How to easily integrate TrueNAS CORE/SCALE with Home Assistant

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A server room full of storage servers running TrueNAS CORE/SCALE.

Due to its open nature and accessible API, integrating TrueNAS CORE/SCALE with Home Assistant has always been possible, though it did require some labour. Thanks to developer Tomaae on GitHub, who is known for their MikroTik and OpenMediaVault integrations, this is no longer the case. Their custom component lets you monitor and control your TrueNAS CORE/SCALE storage server with just a few clicks.

For those out of the loop on recent developments, TrueNAS SCALE, similar to TrueNAS CORE, is built on Debian-Linux instead of FreeBSD. It offers Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) capabilities, enabling the easy creation of virtual machines and Linux containers, including support for Docker. Additionally, it provides a wide range of scalability options not available in TrueNAS CORE and being Linux-based, it supports a wider range of hardware.

  • How to install the TrueNAS integration component in Home Assistant
  • Preparing TrueNAS to be integrated with Home Assistant
  • Integrating TrueNAS CORE/SCALE with Home Assistant
  • What you can do with the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE integration with Home Assistant

    As the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE API allows for a lot of insight and control, the custom integration with Home Assistant allows you to control and monitor just about anything. Not only can system resources be monitored, but also tasks, services, pools, and jails. Furthermore, using Home Assistant, you can also control the same jails, virtual machines, services, snapshots, and more.

    Monitor

    System (CPU, load, memory, temperature, network, ARC/L2ARC, and uptime)
    Disks
    Pools (including boot-pool)
    Datasets
    Replication tasks
    Snapshot tasks
    Services
    Virtual machines
    Jails (TrueNAS CORE only)
    Cloudsync

    Control

    Services
    Virtual machines
    Jails (TrueNAS CORE only)
    Cloudsync
    Create a dataset snapshot
    Update sensors
    Reboot and shutdown TrueNAS CORE/SCALE system

    How to install the TrueNAS integration component in Home Assistant

    As with most, if not all, custom components featured on this site, there is only one recommended way of installing Home Assistant's custom component for TrueNAS: the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS). If you haven't done so yet, install it before proceeding. HACS will automatically search for updates and allow you to install them with the click of a button. It will also make sure all files are in the right place and make any necessary adjustments.

    A screenshot of "TrueNAS" being searched for in the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS).
    A quick search for “TrueNAS” in HACS brings up the custom component we are looking for.

    With HACS ready to go, you can enter it and search for TrueNAS. There should be no need to add a custom repository, as it is available in the HACS listing. Install the component and restart Home Assistant when instructed to.

    Preparing TrueNAS to be integrated with Home Assistant

    While Home Assistant is restarting, move on to the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE web interface to set up an API key. To do so, click on the settings icon and select 'API Keys'. From there, click on the button labelled 'add' and give your key a name you will recognize later (for example, homeassistant).

    A screenshot of the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE web interface showing where to find the settings.
    A screenshot of the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE interface showing how an API key is created.

    Once the API key is created, you will be prompted to copy it to your clipboard. Do that, and return to the Home Assistant Dashboard.

    Integrating TrueNAS CORE/SCALE with Home Assistant

    With Home Assistant restarted, navigate to the settings and look for your integrations. Click on the large button to add a new integration, to make things easier, you can use the search field to filter for 'TrueNAS'. Once selected, you will be prompted to enter a name for the integration, the IP of your TrueNAS CORE/SCALE system, and the API key previously created and copied.

    A screenshot of the Home Assistant Dashboard, showing the setup of the TrueNAS CORE/SCALE integration.
    A portrait photo oif Liam Alexander Colman, the author, creator, and owner of Home Assistant Guide wearing a suit.

    About Liam Alexander Colman

    is an experienced Home Assistant user who has been utilizing the platform for a variety of projects over an extended period. His journey began with a Raspberry Pi, which quickly grew to three Raspberry Pis and eventually a full-fledged server. Liam's current operating system of choice is Unraid, with Home Assistant comfortably running in a Docker container.
    With a deep understanding of the intricacies of Home Assistant, Liam has an impressive setup, consisting of various Zigbee devices, and seamless integrations with existing products such as his Android TV box. For those interested in learning more about Liam's experience with Home Assistant, he shares his insights on how he first started using the platform and his subsequent journey.

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