Hardware compatible and reliable?

[wussy]

Hi,

I would like to build a new NAS and would like to ask what the community thinks about the compnents. Will I have troubles, how the performance will be? How to make up the best possible set up with ZFS?

In the moment i have 4 SATA discs which are quite slow (now working in my FreeNASBOX with Super Micro mainboard, Atom Dual Core and 8GB RAM with ~60 MB/S writing and ~70MB/S reading over SMB) and 4 faster SATA discs out of my Lenovo Server. Also there are 2x 3TB USB discs for backup my Thecsus NAS and other backups.

I´ve now the idea to build up a big NAS because it´s always quite expensive to build a new box when the disc space is growing.

I was reading some articels and decided to go for the following components:

1x Fractaldesign Define XL Black Pearl (up to 10 3,5" discs and 4x 5,25 Slots)
1x Super Micro D-X8SI6-F-O Server Mainboard (with 6x Sata II Ports and 2x SAS Ports (LSI 2008) for up to 8 discs)
1x INTEL XEON X3430 2400MHz 8MB LGA1156 boxed CPU
2x 8GB Modul für Supermicro X8Si6-F

This should run with the two times 4 discs from above in the begining with zfs Raid2.

Later I would like to upgrade the machine with
2x 8GB Modul für Supermicro X8Si6-F
1x SAS Controller LSI SAS3801E-R
1x disc cage for the 5,25" slots
some SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB

Does anyone know the components and can tell me if everything will run smoothly?
How the performance will be?
Is it recommanded to have more discs in the configuration?
Will a ssd drive speed up the performance?
How the ZFS RAID should be configured to get the best performance?
How to make a backup (rsync with cronjob to USB Disc???)

Thx a lot for reading and for helping me build my dream NAS ;)

 

[wussy]

Hi,

While I got no replies I ordered following things:

1x Fractaldesign Define XL Black Pearl (up to 10 3,5" discs and 4x 5,25 Slots)
1x Super Micro D-X8SI6-F-O Server Mainboard (with 6x Sata II Ports and 2x SAS Ports (LSI 2008) for up to 8 discs)
1x INTEL XEON X3430 2400MHz 8MB LGA1156 boxed CPU
32 GB RAM
8x 2TB harddiscs

Googled around a lot to answer my questions:

The performance from the CPU will be enough even compression should be no problem.
The 32 GB would be plenty enough and there will be enough space for futher harddiscs in the matter of RAM.
The board will work even the SAS connestors. I have to flush it with the IT Firmeware. They should be LSI 9211 8i SAS connectors so there should be no problems with that.

When I understand everything right i will go with ZFS RAID Z2. From my 8*2TB discs will be 12 TB left. Perhaps i will buy 4 more discs to have 20 TB. I hope this is right that the place that will be left after RAID z2 is (n-2)*Discspace where N is the amount of discs.

What I´ve googled until now a SSD won´t speed up my system until the sum of files that are transfered are bigger than the RAM if I use it as cache disc.
If i would use it for the LARC then it maybe speed up but loosing the SSD would mean loosing all datas what sounds a little too risky for me.

One thing I´m not sure of is what is the best compression that will offer enough performance and save discspace? What kind of compression will bring most of saving discspace?!

MAybe somebody can help me out with these questions and correct my post if i made logical mistakes or if ther is something that has another best practice.

I will post her the results of my testings when everything is delivered to me.

 

[wussy]

So now everything is here and already built in. I managed to flash the SAS Controller on the board to IT Firmeware. Now Freenas can see al the discs. I have now following discs in the case. 3x1,5TB and 4x2TB. Think I will get some more 2 TB discs.

One question: Have I done something wrong or why nobody is answering my questions?!

I will write a full list of things that are in the NAS and what I´ve done and how the performance is after testing everything out.

 

[ProtoSD]

One question: Have I done something wrong or why nobody is answering my questions?!

I will write a full list of things that are in the NAS and what I´ve done and how the performance is after testing everything out.

Hi Wussy,

You haven't done anything wrong, in fact you've done an excellent job researching your questions and made a lot of good choices I think. There are also lot of similar posts asking the same questions and people just get bored answering the same or similar questions again.

Keep posting how things are going for you and people will find you and notice. There are a lot of new people that are trying to discover the same answers you are and it just takes time.

Welcome to the FreeNAS 8 Forums and thanks for posting!

-- Proto

 

[John Doe]

Whoot

Your config is just ... impressive Thank you to post your results and processes, even if nobody answered to your posts

All the best :D

 

[wussy]

THX JD and proto,
I´m now testing everything out. In the same time there is a new project at work. Will post everything about the new build and will inform what´s going on with my private build when i have time again.

 

[wussy]

Here a Helios Benchmark from this machine: