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I've created ZFS datasets and installed virtual servers into them. Suddenly my ZFS volume free space is gone, but not all space is used in each dataset. I want to introduce thin provisioning (use ZFS sparse volume).

Is it possible to convert datasets into sparse volumes without deleting them? Thanks.

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2 Answers 2

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As far as I know it's not possible to convert an existing zvol to sparse; they must be created sparse to begin with.

However, you can create a new sparse zvol, and zfs send from the old one and zfs recv to the new one, and then swap their names.

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    Isn't this command zfs set refreservation=none tank/dataset same as send and receive?
    – Xdg
    May 7, 2016 at 19:40
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    There is some article about it - nex7.blogspot.cz/2013/03/…
    – Xdg
    May 7, 2016 at 19:55
  • Can you actually do that?
    – Michael Hampton
    May 8, 2016 at 1:40
  • Yes, I've done that and it's working okay.
    – Xdg
    May 8, 2016 at 5:23
  • @Xdg Hm, I think if you do that then you also need to make sure reservation is also set to none.
    – Michael Hampton
    May 9, 2016 at 8:36
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I don't think the accepted answer is correct in fact, but I don't have enough rep to comment.

Assuming when the OP says "datasets" they mean "ZFS volume" (or ZVOL).

The only difference between a thin-provisioned (a.k.a sparse) ZVOL and a regular one is whether the full size is reserved via the refreservation property e.g.

# zfs create -V 10G tank/test_full
# zfs create -s -V 10G tank/test_sparse
# zfs list -o name,used,usedbydataset,usedbyrefreservation,logicalused,logicalreferenced,refreservation tank/test_sparse tank/test_full
NAME               USED  USEDDS  USEDREFRESERV  LUSED  LREFER  REFRESERV
tank/test_full    10.3G    136K          10.3G    30K     30K      10.3G
tank/test_sparse   136K    136K              0    30K     30K       none

So you can convert an existing ZVOL to sparse by changing refreservation for an existing ZVOL e.g.

# zfs set refreservation=none tank/test_full
# zfs list -o name,used,usedbydataset,usedbyrefreservation,logicalused,logicalreferenced,refreservation tank/test_sparse tank/test_full
NAME               USED  USEDDS  USEDREFRESERV  LUSED  LREFER  REFRESERV
tank/test_full     136K    136K              0    30K     30K       none
tank/test_sparse   136K    136K              0    30K     30K       none
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