native support for multiple TrueNAS servers

• Full compatibility with TrueNAS SCALE and TrueNAS CORE

• Two operating modes: Native (RC1) and Patch (Legacy)

DATAZONE Test Environment and Results

Hardware / Setup

• Proxmox VE 9.0 cluster with three nodes

• TrueNAS SCALE 25.10 RC1

• 10 Gbit VLAN for iSCSI storage

• ZFS mirror with NVMe cache (L2ARC/SLOG)

Results

• Setup completed in less than 10 minutes

• TrueNAS pools automatically detected

• API connection stable (response times < 300 ms)

• Snapshots and replication worked immediately

• No manual SSH or share configuration necessary

Particularly positive: The integration is entirely API-based, which significantly improves security and automation. For enterprise and SMB environments, this is a genuine step forward.

Native vs. Patch Version: Differences

Version	Use Case	TrueNAS Version	Installation	Integration
Native (RC1)	Latest generation	25.10+	apt install proxmox-truenas-native	Fully API-based
Patch (Legacy)	Compatibility	24.04—25.04	apt install proxmox-truenas	Partially via Perl module

Both versions must not be installed simultaneously.

Step-by-Step: Installation and Configuration

1. Add APT Repository

curl -fsSL https://boomshankerx.github.io/proxmox-truenas-apt/gpg.key \ | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/proxmox-truenas.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/proxmox-truenas.gpg] \ https://boomshankerx.github.io/proxmox-truenas-apt bookworm main" \ | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/proxmox-truenas.list

2. Install the Plugin

apt update apt install proxmox-truenas-native

3. Prepare TrueNAS (per the Configuration Guide)

Several components need to be prepared on TrueNAS for the plugin setup.

a) Configure TrueNAS iSCSI

• Navigate to System —> Shares —> iSCSI

• Create a new iSCSI target and assign it a ZFS pool (e.g. tank/proxmox)

• Note that the plugin uses this configuration to provision virtual disks via the API

Detailed guide: —> TrueNAS iSCSI Setup Guide

1. Create a Dataset

First, we create a dataset for Proxmox.

2. Enable iSCSI

Next, we need to enable iSCSI.

3. Configure iSCSI

Before attempting to configure a target, portals and initiators must be configured first.

Global Config

Base Name (IQN target)

Portal

Configure a portal group that listens on 0.0.0.0:3260.

Initiator

Configure an initiator group to allow all initiators.

Targets

Now create a target. Make sure to add an iSCSI group. Use the portal group and initiator group you created in the previous steps. Here you can define authorised networks. No setting allows all networks.

4. TrueNAS API Key

Create an API key and store it securely. The API key cannot be displayed again after creation.

b) Create an API Key

• In the TrueNAS search, type API, then go to Credentials —> Users —> API Keys

• Create a new key with the user account that has API access to storage, pools, and iSCSI services

• Copy the key — it will be needed in Proxmox

4. Configure Proxmox

Option A: CLI via pvesm

pvesm add truenas truenas \
--blocksize 16k \
--pool tank/proxmox \
--portal 10.0.0.1 \
--target iqn.2005-10.org.freenas.ctl:proxmox \
--shared 1 \ --sparse 1 \
--truenas_apikey <APIKEY> \
--truenas_apiv4_host 10.0.0.1 \
--truenas_use_ssl 1

Note: The error message 400 Result verification failed can be ignored. The storage is added correctly and works as expected.

Option B: Manual configuration via storage.cfg

truenas: truenas blocksize 16k
   pool tank/proxmox
   portal 10.0.0.1
   shared 1
   sparse 1
   target iqn.2005-10.org.freenas.ctl:proxmox
   truenas_apikey <APIKEY>
   truenas_apiv4_host 10.0.0.1
   truenas_use_ssl 1

5. Known Limitations

TPM Storage

Proxmox currently does not support storing TPM disks on iSCSI LUNs. Workaround:

• Create an additional NFS/SMB share on your TrueNAS

• Store TPM data there

This issue is already known to Proxmox (https://bugzilla.proxmox.com/show_bug.cgi?id=4693). A fix may be available in the near future. In the meantime, the workaround can be used.

Web UI

Native integration into the Proxmox interface is planned for version 9.1. Until then, configuration is done via CLI or file.

6. Migration from freenas-proxmox

If you are using the old plugin:

sed -i 's/freenas/truenas/g' /etc/pve/storage.cfg
apt purge freenas-proxmox
apt reinstall pve-manager libpve-storage-perl

Then add the new repository and install proxmox-truenas-native.

DATAZONE Beta Experience

During our tests with various TrueNAS systems (SCALE, CORE, Enterprise), the plugin demonstrated the following in every environment:

• Stable API connection and reliable pool detection

• Smooth snapshot management via Proxmox

• Reproducible performance, even in HA setups

• Significantly simplified integration for new clusters

For administrators, this means: Less effort, more control, more automation.

Conclusion

The new TrueNAS over iSCSI Plugin elevates the collaboration between Proxmox and TrueNAS to enterprise level. Thanks to native API integration, complex SSH handling is eliminated, and TrueNAS can be used as a fully fledged storage backend for Proxmox — efficient, secure, and performant.

DATAZONE recommends the plugin for anyone running Proxmox and TrueNAS in production — whether in a data centre, mid-market business, or lab.

—> Proxmox + TrueNAS — Future-proof integration with DATAZONE! Experience how simple and secure storage integration is today.

—> Plan your integration with us —> Try a TrueNAS demo —> Request an individual consultation

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