Hello from Denmark

[Geert]

Hello everyone!

First off I want to say thanks to the Freenas community for a great information platform for noobs like my self. I have been building computers in many years and have helping friends as well, but that have only been "normal" desktop and gaming. I have never played around with servers before, only thought about getting a server, which have shown me the way to Freenas :) I have been on the forums and reading up on several questions I have had, different ideas, and possibilities, and I must say, that Freenas looks like its the platform that will suit my needs. My experience with the "client side" makes me believe that I am able to build a system that is up for the task. But that are several areas that I need to learn before I truly get to the level of many members in here.

I primary work on Mac and Windows, I edit photos, I watch movies, listen to music and a lot of different stuff. So what I want is something that is able to scale after my needs.

My current plans for a build:

SuperMicro MB
Xeon E3 CPU
16-32 GB ECC ram (but rather 32 than 16)
SuperMicro sata dom 32 GB (dual for mirror)
Seasonic PSU (+ a UPS at some point)
2 x IBM M1015 (one M1015 to start out with)
WD Red drives 3 or 4 TB

I already have an old Apple Xraid (14 bays) that I am going to rebuild so i can use it as a case for my Freenas.


At first I was thinking of having 6 x hdd in raidz-2, and later on expand and make yet another 6 x hdd in raid-2, and always have 2 bayes ready if anything should happen(and off cause a couple more hdd just not fitted and ready). But then I got to thinking, is it a good idea to have 7 disks in a raidz-3 with 4 TB or higher? 7 disk because my case have 14 bayes and I was hoping to have 2 x 7 disks in raidz-3. just start out with one IBM M1015 and later on expand with an other M1015, (off-cause I can always mount 2 internal drives inside and have 2 x 8 drives in total)

Also i need to add, that when i add extra disks so i get 2 x 7 (or what ever is best) i want to use the newly added disks to backup what i already have on the other disks.

ATM I am thinking of waiting until the new generation of 1151 socket MB's and skylake Xeon E3 come out before i make final decisions.

Any inputs to my current plans are very welcome! :)

 

[BigDave]

So what I want is something that is able to scale after my needs.

I already have an old Apple Xraid (14 bays) that I am going to rebuild so i can use it as a case for my Freenas.

Sounds as though you have done your homework in regards to the hardware. I would not bother waiting for skylake 1151
unless it's just to see prices drop on hazwell, whatever strides gained in performance will prob. not be worth the money
spent on the new platform. The case might be an interesting project. I know nothing about apple servers, so a bit of
searching produced this post (if this is the same thing you have) which tells me you could make this work. If you could
hook up all the lights, it would look sweet indeed.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Welcome.

is it a good idea to have 7 disks in a raidz-3 with 4 TB or higher?

Unless you think you will have difficulty obtaining a replacement drive within a few days in case of failure, RAIDZ3 seems like overkill to me, so I think keeping a couple of bays free makes sense. It can be very handy to have a place to connect an extra drive or two.

i want to use the newly added disks to backup what i already have on the other disks.

Do you mean you plan to make a 2nd pool to backup the 1st pool? If so, yes, that's something you can do, using snapshots and replication.

just start out with one IBM M1015 and later on expand with an other M1015

I believe a single M1015 can support up to 32 drives, so no need for a 2nd.

 

[Geert]

Thanks for replys Dave and Robert :)

@BigDave You are portly right regarding the cost vs. the performance, but a lucky side effect could be a price drop on Hazwell, no matter what I still need to get the rest of the money before ordering ;)

Regrading the case, I have also looked at the page you link to, I already have modded a Apple G5 case for my hackingtosh, therefor I hope that Im able to use the case properly, I am quite excited about getting the lights working, but I think I need to do serious research ;)

@Robert Trevellyan Ahh okay, I see that Raid-z3 might be overkill :)

Yes a 2nd pool to backup, would be quite nice to use the snapshot ability and hopefully have a better data security :)

Regarding the M1015, I did not know it could support up to 32 drives, but the 2 breakout cables that normal is shown give 2 x 4 connections, are the other breakout cables that give more that that? ( I have not yet seen it my self) I have read somewhere on the forum that a backplane might give more connectivity, but I'm not sure if it is that you refer to?

Best regards

Geert

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Yes a 2nd pool to backup, would be quite nice to use the snapshot ability and hopefully have a better data security

Two copies of the data on the system is better than one, but having the 2nd copy on a different system would be better, and offsite would be better still.

Regarding the M1015, I did not know it could support up to 32 drives, but the 2 breakout cables that normal is shown give 2 x 4 connections

I think you're right about the breakout cables usually supporting 4 devices. A backplane is one option, but with two ports and two cables you'll have support for 8 devices, and presumably the motherboard will have some SATA ports too, so you can probably do 12 drives without a backplane or a 2nd M1015.

 

[Geert]

Two copies of the data on the system is better than one, but having the 2nd copy on a different system would be better, and offsite would be better still.

Hehe yes, but that starts to get quite extensive, but the good thing about it, is that I have the ability to expand further up the road :)

I think you're right about the breakout cables usually supporting 4 devices. A backplane is one option, but with two ports and two cables you'll have support for 8 devices, and presumably the motherboard will have some SATA ports too, so you can probably do 12 drives without a backplane or a 2nd M1015.

I have been reading a bit to find out about the supported disks for one card, what I could understand is that the speed for the connected drives would be dramatic reduced if there is connected 32 drives, also what i understand is that the M1015 can run 6 gb/s for SAS and 3 gb/s for Sata and run at a total speed of 48 gb/s (correct me if I'm wrong) that gives a total of 16 drives for one M1015 if I want to keep the speed of 3 gb/s for the Sata drives. I don't know if I have over seen anything here, but if there is connected 32 drives the speed would be 1,5 gb/s pr. drive, and i think it would slow down the system quite dramatic, this is off-cause just something I'm guessing whiteout knowing to much about servers.

It also gives good meaning that 8 drives at 6 gb/s = 48 gb/s = 2 x breakout cables of 8 connections.

Best regards

Geert

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

if there is connected 32 drives the speed would be 1,5 gb/s pr. drive, and i think it would slow down the system quite dramatic

Most hard drives have transfer rates below 1.5Gb/s, so this would not slow down the system. Only SSDs are bottlenecked by SATA I and SATA II.

 

[Geert]

Most hard drives have transfer rates below 1.5Gb/s, so this would not slow down the system. Only SSDs are bottlenecked by SATA I and SATA II.

It sounds low. never the less, i think il be giving the drives better working conditions by having fewer drives connected or rather I think the M1015 will have better working conditions. Thanks for the info Robert :)

Best regards

Geert

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

It sounds low.

Transfer rates are always creeping up. The 5TB and 6TB WD Reds have transfer rates above 1.5Gb/s, and burst rates served from the drive's RAM cache will be at interface speed. However, most NAS systems are bottlenecked by the network, not the drive interface. This doesn't mean I think a backplane is the way to go...

 

[diedrichg]

It sounds low.

WD Red datasheet with transfer speeds:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...VVQogwsX-ek-swEZQ&sig2=RJo9XYs0sHWcwcZsTmj3OA

 

[Geert]

Thanks for the input Robert and Diedrich :) all of this is very helpful! :D