BUILD Best way to achieve 14 drives?

[crimsondr]

In case u're interested in another newbie-intro read that may contain some additional insights for you to soak in, check this:
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...g-from-windows-strategies-and-hardware.40382/

Thanks, a good read. You're a pro now! I am going to start ordering parts any day now. Maybe spread out the HD purchases. I wonder how long it takes retailers to go thru specific batches?

 

[crimsondr]

Just to add something not already said: I'd use RAID-Z2 with 6 to 10 drives and a cold spare, or RAID-Z3 with 8-11 drives and no cold spare. I've chosen the second way because I don't like the idea to buy a drive to put it on a shelf just in case, especially as the drives' prices drop with time, RAID-Z3 offers plenty of time to replace a failed drive (with a bigger one, why not...) without the need to have one on the shelf :)

Thanks, that's a good point. I guess with RAIDZ3 when a single disk fails I could potentially wait for the RMA drive to come back, it would be essentially a RAIDZ2 configuration at that time. The only problem is that you can't remove a drive from the vdev once added. So when I want to make my new 8 drive vdev I will have one missing spot. Could I take one of the drives out of the existing vdev and put in a new drive to go into the new vdev in the same spot? Would FreeNAS allow this? I assume it should since I don't think it would automatically allocate a new drive to an existing vdev? Then I could copy all the data from the existing zpool to the new zpool and then recreate the old vdev with one less drive.

 

[Bidule0hm]

So when I want to make my new 8 drive vdev I will have one missing spot. Could I take one of the drives out of the existing vdev and put in a new drive to go into the new vdev in the same spot? Would FreeNAS allow this?

I'm not sure I understand what you want to do, can you explain in another way and/or with more details please?

 

[gpsguy]

My guess is that the OP is thinking about starting with 8 drives in RAIDz3. Down the road when he wants to add the 2nd 8 drive RAIDz2 vdev, he's talking about removing a drive from the first RAIDz3 vdev which will put it in a degraded mode, albeit similar to RAIDz2. Then he'll migrate all the data from the original pool to the new pool. Then destroy the original pool and rebuild it as RAIDz2 and extend the second one.

If this is the case, I'd save all the aggravation and just build a 8 drive RAIDz2 pool to start with.

I'm not sure I understand what you want to do, can you explain in another way and/or with more details please?

 

[crimsondr]

My guess is that the OP is thinking about starting with 8 drives in RAIDz3. Down the road when he wants to add the 2nd 8 drive RAIDz2 vdev, he's talking about removing a drive from the first RAIDz3 vdev which will put it in a degraded mode, albeit similar to RAIDz2. Then he'll migrate all the data from the original pool to the new pool. Then destroy the original pool and rebuild it as RAIDz2 and extend the second one.

If this is the case, I'd save all the aggravation and just build a 8 drive RAIDz2 pool to start with.

Actually my original intention was to build an 8x4TB RAIDZ2 with a cold spare and then later add 8 more drives in a new RAIDZ3 vdev in a separate zpool. But then Biduleohm suggested to just use the cold spare and create a RAIDZ3 vdev. This is where the problem occurs when I want to add a new RAIDZ3 vdev in the future with 8 drives. So as you said I would then remove one drive from the existing vdev and run it degraded but similar to RAIDZ2. Create my new RAIDZ3 vdev, migrate the data and then re-create the old vdev with 8 drives in RAIDZ2.

However, I think that it would be more beneficial to run RAIDZ2 with 8 drives for my initial build and keep the cold spare. Should help preserve the cold spare and avoid unecessary wear and tear on the drive. Also a little performance boost using RAIDZ2 instead of RAIDZ3.

 

[crimsondr]

Is there a specific version of firmware I should flash the LSI controller on the x10sl7-f? Read some places that it should be P16 but the latest is P20? Is this link a compatible firmware for FreeNAS? ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/Driver/SAS/LSI/2308/Firmware/IT/PH20.00.04.00-IT.zip

 

[pirateghost]

Is there a specific version of firmware I should flash the LSI controller on the x10sl7-f? Read some places that it should be P16 but the latest is P20? Is this link a compatible firmware for FreeNAS? ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/Driver/SAS/LSI/2308/Firmware/IT/PH20.00.04.00-IT.zip

From 9.3.1 onwards, P20 is recommended

 

[crimsondr]

From 9.3.1 onwards, P20 is recommended

Thanks. Is the previous link I provided correct? Or is this one the correct one: http://docs.avagotech.com/docs/12350820?

 

[pirateghost]

Your first link looks right to me but I have refused to upgrade from 9.3 for the last year. Lol.

 

[crimsondr]

I plan on using a SSD-DM016-PHI superdom as the boot device. Purchasing from here: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...19&cm_re=SSD-DM016-PHI-_-16-139-089-_-Product

It just plugs directly into a SATA port on the motherboard (x10slf-7)? Looks like it comes with a power cord. Do I need anything else to make it work?

 

[CookiesLikeWhoa]

The x10 comes with 2 sata ports (yellow) that have the power pin included so you don't have to plug anything extra in. X9 and older require the use of the extra power cable. (If I remember the manual correctly)

That said it does use 2 of then 10 sata ports up on the motherboard.

 

[crimsondr]

The x10 comes with 2 sata ports (yellow) that have the power pin included so you don't have to plug anything extra in. X9 and older require the use of the extra power cable. (If I remember the manual correctly)

That said it does use 2 of then 10 sata ports up on the motherboard.

Thanks, just one of those little details I'm trying to figure out. I wasn't planning on mirroring the boot device. It's not critical that the system is up 24/7. Just want protection from losing data. I could live with some downtime while I setup a new superdom or perhaps USB.

I thought the x10sl7-f had 8 SAS2, 2 SATA3, and 4 SATA2. I am planning on using only the SAS2 ports with SAS expanders on my supermicro SC836E26-R1200 chassis. From what I read in one of the stickies, the 8 SAS2 ports should provide enough bandwidth so that my SATA drives wouldn't be able to saturate the bandwidth.

 

[crimsondr]

I asked previously already but never really got a response...

nope. that board will handle tons of drives given the right cables and a SAS expander. I currently have 20 disks running off 4 of the LSI ports

Hey, sorry I asked previously but just wanted further confirmation.

I will be using the x10sl7-f with a BPN-SAS2-836EL2 SAS expander. From what I can tell I only need one 4sata to sff8087 reverse breakout cable and attach it to the first primary SAS connector (PRI_J1) on the expander and four of the individual SAS ports on the motherboard. I am looking at this cable from newegg: http://m.newegg.ca/Product/index?itemNumber=N82E16816133033. Does this look correct?

I also read that you can connect the remaining 4 SAS ports to the second primary SAS connector (PRI_J2) for additional bandwidth. If I did this would there be any performance benefits with the additional channels? I know that 16 SATA drives should not saturate 4 SAS ports with 24Gbps capacity but was just wondering if there were any other variables. Perhaps it would spread out the traffic between all 8 individual SAS channels and maybe it would provide some benefit?