A few remaining questions before I can start planning a build

[Black_Fox]

Hello! I've spent last couple of nights reading up on recommended hardware for FreeNAS and would like to get some help so that I can find the few remaining answers; even after all that reading there are still areas where I'm a bit lost. I hope that with the following questions answered I'll be able to decide on the right build.

If any of these questions still have answers easily available on the forum that I just didn't find yet, please let me know so that we can focus the discussion on the stuff I won't be able to find as easily, and so that you're not needlessly losing time with it. Now the questions:


1) Let's say that, hypothetically, I want to guarantee my data safety as much as possible, to every extent. Thus I want to use ZFS, deploy my data on disks of 1 type from 1 vendor that are right for the job (and that I bought from as many different sellers as viable), use RAID-Z2. I will run ECC memory, quality 80Plus Gold PSU and a UPS. Before I start using the NAS, I'll do several passes of memory test, then a burn-in test for CPu and for HDDs. I'll regularly do scrubs and SMART tests. What remains is protection against human error and georedundancy. Human errors can be handled with ZFS snapshots. For georedundancy I can back up to another physical location.
What else is there that still can cause me to lose my data, that isn't already taken care of by all this?

2) I don't want to run the NAS in the bedroom, so it doesn't have to be extremely quiet. I've heard good things about both Define R5 and Node 804, which one is quieter and provides better airflow to the disks? Do I have to go to greater lenghts and buy something like Noctua NF-S12? Or what is motivating people to do that?

3) Any experience with MSI E3M WORKSTATION motherboard? It has Intel C232 chipset and thus supports ECC, but I understand it only has 2 RAM slots and also a Realtek NIC; I would have to buy Intel NIC. Are there more reasons why I should avoid it? The proper alternative would be SuperMicro X11SSL-F.

4) Which components can I safely buy used?

5) Will something change with regard to plugins - e.g. Plex Media Server - in the upcoming FreeNAS 10?

 

[nightshade00013]

1 -- make sure you don't buy a cruddy PSU just because it's 80 plus gold could get a case with dual redundant power supplies and two UPS's. Keep the kids, cats, dogs, wives, etc. away from it. Put it in an underground vault surrounded by some T-1000's to keep the kids, cats, dogs, and wives away from it?


2 -- no clue, if noise doesn't matter make sure you get something that has good airflow which also goes along with number one, don't cook your drives.

3 -- the NIC is enough to easily say avoid it. If they used that they probably built in audio and used some other cheap stuff. Most people have great long lasting stable builds off supermicro boards, why try and reinvent the wheel if you want your data safe right? Go with something that is tried and true rather than a guess.

4 -- Just about anything minus drives. Many builds are done with used rack servers that are ready to go. Grab a couple USB drives and HDD's and you are ready to go.

5 -- FreeNAS 10 will no longer have the same plugin system but Plex is as simple as setting up a FreeBSD VM and typing "pkg install plexmediaserver"

 

[Stux]

3-2-1 backup strategy.

Anyway, it's a good idea to replicate offsite. I also replicate onsite, but I'm dealing with commercial data.

That gets me my 3 copies, 2 onsite and 1 off.

Also, you should use snapshots. Can protect against crypto malware and human error.

 

[Black_Fox]

Thanks for the tips!

@nightshade00013:
1 -- I plan for a Seasonic G-Series PSU, that seems like a reasonable quality PSU
2 -- right, in that case it's Node 804 as it has good airflow around the drives
3 -- I think the motherboard also lacks IPMI. Alright, the server motherboards are quite expensive from my point of view, but at least I can actually name their additional features I'm paying for...
5 -- If I pick a VT-d and VT-x supporting CPU, I guess that means the Plex VM will only change the overall RAM requirements?

@Stux:
Will do! Probably not the whole NAS, but I'll backup all the important parts also off-site (and if I still have some large enough storage, also elsewhere on-site).

 

[Kevin Horton]

I've got a Node 804. It has good drive cooling, in my opinion, and can be set up to be quite quiet. The stock fans have fixed speeds, selected by a three position switch. The low speed setting is probably not adequate. The medium speed setting is probably OK, most of the time. But, in order to guarantee acceptable cooling all the time, you would need to use the high speed setting, which is a bit noisy in my experience.

If you want quiet, you should replace the stock fans with PWM fans, and use one of the available scripts to actively control fan speed as a function of drive temperature:

1. @Glorious1's PID control shell script (adjusts fan duty cycle using a PID control loop as a function of average drive temperature)
2. @Stux's fan control Perl script (selects one of three different fan duty cycles, as a function of hottest drive temperature)
3. my original shell control script (selects one of three different fan duty cycles, as a function of hottest drive temperature). This is conceptually similar to @Stux's script, but my script lacked the many protections that he incorporated in his script. Thus I recommend his script rather than mine.

I'm currently using a modified version of @Stux's script. This version uses a PID control loop instead of three discrete duty cycles. I'll post my modified version before the end of February.