Find introductory documentation for ZFS

While running under Solaris 10u8 you won't be able to mount zpools created on a new OpenSolaris build. (snv_134). Since S10u8 and snv_134 are using different ZFS On Disk Pool Versions (IIRC 15 and 22 respectively) only when running OpenSolaris will you be able to access both volumes. ZFS is backwards, but not forwards compatible. Also having multiple pools with the same name ('rpool) on the same physical system isn't supported. You should rename one of them.

To mount the second 'rpool' volume, do the following while booted into OpenSolaris:

# zpool import
Find the cXtXdX disk corresponding to your S10 rpool
# format -e
Find the UUID string corresponding to your cXtXdX disk
# zpool import <UUID> notjustrpool 
Imports the other rpool and renames it to 'notjustrpool' 

You can also specify a mountpoint with -m /mnt/point/ after your zpool import statement, but once you've renamed it, it'll just mount as /notjustrpool. Sub-pools that have their own non-nested mountpoints (like rpool/export) may conflict with your existing mountpoints, so once you've imported the pool you'll have to zfs set mountpoint=/export2 rpool/export or whatever. Note, you'll have to update your grub menu.lst to reflect the pool name change if you still want to boot the renamed rpool.

Much has happened since I asked this question in October 2010.

As of September 2013, a new collaboration known as OpenZFS will serve as a central site for several ZFS projects. The new site is http://open-zfs.org/ (with a dash)

Today at LinuxCon North America, Brian Behlendorf and Matthew Ahrens are announcing that members from the illumos, zfsonlinux.org, FreeBSD and MacOSX ZFS communities have created a project called "OpenZFS" to combine their efforts.

Here is the announcement to the FreeBSD community from FreeBSD Foundation President Justin Gibbs, and the announcement to the illumos community from Matthew Ahrens at Delphix.

Brian Behlendorf (creator of zfsonlinux.org) announced this on zfs-announce@zfsonlinux.org today:

From: "Behlendorf, Brian D." <behlendorf--->
To: "zfs-announce@zfsonlinux.org" <zfs-announce@zfsonlinux.org>
Subject: [zfs-announce] OpenZFS
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 16:46:40 +0000

Today we announce OpenZFS: the truly open source successor to the ZFS project.

ZFS is the world's most advanced filesystem, in active development for over a decade. Recent development has continued in the open, and OpenZFS is the new formal name for this open community of developers, users, and companies improving, using, and building on ZFS. Founded by members of the Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and illumos communities, including Matt Ahrens, one of the two original authors of ZFS, the OpenZFS community brings together over a hundred software developers from these platforms.

You can read more about OpenZFS at our website: http://open-zfs.org (don't forget the dash!)

Old news from December 2012:

Oracle is still pretty closed about it's ZFS development.

As ZFS outside of Oracle is concerned, the primary upstream seems to be illumos. The major players in the non-Oracle ZFS scene all seem to be collaborating on the illumos kernel, which provides ZFS.

• FreeBSD is tracking illumos ZFS ("The current vendor of ZFS code for FreeBSD is the Illumos project").
• zfsonlinux.org is tracking the illumos zfs code
• Nexenta and OpenIndiana are cooperating on the Illumian project at illumos.org
• Joyent's SmartOS is based on illumos
• Many core OpenSolaris developers have left Sun/Oracle and work for companies who support illumos. Zoom to minute 40:00:00 of the presentation Fork Yeah! The Rise and Development of illumos, by Bryan Cantrill, VP of Joyent, creator of Dtrace and other things.