WHS Conversion to FreeNAS ZFS

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bigzaj

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I have a WHS server that I am looking to "convert" to FreeNAS. The primary driver for this is to remove the need for a Windows installation + windows updates + firewall configs etc. I want a headless NAS appliance + webGui for management.

Server purpose is Media / File storage only + Plex

Mobo: Supermicro X9SCM-F
Processor: Intel Xeon E3 1230 v2 @ 3.3Ghz
Ram: Kingston ECC 32gb
Raid: Areca 1880ix-24
Raid arrays: 10x Samsung 2TB in Raid 6; 8x WD Red 3TB in Raid 6
System: 256gb Samsung SSD (to be repurposed for the jail)
Case: Norco 4224

Goal:
2x RaidZ2 VDev (First 8x WD Red 3TB; Second 8x WD Red 6TB ... Samsung retired)

Questions / Recommendations:
1. What SAS controller / expander do I need to replace the Areca 1880ix-24 with?
2. Do I need to add additional cache / jail drives (mirror)?
3. Is there an advantage / disadvantage to using 2x VDev in 1x Zpool vs 2x VDev in 2x Zpool?
4. Am I crazy to take a functions WHS down to replace with a FreeNAS ZFS system?
 

Ericloewe

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1. What SAS controller / expander do I need to replace the Areca 1880ix-24 with?
Anything with an LSI SAS 2008 or 2308 - LSI SAS 9211, SAS 9207, SAS 9240 (needs crossflashing), IBM/Lenovo M1015 (needs crossflashing)...

Do I need to add additional cache
No.

jail drives (mirror)?
If you care about your jails, you can either mirror the SSD or regularly replicate the Jails pool to the main pool.

. Is there an advantage / disadvantage to using 2x VDev in 1x Zpool
Faster, easier to manage, vdev failure brings the whole thing down.

2x VDev in 2x Zpool?
Slower, not as easy to manage, vdev failure only ruins your day half as much.

4. Am I crazy to take a functions WHS down to replace with a FreeNAS ZFS system?
No, but you will miss the centralized backup management. I should start a WHS support group. :D

Seriously though, WHS/Server Essentials' centralized backups backed by FreeNAS and ZFS would be awesome. But I'm not paying 400 bucks to then have to use iSCSI as the storage for the backups, that'd be painful.
 

anodos

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Questions / Recommendations:
1. What SAS controller / expander do I need to replace the Areca 1880ix-24 with?
That depends on how your backplane works (I'm too lazy to look it up). The go-to HBA here is the LSI9211-8i or one of its variants.

2. Do I need to add additional cache / jail drives (mirror)?
No / probably not

3. Is there an advantage / disadvantage to using 2x VDev in 1x Zpool vs 2x VDev in 2x Zpool?
If you have a single zpool it's easier to efficiently use your space.

4. Am I crazy to take a functions WHS down to replace with a FreeNAS ZFS system?
Most of us here would probably do that. If you're crazy, then you have company.
 

Ericloewe

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But then again any event that spontaneously knocks out a single raidz2 vdev is likely to nuke all the things.
Of course. The probability of vdev failure with RAIDZ2 is tiny on a properly-administered server.
Most contributions to that probability would take any other pools along. We're talking catastrophic PSU failure, massive undetected RAM failure, physical destruction, alien high-intensity degaussing beams, extreme heat or the presence of Linus from LinusTechTips in the same room as the server.
 

bigzaj

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Better to follow the guidelines and do 6 or 10 disk RaidZ2?
 

depasseg

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or the presence of Linus from LinusTechTips in the same room as the server.
Thanks for making me laugh my drink out through my nose. :)
 
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I think we have a new way to describe a failure to do things correctly. We can just call it pulling a Linus.

So back to the build, Kingston RAM is on one of the lists to avoid the last I saw. With that the case if it's not already purchased you may want to find another brand or look at the list of ram that is tested with that board.
 

Ericloewe

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bigzaj

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I think we have a new way to describe a failure to do things correctly. We can just call it pulling a Linus.

So back to the build, Kingston RAM is on one of the lists to avoid the last I saw. With that the case if it's not already purchased you may want to find another brand or look at the list of ram that is tested with that board.

This is hardware from an existing build. But I'm considering swapping the a Supermicro 846... Just not sure which model fits my board and doesn't have backplane limitations?

Also my old server has 2x HP SAS expanders, I planned to pull and use with an IBM M1015 (unless I can be convinced to use 3x M1015 instead)
 
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