Comments on: A Complete Guide to FreeNAS Hardware Design, Part I: Purpose and Best Practices https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/ Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:43:20 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Majerus https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5144 Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:24:08 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5144 Regarding Deduplication, is there anything that can be generally stated regarding memory such as 1GB per TB prior to dedup?

]]> By: Joon Lee https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5143 Thu, 05 Jul 2018 19:10:54 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5143 In reply to Damien.

Take a look at this discussion thread. You can list any specs you’re considering to build your FreeNAS system and the community will give you some feedback.
Start by looking through this thread and search “plex” in the search bar. It should get you started! Hope this helps. https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?forums/will-it-freenas-freenas-build-discussion.70/

]]> By: Damien https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5142 Tue, 19 Jun 2018 02:38:39 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5142 I’m looking for to build a FreeNAS system for two purpose, file storage including media files. I’m looking to do streaming video for multiple users transcoding in 4K H.264, H.265 videos on-the-fly as well as playback. I will certainly be using Plex server on it for all users with their devices.
I’m looking for the specs or of the best setup on mini ITX or micro ATX depending on the recommendation and I have a hard time finding the requirements of hardware to do this setup. Any ideas or recommendations.
Any help will be welcome
Thanks a lot

]]> By: Joon Lee https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5141 Fri, 18 May 2018 18:38:59 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5141 In reply to JohnWest.

Please check the FreeNAS forums. forums.freenas.org

]]> By: JohnWest https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5140 Fri, 09 Mar 2018 01:24:40 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5140 Is there a thread for Home deployments of FreeNAS?

]]> By: Robert https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5139 Fri, 23 Feb 2018 04:04:56 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5139 not yet

]]> By: Mike https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5138 Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:23:16 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5138 Can you comment on best practices for whole drive encryption? Can FreeNAS take advantage of a MB mounted TPM and SEDs? In this scenario, FreeNAS would not even be “aware” that the drives are encrypted. Isn’t this the best approach for whole drive encryption?

]]> By: Peter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5137 Thu, 27 Apr 2017 12:59:30 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5137 Well, maybe time to leave VMware – check oVirt – yes, pass-through there & some more interesting techniques.

]]> By: Joshms https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5136 Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:17:36 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5136 In reply to Vincent Jansen.

Many of our users have used the LSI 9211 card with great success!

]]> By: Vincent Jansen https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5135 Fri, 29 Apr 2016 21:14:38 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5135 Any recommendations for HBA cards?

]]> By: Charles https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5134 Sun, 29 Nov 2015 01:19:24 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5134 In reply to Jean-Charles Lambert.

I think that’s exactly the kind of scenario in which you could lose the whole zpool. I think ZFS is quite sensitive to small amounts of corruption in metadata – you may be lucky and lose only a file or two, but it’s possible that the whole file system goes.

]]> By: Jean-Charles Lambert https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5133 Tue, 24 Nov 2015 12:46:54 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5133 In reply to Jean-Charles Lambert.

In any case I could not loose the entire zpool, right ? I meant……

]]> By: Jean-Charles Lambert https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5132 Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:51:33 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5132 In reply to Michael Dexter.

Michael,
thanks for the reply. I see the point which can be critical for bank transactions which can loose crucial information during power loss if some data remains in the raid cache while the ZIL has not be committed to the pool.
In our case, we use freenas to store astrophysical scientific data which can be reproduce. Then the only risk I take, by using a raid controller with cache, in case of power loss and/or system panic, is to loose the latest data from the raid cache which have not been committed ? In any case I could lost the entire zpool, right ? (This is important to know)
Thanks in advance

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5131 Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:08:53 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5131 In reply to Jean-Charles Lambert.

Jean-Charles,
The problem with an on-card write cache is that it reports to the OS that the incoming data has been written to disk while in fact it has only been written to cache. While a battery backup unit (BBU) and even the on-disk super capacitors exist to “guarantee” that the data makes it to persistent storage in the case of a power loss or system panic, these “guarantees” have not proven adequately reliable. The proper solution with ZFS is to add a separate log device or SLOG. Note the recent freenas.org blog post on this topic and this is considered a standard practice for NFS.

]]> By: Jean-Charles Lambert https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5130 Sat, 21 Nov 2015 13:25:47 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5130 Is it “safe”, for the zfs pool, to use a RAID controler in JBOD mode and keep enable its write cache memory ? Because I noticed that it speeds up a lot NFS operations. I do not see why it would not be safe, since the ZIL is always written to the pool.
Could you be more specific when your write :”Using the write cache on a RAID controller is an almost sure-fire way to cause data loss with ZFS”
Thanks in advance,
Jean-Charles

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5129 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:59:29 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5129 In reply to W.T..

The article represents a high-end configuration. The plugin functionality and Mini have not gone anywhere.

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5128 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:49:14 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5128 In reply to Jon.

Correct. Performance desegregation is the concern and ZFS does not handle resource exhaustion well. A 95%+ full pool will also grind performance to a halt.

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5127 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:46:46 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5127 In reply to Tim Herklots.

It would be the same with any other file system and this is a risk. Do consider using ECC RAM.

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5126 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:41:11 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5126 In reply to Jason.

The article describes a pretty high-end system and many users use repurposed hardware. Do consider the FreeNAS Mini for something in between.

]]> By: Michael Dexter https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5125 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 21:46:23 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5125 In reply to pablo andres.

Directamente en un equipo dedicado.

]]> By: pablo andres https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5124 Fri, 25 Sep 2015 12:02:07 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5124 BUENOS DIAS,
Tengo una duda sobre la instalación de freenas, que es mas recomendable, instalar freenas con una maquina virtual o directamente (sin maquina virtual). Muchas gracias por su colabhoracion.

]]> By: W.T. https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5123 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 23:19:07 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5123 I see the freeNAS has left the causal home media user behind.

]]> By: Paul https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5122 Sat, 14 Feb 2015 09:43:37 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5122 In section “How Much RAM is needed?”, it should say “2TB array with 3 users that needs 1GB” not 1TB

]]> By: Jason https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5121 Sat, 14 Feb 2015 03:30:10 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5121 I’ve always been intrigued by FREENAS, just wish he bar was lower for the hardware requirements. Sure would prefer to use my old hardware than having to build a new system with 8-12gb of ECC RAM.

]]> By: Tim Herklots https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5120 Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:08:52 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5120 If ZFS can’t detect that it’s non-ECC RAM cache has an occasional bit error, how does the sysadmin find out that the server has stored faulty data?

]]> By: Jon https://www.truenas.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-freenas-hardware-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/#comment-5119 Wed, 04 Feb 2015 08:43:25 +0000 http://web.freenas.org/whats-new/?p=835#comment-5119 I look forward to the rest of the entries in this series.
One question: Can you elaborate on what exactly you mean by a lack of stability on ZFS configurations with low amounts of RAM? It seems to me that a small/tiny ARC for a pool, while certainly impacting performance on that pool, shouldn’t make the storage and normal I/O against that pool less “stable.” So do you imply that ZFS will crash or it will lose data? That there would be a kernel panic? I just can’t imagine it failing in those ways solely due to a small ARC. Is there some sort of interaction between the FreeBSD kernel itself with memory management and ZFS?
Perhaps I’m mistaken, but maybe you mean to say that the _performance_ of the pool will be “less stable?” I’m sure a small, constrained ARC, with a workload that shifted between metadata and data loads in unpredictable ways would certainly give some bizarre perf characteristics, for example.

]]>