Backup/File Server Hardware Advice

[schofieldrj]

So I'm looking at building a Backup/File Server to connect to my network, I've tried to do as much reading as I can before posting but I'm still feeling a little out of my depth around all this server grade stuff.

I've done enough reading to see what is commonly suggested hardware, so I put together a list of components that I intend to use:

Intel Pentium G3220
Supermicro X10SLL
Crucial 16gb CT2KIT102472BD160B
And most likely 6x3tb WD Red drives

The problem I've ran into is I'm looking at also getting a hot swappable server case so that I'm able to quickly add a drive or two that I have laying around to the network. I also would like to stow away the server in a rack along with my current pc (currently in a 4u server case) along with my network switch. But I'm getting a bit lost with how the backplane attaches to the motherboard.

The case I've been looking at is the Logic Case SC-2312 which uses three SFF-8087 connectors to power the 12 bays. Since as far as I know I can't directly connect this to the X10SLL board I would need to purchase a HBA such as the IBM M1015 but would also need a SAS expander to connect all 12 bays to the card.

So I stumbled on the X10SL7-F board which has 8 SAS ports directly on the board. Is it possible to use the SAS ports to connect the drives from the SFF-8087 backplane to the board even if it means running at a lower total bandwidth which I am completely fine to do since I'm limited to gigabit Ethernet speeds.

I'm basically looking for the most cost effective way to make use of all 12 bays since the additional cost of a HBA and SAS expander card would put the build out of my budget.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I'm looking at also getting a hot swappable server case so that I'm able to quickly add a drive or two that I have laying around to the network.

I wouldn't allow any build decisions to hinge on this. In practice, drive changes should be a rare occurrence. Regardless, you can't just "add a drive or two" to a FreeNAS system unless you're planning to run striped mirrors.

 

[schofieldrj]

I wouldn't allow any build decisions to hinge on this. In practice, drive changes should be a rare occurrence. Regardless, you can't just "add a drive or two" to a FreeNAS system unless you're planning to run striped mirrors.

Definitely a good point, will probably just look for a pretty standard server case in that case.

I'm leaning more towards the Supermicro X10SL7-F board mainly for offering more chances of adding drives in the future. Is using both the SAS and SATA ports on this board something that is fine to do, or is it recommended to simply use one or the other?

 

[Mirfster]

Is using both the SAS and SATA ports on this board something that is fine to do, or is it recommended to simply use one or the other?

Not an issue, just as long as you remember that while SATA can work plugged into a SAS port, a SAS cannot work plugged into a SATA port.

 

[sremick]

Remember that rackmount cases are for where high-density takes precedence over power-usage and sound. If noise levels or electricity usage are important to you, skip the rackmount idea.

Also hot-swap is for when uptime is of high importance. If you can survive having your server down for the 15 minutes or so it takes to open the case and swap a hard drive, you can skip the hotswap requirement as well, save money and give yourself a lot more case options.