Are any one using a LSI LOGIC SAS9201 and is it any good?

[GasMusK]

Hi, I use my freenas server for file storage and need to add a controller card to my nas to handle more drives, I don´t run any backups atm and is purely interested in space. I´ve been building windows computers for 20 odd yes and just started to play with freenas. So my question is will I have any problem using a LSI LOGIC SAS9201?

I've been to www.lsi.com and and it say that the drivers support FreeBSD 7.2.0, 7.4.0, 8.2.0, 8.3.0, 8.4.0, 9.0.0, 9.1.0, 9.1.0, 9.2.0, 10.0.0 and I´m currently on
FreeNAS-9.1.1-RELEASE-x64 (a752d35)

I´ve been reading some posts and seen that the M1015 is usualy whats recomended, but my local dealer did not have it atm and I need to add a new drive by next week...

 

[Ericloewe]

It's awfully expensive, but I believe (not sure, though) that it's been used without a problem.

My preferred solution would be M1015/equivalent controller card (possibly with an LSI SAS2308 if those are easier to find) plus an expander (The Intel RES2SV240 is popular and known to work well). This configuration is typically cheaper with equivalent performance.

What hardware do you have now?

 

[GasMusK]

I run a Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz, with 16Gb ram and currently 10 x 4TB HDDs. The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP7 Z77

 

[Ericloewe]

First of all, I hope you realize that system is a case of data loss just waiting to happen: No ECC, possibly dodgy SATA controllers driving the non-PCH ports...

Ideal world advice: replace that system with something like a Supermicro X10SL7-F + i3 with ECC + ECC RAM and you have 14 ports available (with room for a lot of future expansion).

Real world advice: Get the closest thing you can to an M1015 (something with an LSI 2008 or 2308).

 

[GasMusK]

Ok, thanks for the advice, the thing is I´m using it for file storage, I add files once and rearly remove any thing from it. I might stream from the drives some times but the server has only one user (me) and I´m running two computers that puts files on it, never at the same time, its just I need lots and lots of space, my nas is about 6 months old and 39 of the 40Gb is filled... the original plan was to have 54 drives in the nas as my physical space is at a premium.

 

[diehard]

I always thought it was strange that people could spend money on 10 HD's and a LSi 9201 yet not go with ECC because of.. cost?

 

[Ericloewe]

Ok, thanks for the advice, the thing is I´m using it for file storage, I add files once and rearly remove any thing from it. I might stream from the drives some times but the server has only one user (me) and I´m running two computers that puts files on it, never at the same time, its just I need lots and lots of space, my nas is about 6 months old and 39 of the 40Gb is filled... the original plan was to have 54 drives in the nas as my physical space is at a premium.

If you don't feel like losing 39TB (I'm assuming you meant TB) of data, you're well advised to use ECC RAM. You are also advised to not fill your pools more than 80%, for performance reasons. If space literally runs out, you may also end up with a hard-to-rescue pool.

I'm not sure I dare to ask just how the drives are set up, because I get the feeling the answer would be "One massive stripe".

 

[GasMusK]

Im not quite sure why ECC ram is so crusial? I run the drives as stand alone single drives, no striping and no mirrors just need maximum space and if a drive fails its "only" 4Tb gone...

 

[cyberjock]

http://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ecc-vs-non-ecc-ram-and-zfs.15449/

 

[GasMusK]

Btw, Ive lost a total of 5 disk in 20 years, and of them only 2 have been totaly lost. My computers usualy run 24/7 and some of them have been running for over 5 years. I still use my w98 with 330Gb disk space from time to time, no problems there. So what Im reading from this is that if you don´t run ECC ram and mirrors the freenas system will start losing/corupting data within weeks posibly a month or two?

 

[GasMusK]

Cyber jock, Ive read your post, and now have a better understanding of the ECC vs non-ECC dilema. I will look in to geting ECC ram, if its posible on my MB and in that case geting it asap.

 

[cyberjock]

There's no timeframe on when the corruption will happen. It's a matter on if your RAM goes bad. If you are ready to argue that you've had such great luck with non-ECC RAM that you are ready to stake your data on it, continue to use non-ECC. Either you'll "show us" or you'll lose the data.

But, gambling like that is something that I, as a constant presence on the forums, should not be recommending people do. ;)

 

[GasMusK]

cyberjock, you are absolutely correct, my post about my drives was written before and during your post, aka I had not read or seen it. As far as Im concernd ECC is the only way to go if using freenas, this means that I have 2 options:
1. Buy a new MB that can use ECC ram, rendering my old setup usless.
2. Asap get 1 new 4Tb drive and place it in a windows computer, empty one drive in freenas, then take that now empty drive out and place it in the windows computer and repate this 10 times, using the last drive, install windows on it and reinstall the other drives and live with the 24 drive restriction of windows.

It sandens me to say that I did NOT do my home work and installed freenas, not reading up on what was realy needed to run a freenas server.

 

[cyberjock]

GasMusk: How would you take the drives out of the FreeNAS machine? You can't shrink pools. You can only destroy them outright.

 

[GasMusK]

So even if I did every disk as its own ZFS Disk1 to 10 if one fails Im F***ED?

 

[Ericloewe]

1. Buy a new MB that can use ECC ram, rendering my old setup usless.

There are plenty of uses for a nice Z77 motherboard+CPU+16GB RAM. One option is to sell the stuff once the new kit is up and running. It's also a graphics card (and PSU, and case and HDD/SSD) away from being a sweet gaming system.

So even if I did every disk as its own ZFS Disk1 to 10 if one fails Im F***ED?

Only if they're in a single pool. If you have 10 pools, it's not a problem.

 

[GasMusK]

Good, then I can put the rope and ladder back, I hope, as I added the drives as a new zfs every time.

 

[cyberjock]

So even if I did every disk as its own ZFS Disk1 to 10 if one fails Im F***ED?

It's own ZFS what? ZFS pool? ZFS vdev? ZFS what? "ZFS" isn't a noun by itself.

 

[GasMusK]

cyberjock, Im not sure my self, just added the drives by clicking the ZFS Volume Manager, Naming the drive, clicking on the avalible drive and clicking on add volume.

 

[cyberjock]

You don't name drives, you name pools. The choice of name matters.. if you have a pool called "tank" and you try to name a new disk 'tank' it will be added to the pool. On the other hand if you give it "bigdrive" then it'll be a new pool(assuming there isn't another pool with that name).

GasMusK: To be honest, if you aren't sure you need to be. Feel free to read my presentation, read the FreeNAS manual, etc. If you don't know I definitely won't know. So it's important that we have some common ground before we talk further. ;)