first time building a Nas.

[WOLFofIT]

Hello,
First time building a NAS.
Initially, I was going to build, what I thought was a beefy box. but then I started reading and going over all the welcome documentation, then I poked around on ebay some. both outlined below


beefy build:

Disks 8x
Seagate 6 TB Enterprise Capacity HDD SATA 6Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5 inches Internal Bare Drive (ST6000NM00) (Renewed)

Amazon.com

Boot disk:
WD_BLACK 250GB SN770 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive - Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 4,000 MB/s - WDS250G3X0E

Amazon.com

CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6-Core 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon Graphics: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092L9GF5N/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Mobo
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WiFi 6) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2

Amazon.com

Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4x8GB) DDR4 3600 (PC4-28800) C18 1.35V Desktop Memory - Black

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-3200MHz-Desktop-Memory/dp/B07RGPWFY2/ref=pd_day0fbt_sccl_2/146-6840149-4275738?pd_rd_w=R21e0&content-id=amzn1.sym.4f1ddc71-f45e-4113-b3ab-af5a714525a1&pf_rd_p=4f1ddc71-f45e-4113-b3ab-af5a714525a1&pf_rd_r=EV5QQ3RRFBD11YXNS8KW&pd_rd_wg=O5zkR&pd_rd_r=9490ebf0-e8de-4fa9-9c6b-8a5b54403fbb&pd_rd_i=B0143UM4TC&th=1

ebay build:


Supermicro X8DTL-3F YI01B LGA1366 DDR3 Dual original Server Motherboard with I/O
2x Intel Xeon X5690 SLBVX 3.46 GHz Six Core 12M LGA-1366 Server CPU Processor 130W
3x Kingston HyperX DIMM 8GB, 2PCS, 1333MHZ PC3L-10600U 1.5V

same disks as above, and I have not decided on the PSU yet.

and the case :
Antec P101 Silent Performance Series Mid-Tower PC Computer Case with Sound Dampening Panels, 4 X 120/140mm Cooling Fans Pre-Installed
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LBXP8KZ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A284PRV19Y1MTF&psc=1

thanks for your help, wolf

 

[WOLFofIT]

future plan is a plex server, some vm's and just video / audio / pictures / document storage

 

[Etorix]

Well, your "build" list is guilty of the usual sin of repurposing consumer/gamer hardware for a server. Which might be acceptable if repurposing existing kit, but if you're specifically buying to build you could as well do it by the playbook: Server motherboard (for Ryzen: AsRockRack X470/X570/B550 D4U) and ECC RAM (although it is an open question to which extent ECC actually works with Ryzen)—no need for a "G" CPU.
ZFS is rather RAM hungry, so 32 GB would rather be a minimum if the NAS (16 GB minimum) is also expected to run a Plex server and some VMs.

The "eBay build" goes totally the other way: Server-grade indeed, but X8 is WAAAY too old to be useful (other than as secondary heating device for the winter…). Please try again with X10 or X11 generation boards.

 

[ChrisRJ]

For some more background understanding, please read the first 6 links from the "Recommended readings" in my signature.

 

[ChrisRJ]

The "eBay build" goes totally the other way: Server-grade indeed, but X8 is WAAAY too old to be useful (other than as secondary heating device for the winter…). Please try again with X10 or X11 generation boards.

Depending on availability, price, and willingness to accept a Java based IPMI client, an X9 board might also be an option. But I agree with @Etorix that X10 or X11 are generally preferable.

 

[ChrisRJ]

Initially, I was going to build, what I thought was a beefy box. but then I started reading and going over all the welcome documentation, then I poked around on ebay some. both outlined below

You have told us nothing about what you want to do with this NAS. Please provide as much detail as possible (a couple of paragraphs would be ideal).

 

[WOLFofIT]

Well, your "build" list is guilty of the usual sin of repurposing consumer/gamer hardware for a server. Which might be acceptable if repurposing existing kit, but if you're specifically buying to build you could as well do it by the playbook: Server motherboard (for Ryzen: AsRockRack X470/X570/B550 D4U) and ECC RAM (although it is an open question to which extent ECC actually works with Ryzen)—no need for a "G" CPU.
ZFS is rather RAM hungry, so 32 GB would rather be a minimum if the NAS (16 GB minimum) is also expected to run a Plex server and some VMs.

The "eBay build" goes totally the other way: Server-grade indeed, but X8 is WAAAY too old to be useful (other than as secondary heating device for the winter…). Please try again with X10 or X11 generation boards.

yea yeaaa, i know, i know, i read more after posting lol.

You have told us nothing about what you want to do with this NAS. Please provide as much detail as possible (a couple of paragraphs would be ideal).

data storage, vms, and plex media. I do some videos and streaming. I'm learning linux so this is my first linux box. I want to spin up some vms in the future also

 

[WOLFofIT]

so are you against dell's or does this forum tend to only run super micro boards?

 

[NugentS]

The problem with Dells is propriatory hardware.
SMC have no such issue

 

[Etorix]

so are you against dell's or does this forum tend to only run super micro boards?

Supermicro is strongly preferred by those who build their own NAS from parts—possibly too strongly, and to the detriment of other options. But a number of users run pre-built servers from Dell, HPE and the like, or even convert suitable QNAP NAS to TreNAS.
Where do you get the idea that the forum is "against Dell"?

 

[WOLFofIT]

Supermicro is strongly preferred by those who build their own NAS from parts—possibly too strongly, and to the detriment of other options. But a number of users run pre-built servers from Dell, HPE and the like, or even convert suitable QNAP NAS to TreNAS.
Where do you get the idea that the forum is "against Dell"?

it just seems everyone pushes super micro over everything else. i assumed there was something maybe with the perc controllers or something along those lines that caused issues with truenas.

anywho, but yea, I want to build out this NAS for plex, VM's and data storage, I been poking around more ill post the next build I think is fitting.

 

[ChrisRJ]

anywho, but yea, I want to build out this NAS for plex, VM's and data storage, I been poking around more ill post the next build I think is fitting.

Can you be more specific? The information you are currently giving us to work with, is the equivalent of saying "I want to buy a motorized vehicle, not for racing and family, but to transport goods". My question is basically: What goods are we talking about? Would a simple van be enough, or do you want to transport a chemical reactor that weighs in excess of 100 tons?

VMs deviate by orders of magnitude in terms of what they demand from the underlying storage sub-system, as does Plex, and even plain data storage.

 

[WOLFofIT]

ok

the full plan with every detail is

running a few linux VM for lab/learning. an ipa server, DNS server, maybe a few dev box's here and there as I am learning linux
running a plex server, plex needs to be reasonably fast. as kids wife will use it often and heavy
having data storage.

 

[WOLFofIT]

i ended up reading through most of your documentation, thank you for that information.

i ordered
mobo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284627420891
cpu's: https://www.ebay.com/itm/295105509747

ill buy soon, 16 sticks of 8gb ddr4 ECC memory: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234662084065

I will then start reading about the HBA needed to run 10 disks, as the board does not have enough physical drives.

 

[jgreco]

everyone pushes super micro

The Supermicro push came mostly from me, a decade ago, because we had a crapton of users wandering in with inappropriately sized or designed systems made from gamer, desktop, or APU parts, and wondering why their adventures in NAS ended up sucking.

Dell and HP are not preferred because these systems typically come with superfluous parts such as RAID controllers, which are great if you're building an enterprise server, but people get very upset sometimes when you have to tell them how their expensive PERC RAID and crappy Broadcom 10G gigabit need to be pulled and replaced.

Supermicro has more of a "random Lego" strategy where you can design servers out of parts that a designer didn't necessarily have an intention of putting together. You want a single socket mainboard in a 36 disk chassis for a low power optimized NAS platform? Supermicro has it. HP doesn't, and neither does Dell.

 

[Etorix]

i ordered
mobo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284627420891
cpu's: https://www.ebay.com/itm/295105509747

Wow! E-ATX, dual Xeon E5… for a "first NAS" you're going fast and deep into dedicated server hardware.
It's old but it's good and cheap. Do not hesitate to fill it with relatively inexpensive RDIMM.

I will then start reading about the HBA needed to run 10 disks, as the board does not have enough physical drives.

The board actually has 10 ports, it only needs a suitable breakout cable (SFF-8087 to 4*SATA/SAS, short length for SATA) for the MiniSAS connector under the chipset.
Suitable HBAs are anything with a LSI 2008, 2308, 3008 controller (LSI 9200, 9300 series, avoiding anything with "RAID", and equivalents such as Dell H200, H330, or IBM M1015).

 

[WOLFofIT]

The Supermicro push came mostly from me, a decade ago, because we had a crapton of users wandering in with inappropriately sized or designed systems made from gamer, desktop, or APU parts, and wondering why their adventures in NAS ended up sucking.

Dell and HP are not preferred because these systems typically come with superfluous parts such as RAID controllers, which are great if you're building an enterprise server, but people get very upset sometimes when you have to tell them how their expensive PERC RAID and crappy Broadcom 10G gigabit need to be pulled and replaced.

Supermicro has more of a "random Lego" strategy where you can design servers out of parts that a designer didn't necessarily have an intention of putting together. You want a single socket mainboard in a 36 disk chassis for a low power optimized NAS platform? Supermicro has it. HP doesn't, and neither does Dell.

ahh, yea I figured so. over the years, I have noticed/seen dell physically build their mobos to fit only their chassis.

Wow! E-ATX, dual Xeon E5… for a "first NAS" you're going fast and deep into dedicated server hardware.
It's old but it's good and cheap. Do not hesitate to fill it with relatively inexpensive RDIMM.

I wanted to an x11 board, but it would push back my end date to fart as disks are $$ lol

i was thinking of this memory; https://www.ebay.com/itm/234662084065

The board actually has 10 ports, it only needs a suitable breakout cable (SFF-8087 to 4*SATA/SAS, short length for SATA) for the MiniSAS connector under the chipset.
Suitable HBAs are anything with a LSI 2008, 2308, 3008 controller (LSI 9200, 9300 series, avoiding anything with "RAID", and equivalents such as Dell H200, H330, or IBM M1015).

o i never knew this, disk throughput won't be hit using the SSF?

 

[jgreco]

ahh, yea I figured so. over the years, I have noticed/seen dell physically build their mobos to fit only their chassis.

And HP, and almost everyone else with the industrial resources. This isn't recent, it's been that way since the '90's, though if you wanted to say it's worse now, fine. The upside is that it allows much better integration of components, optimized cabling, proper PSU distribution, etc.

Supermicro, on the other hand, when I wanted to build a single socket FreeNAS-optimized WIO style server that they didn't have a playbook for, I took an X10SRW board (SYS-1018R-WC0R), stuck it in a 2U WIO chassis I liked, and then borrowed a riser that was designed for a dual CPU X10 system. Suddenly I had a very unusual but very practical (for virtualized FreeNAS) system. Or when I stuck an X10SDV-7TP4F into a 24 bay 2U chassis to make a combined ESXi/FreeNAS system that took about 100W of power, for someplace where I was on a power budget.

 

[WOLFofIT]

And HP, and almost everyone else with the industrial resources. This isn't recent, it's been that way since the '90's, though if you wanted to say it's worse now, fine. The upside is that it allows much better integration of components, optimized cabling, proper PSU distribution, etc.

Supermicro, on the other hand, when I wanted to build a single socket FreeNAS-optimized WIO style server that they didn't have a playbook for, I took an X10SRW board (SYS-1018R-WC0R), stuck it in a 2U WIO chassis I liked, and then borrowed a riser that was designed for a dual CPU X10 system. Suddenly I had a very unusual but very practical (for virtualized FreeNAS) system. Or when I stuck an X10SDV-7TP4F into a 24 bay 2U chassis to make a combined ESXi/FreeNAS system that took about 100W of power, for someplace where I was on a power budget.

now wait, we talking esx hosting a freenas or esx with luns to a freenas box? i thought vmware strips all the smart, and direct disk access free/truenas needs.

 

[Etorix]

o i never knew this, disk throughput won't be hit using the SSF?

The connector is just packaging four IO lines (4*SATA and/or PCIe x4) in a small space, there's no performance penalty.

now wait, we talking esx hosting a freenas or esx with luns to a freenas box? i thought vmware strips all the smart, and direct disk access free/truenas needs.

Indeed, running TrueNAS "bare metal" is recommended, but @jgreco is also responsible for this ressource (and it's remarkable title):

"Absolutely must virtualize FreeNAS!" ... a guide to not completely losing your data.

[---- 2018/02/27: This is still as relevant as ever. As PCIe-Passthru has matured, fewer problems are reported. I've updated some specific things known to be problematic ----] [---- 2014/12/24: Note, there is another post discussing how to deploy a small FreeNAS VM instance for basic file...

www.truenas.com