Help with disk layout of different sized disks

[dvpatel]

I am helping build a storage server for our temple out of old hardware.

There is an old server with 24 drive capacity + 2. There are two 60GB SSDs to install TrueNas.

I have the following (all SAS disks)

16 x 500GB
2 x 2TB
4 x 1TB
2 x 750GB

I was planning to evenly split (have an extra 1TB, 2TB and 750GB on top of above) the disks in half and create 2 arrays with the following disks.

8 x 500GB
1 x 2TB
2 x 1TB
1 x 750GB

Total 12 disks with a capactity of 8750GB.

I want to create 2 arrays in that config and mirror them.

Since ZFS does not let you do JBOD for an array, what am I supposed to do? I have always used identical disks to create simple zfs pools and don't even know where to begin searching for information.

I do not want any striping. Just 2 arrays of what is equivalent to JBOD in the above config.

Can some one please help me out for a good cause. I volunteer my time there for free so any help you guys can provide will be appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

[c77dk]

It's quite easy to to what you want - just make 8x 2-way mirrors with the 500GBs, 1x 2-way mirror with 2TB, 2x 2-way mirror with 1TB and 1x 2-way mirror with 750GB, and then put the vdevs into same pool.

how it's going to perform, I have no idea, since they are so different in sizes. Other users might have better knowledge about that.

 

[dvpatel]

Performance is sort of immaterial. We only need storage to house images and videos and plan to dump content there and pull the content onto the play back machines as and how needed. The machine will be hard wired to 1GB network on which 3 playback machines will be on as well.

 

[Arwen]

I second @c77dk's advice, just mirror the same sized disks, and use 1 pool. Their is probably going to be a warning when you create the pool about different sized disks. But, it will work. The performance may be a little odd at times, but should allow HD video playback to 3 players.

 

[dvpatel]

Thank you both of you. Just got done bolting on all the 24 disks into their trays. Will get to work installing the TrueNAS s/w hopefully tomorrow or next weekend.

 

[c77dk]

remember to do proper burn-in (there's a guide under Resources) in to make sure the disks are healthy.