BUILD Just another build.

[Kim-Denmark]

Hi all.
I'm all new to freeNAS and the dedicated serverbuilding thingie. My kidbrother has set me up to this task to build us a freeNAS server, makeing sure that all the components work together and alike.
I have been reading around the forums on other builds and other build setups. but, I propperly need some hints, so bear with me. First off, we need a hardware list so it can be build, then my kidbrother will set it up remotely, becos he's in a 14 day worktour where he's abroad, and he's bored out his skull. He wanna have this to play with, and then ofcource watch movies when he's at the hotel. The server will mainly store ripped Bluerays, but will also funktion as backup for homevids+photos. As a failover backup solution we will properly use crashplan to backup photos and important documents.
We have a few Synology NAS'ses that can be used for that purpose. We wasent hit by the ransomware that hit Synologys last year, but I dont want our photos stored on a system that could prove vulnerable.

First off, This is our needs.
Storragewise, I would like to expand the server as needed. Start off with like 4 disks in RAIDZ2 or 1, and then expand up to 10 or 12 disks. Or starting with whatever the RAIDZ2 configuration need to start off with. I still need to read up on that department.

Performance. Ofcourse as a NAS server, but also as a PLEX server that has enough jouice to transcode 3 streams without lag. All of my movies are in 1080P~10Gbyte, and they all need to be transcoded to 720P due to studdering image+sound on Chromecast "wonderfull device BTW". One thing we dont want is the server beeing to slow within the next couple of years. But still want to keep the idle power as low as possible. Danish energy prices is, well.. outrighteous.. 1 kWh of electricity is 0,3 USD

Hardware-wise, we'r thinking of the following

Motherboard: Supermicro X10sL7-F
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C220/X10SL7-F.cfm
CPU: Xeon E3-1230LV3 "7199 Passmark Points" TDP-25 Watt
http://www.edbpriser.dk/processor/xeon-e3-1230lv3-8-mb-oem-bakke-id-7509607.aspx
or this CPU
CPU: Xeon E3-1231V3 "9594 Passmark points" TDP-80 Watt
http://www.edbpriser.dk/processor/xeon-e3-1231v3-8-mb-oem-bakke-id-8387167.aspx
Harddrives: WD's 6 TB*4 to start with, and 12 when fully upgraded.
RAM: Yet to be figured out, but will pick some that is proven to work with this board. Start off with 2*8 GB, and expand up to the maximum of 4*8 GB, when more disks is added.
PSU: Was thinking about a 450 Watt gold rated PSU with alot of amps on 12V.
Case: The server will be stored in a Rack, and my brother got a 3U rack@15USD.
UPS: Not for the time beeing, but the server will be located on a fuse for itself, UPS is on the wishlist due to the stability of voltage on the output. Electronics love a stable powersupply.
BOOT: 120 Gbyte SSD, (we have one allready).

The only concern I have is that it's recommended to have 1GB RAM per TB of storrage. This is quite hard to fulfill due to the 32 GB limit on this board. And we want to expand this server above 30TB in the years to come. What is you'r thourts on lowering the RAM on a server that will be used for the above useage?

I have found thise 2 CPU's. As it states the energy hungry 1231V3 processor is more hungry than it's kidbrother, but it's also more powerfull. I have been looking around, and I cant find a exact number for the 2 that states the correkt power consumption when idleing. If there is a "big" diffrence between the 2, does anyone know? CPU price is exactly the same. Witch should i choose of the 2? Any ideas? :D

What idle wattage am I'm looking at on a system like this?. I belive that a 450 Watt PSU have enough oompfh to spin up the drives. Otherwise a timed spinup may need be needed on the drives.

A good idea to setup the disks?
I have looked around and notised that 10-12 disks in RAIDZ2 is streching it. 2 pools would be better with each their RAIDZ2.
Another option would be 3 pools with each 4*6TB in RAIDZ1. This option could also be viable. Very easy to upgrade with new drives, would be a huge plus.

Important DATA is stored offsite also, and if a pool is lost, the DATA can be retrived again. Alltho I just need to rip bluerays again :/

I havent tried out FreeNAS yet, but as far I can read, the filesystem is really neatly designed, the strong side of this OS.
Wonderfull active forum - Keep up the good work/support.

 

[Kim-Denmark]

I have done some research on the disks, and aparrently the 4TB disks are cheaper per TB. It means that I need more disks than if I had a 6TB disk solution.
But. The electricity bill will be higher, but the pricedrop per TB can pay the electricity bill in 4,5 years before the bigger disk soloution is a allround cheaper solution. Besides. That energy beeing produced in the disks i dont need to heat up the house from another energysource, so it will propperly be a turnover of 5 years instead. This all means. We will propperly go with the cheaper WD RED 4TB solution instead of the 6TB version. In 5 years thise disks will propperly endup in a archiveserver with the HDD's in sleep mode.
5 years ago, we broke 1TB of storrage on a HDD, today we have 8TB in a single disk......... Something to think about.
If we create 3 pools of each 4*4TB in RAIDZ1, there will be a total of 48TB whereas only 36TB will be useable.
Is the 1GByte of RAM per TB recommended to total or useable storrage?

Thanks in adv.
Kim.

 

[ChriZ]

Two points from me:
1. Don't get the low TDP CPU. Haswell CPUs are extremely efficient - they most likely consume the same power when idle and the 1231v3 will have more horsepower when needed.
2. The motherboard's 32GB Ram limit is enough for your needs. Perhaps in 5 years if you need to upgrade your storage to reach, say, 80 TB of usable space, it won't be enough anymore, but by then the whole system will most likely be obsolete, anyways....

Just my personal opinion, though... Please wait for others to reply, too.

 

[danb35]

To build on @ChriZ's point, the "low power" 1230L is only "low power" because its performance (and thus power draw) is capped. The 1231 draws more power at maximum load, but that's because it has more computing power at maximum load.

 

[Ericloewe]

Also, consider Xeon E3 v4 processors. (But you'd need the latest BIOS on the board, so E3 v3 is a "safer" solution).

 

[Kim-Denmark]

I found a rather cheap system, the components are as following
The info below is the info I got.

Supermicro X9SCL+-F motherboard
http://www.supermicro.nl/products/motherboard/Xeon/C202_C204/X9SCL_-F.cfm
Intel quad core Xeon E3-1270v2 CPU
32 GB ECC RAM
Seasonic SS-500ES 500W PSU
Adaptec 5805 RAID controller kit incl 2 x fan out cabels

The case is a hightower, but we will not use the case since it will be mounted in a rack
the RAID controller can be spared, the seller is willing to take out the controller from the sale, and then lower the price.... I havent read about this controller, but does anyone know if this controller works with freeNAS?

The complete price in USD is 380 USD, an without the RAID controller it's 300USD

The hardware is 2 years old. No discs is included in the sale.
but in Denmark prices it's less than 1/3'ed of new price.

If the system aint sold yet, and if he's willing to send it by mail, this is the setup I will get.
Will this RAID controller work with freeNAS?

 

[danb35]

Strange--I got an email notification 50 minutes ago of a reply in this thread from the OP, asking about another configuration. Edit: but when I made this post, that reply wasn't showing. It is now. @Kim-Denmark, no, the Adaptec 5805 is not a good choice--I don't know if it will work at all, but it definitely won't work well. Skip the RAID controller and get an IBM M1015/LSI 9211-8i, and flash the firmware to IT mode with the appropriate version for the version of FreeNAS you're using (P16 for <= 9.3, P20 for 9.3.1).

 

[Mr_N]

Supermicro's AOC-S2308L-L8E HBA card is another alternative (PCI-E 3.0 vs 2.0 with the IBM M1015/1115) which isn't much more expensive either.

 

[Kim-Denmark]

I belive you have got a email becose of my reply, but this Kim-merrild account is still new, and I think the OP's want to make sure that I'm no spambot, so the OP need to approve the reply I'm makeing - It could maby be the first 10 replys from new members - I dont know, but it could be a reason.
From my end it tells me that my reply is pending, untill a OP has approved it.

Ontopic:
I will try and get the system without the RAID Controller "thourt soo" :D
There is 6 SATA ports onboard, I think we will get 6*4TB RED's in a RAIDZ2 configuration to start with, and when the need come for a upgrade, a HBA card is needed and more disks.
Thanks

 

[ChriZ]

The Ram alone costs around $300, so if you can get mobo+cpu+psu+ram for $300, go for it.
Ivy bridge CPUs are not as efficient as Haswells, but for that price who cares...