Need advise on a proposed new System for PLEX

[Selassie]

Hi Everyone,

I need some advise here, i am currently building a system some of it i have already other parts I have recently purchased. The system will be used solely for media & file storage and to run Plex.

Current System

System: SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SDV-TLN4F-O Mini ITX Server (8 core 16 threads, 64GB Ram) in a 2U case,

Operating System: Ubuntu Server 16.04, only app is PLEX server connection to QNAP via SMB

NAS: QNAP TS 873U-RP, 8x 8 TB Drives in RAID 5

I am running out of disk space and wanted to add more storage and a more efficient & reliable file system (ZFS).

The systems will be used for nothing else except PLEX server and Media Storage (two main folders, TV & Movies).

The plan

1. Reuse the motherboard, processor in the new system and preserve my data.
2. Migrate PLEX data from Ubuntu to run on FreeNAS in a jail
3. Use the QNAP as a backup file server and connected to the FreeNAS box

NEW SYSTEM
Chassis
Gooxi RMC3116-670-HSE 3U (16 drives + 4x 2.5’ drives)
12Gb SAS Backplane Support SGPIO，Compatible with SAS and SATA HDD
http://en.gooxi.com/goods/show-769.html

SAS controller (Flashed to IT mode)
LSI SAS9211-8I 8PORT Int 6GB Sata+sas Pcie 2.0
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RL8I7M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Connectors: 2x 8087 to 8643 cables.

Motherboard
SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SDV-TLN4F-O Mini ITX Server
Xeon Processor D-1541 (8 core 16 threads)
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon/d/x10sdv-tln4f.cfm

Memory
Crucial 64GB Kit (16GBx4) ECC, DDR4 2133 (PC4-2133) DR x4 288-Pin Server Memory CT4K16G4RFD4213 / CT4C16G4RFD4213

Hard Drives
Seagate Iron Wolf 10TB x 16

Drives for Zil/ Slog & L2ARC
Intel DC S3700 400GB
Intel DC S3610 480GB

QUESTIONS

1. What would be the recommended storage configuration to use
2. How much usable space would i have
3. If I were to start with 12 drives and add another 4 at a later date can they join the same pool or would i need to create a new pool
4. is 64GB enough RAM
5. Any other caveats or gottas to be aware of?

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

1. One big RAIDZ2 is fine.

2. 140TB, give or take.

3. I'd start with eight drives as RAIDZ2 giving you 60TB of space. Then, when you're 80% full, buy eight more drives, create a RAIDZ2 VDEV then add it to the pool. Your upfront cost is less. When you're ready to buy the second batch of drives, you may be able to get more storage for the same cost. Adding a second VDEV to the existing pool will double throughput and IOPS, all else being equal.

4. Yes.

5a. your configuration is probably way more horsepower than you need given your limited requirements
5b. you probably don't need SLOG/L2ARC
5c. I wouldn't both migrating the Plex config, just create a new VM under FreeNAS and install from scratch

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Selassie]

1. One big RAIDZ2 is fine.

2. 140TB, give or take.

3. I'd start with eight drives as RAIDZ2 giving you 60TB of space. Then, when you're 80% full, buy eight more drives, create a RAIDZ2 VDEV then add it to the pool. Your upfront cost is less. When you're ready to buy the second batch of drives, you may be able to get more storage for the same cost. Adding a second VDEV to the existing pool will double throughput and IOPS, all else being equal.

4. Yes.

5a. your configuration is probably way more horsepower than you need given your limited requirements
5b. you probably don't need SLOG/L2ARC
5c. I wouldn't both migrating the Plex config, just create a new VM under FreeNAS and install from scratch

Cheers,
Matt

Thanks Matthew

That’s a great help. I already have 12 drives I really wanted to know if anything would change if I purchased an adittional 4 later on.

 

[danb35]

I wouldn't both migrating the Plex config, just create a new VM under FreeNAS and install from scratch

...and I'd instead suggest avoiding the added complexity of a VM and running Plex in a jail. Unless you need one of the few Plex features that isn't in the FreeBSD version...

 

[Selassie]

...and I'd instead suggest avoiding the added complexity of a VM and running Plex in a jail. Unless you need one of the few Plex features that isn't in the FreeBSD version...

Thanks Dan,

I have no experience in running PLEX on FreeNas so any advice is more than welcome. The reason I wanted to migrate from Ubuntu instead of just pointing all the date to the new location was to preserve my movie and TV posters and configuration.

I also see from your config you are running SABNZB+/Sonarr, I owuld be very interested in knowing more about how well they run and if it allows for 1005 automation or do you need to intervene and make manual amendments to edit file names and upload into your storage location?

 

[danb35]

I have no idea what "1005" automation is, but of course it will move files into their proper locations and (optionally) rename them.

 

[Chris Moore]

That’s a great help. I already have 12 drives I really wanted to know if anything would change if I purchased an adittional 4 later on.

There are some caveats to being able to just add four more drives to a pool that is created with 12 drives. If you don't have prior experience with ZFS (the filesystem of FreeNAS) you should take a look at this reference material to familiarize yourself with some of the HUGE differences between ZFS and other file systems you have used before:

Slideshow explaining VDev, zpool, ZIL and L2ARC
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Terminology and Abbreviations Primer
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/terminology-and-abbreviations-primer.28174/

There are a large number of other helpful links under the button in my signature that is called, "Useful Links".

 

[Selassie]

I have no idea what "1005" automation is, but of course it will move files into their proper locations and (optionally) rename them.

Sorry Dan It was a typo I meant full automation

 

[Selassie]

There are some caveats to being able to just add four more drives to a pool that is created with 12 drives. If you don't have prior experience with ZFS (the filesystem of FreeNAS) you should take a look at this reference material to familiarize yourself with some of the HUGE differences between ZFS and other file systems you have used before:

Slideshow explaining VDev, zpool, ZIL and L2ARC
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Terminology and Abbreviations Primer
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/terminology-and-abbreviations-primer.28174/

There are a large number of other helpful links under the button in my signature that is called, "Useful Links".

Thanks a lot Chris,

Before I start configuring anything I’d better understand fully how the ZFS file system works and how to administer it. Thanks for the links, very useful.

 

[danb35]

Sorry Dan It was a typo I meant full automation

In that case, yes, Sonarr/Radarr with SAB/Transmission will find, download, move, and rename your content.

 

[Selassie]

1. One big RAIDZ2 is fine.

2. 140TB, give or take.

3. I'd start with eight drives as RAIDZ2 giving you 60TB of space. Then, when you're 80% full, buy eight more drives, create a RAIDZ2 VDEV then add it to the pool. Your upfront cost is less. When you're ready to buy the second batch of drives, you may be able to get more storage for the same cost. Adding a second VDEV to the existing pool will double throughput and IOPS, all else being equal.

4. Yes.

5a. your configuration is probably way more horsepower than you need given your limited requirements
5b. you probably don't need SLOG/L2ARC
5c. I wouldn't both migrating the Plex config, just create a new VM under FreeNAS and install from scratch

Cheers,
Matt

Hi Matt & All,

i like the idea of starting with 8 drives, let me know what you think of this proposal as I am eventually looking to run the equivalent of RAID 60.

My proposal
I now have 16 drives,
Create One pool with two VDEVs
Create VDEV1 = 8 drives in RAIDZ2
Create VDEV2 = 8 Drives in RAIDZ2
Strip the two VDEVs to create the equivalent of RAID 60

I have a couple of questions about this setup
1. After I create the two VDEV's will the system automatically create the strip across both VDEV's or do I need to so something else for this to happen?
2. Is this the most effect way of creating a speedy and reliable Pool with the 16 drives (baring in mind I no not want to use more than 4 drives for parity)

Any advice from the gurus out there would be more than welcome.


regards

 

[MatthewSteinhoff]

I have a couple of questions about this setup

1. Yes, the interface to create the pool is fairly intuitive. It has been a while since I did our striped RAIDZ2 pool but it was straightforward. That is a common configuration and well-supported.

2. Speedy is in the eye of the beholder. For your Plex media server use case, I think you'll be plenty happy. Your disk pool will be able to pump out as many HD streams as your CPU can handle.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Selassie]

1. Yes, the interface to create the pool is fairly intuitive. It has been a while since I did our striped RAIDZ2 pool but it was straightforward. That is a common configuration and well-supported.

2. Speedy is in the eye of the beholder. For your Plex media server use case, I think you'll be plenty happy. Your disk pool will be able to pump out as many HD streams as your CPU can handle.

Cheers,
Matt

Thanks a lot Matt,

Setting up the striped pool across both VDEV's is there anything i need to do in addition to allocating each set of 8 disks as a separate RAIDZ2 array?

Happy to know that there will be a good turn of speed as this has ben one of my bottlenecks.

thanks for the swift reply.

regards

 

[Chris Moore]

Create VDEV1 = 8 drives in RAIDZ2
Create VDEV2 = 8 Drives in RAIDZ2
Strip the two VDEVs to create the equivalent of RAID 60

This all happens in one step through the GUI.

Setting up the striped pool across both VDEV's is there anything i need to do in addition to allocating each set of 8 disks as a separate RAIDZ2 array?

That is not how it is done.
If you create two separate arrays, it will not be one pool.

 

[Chris Moore]

At the least, you are using the wrong terminology. Because you are saying it wrong, it makes me think you are going to do it wrong. Please review these guides:

Slideshow explaining VDev, zpool, ZIL and L2ARC
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Terminology and Abbreviations Primer
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/terminology-and-abbreviations-primer.28174/


Building, Burn-In, and Testing your FreeNAS system
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/building-burn-in-and-testing-your-freenas-system.38/

Uncle Fester's Basic FreeNAS Configuration Guide
https://www.familybrown.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=fester:intro

 

[Selassie]

This all happens in one step through the GUI.

That is not how it is done.
If you create two separate arrays, it will not be one pool.

Thanks Chris for the correction, but I am still a little confused,

My question is how do i strip the two VDEVs?

I understand how to select each set of 8 disks and set each set as RAIDZ2, what i am not sure of is how to strip the two VDEVs.

 

[danb35]

My question is how do i strip the two VDEVs?

You don't. FreeNAS does that for you. Either (1) you create the pool with two, 8-disk RAIDZ2 vdevs all in one step in the volume manager, or (2) you create the pool with a single 8-disk RAIDZ2 vdev, and then extend that pool with a second identical vdev. Both of these are done in the volume manager, and both will give you the same result. Suggest actually reading the manual, as well as the resources Chris linked to.

 

[Selassie]

You don't. FreeNAS does that for you. Either (1) you create the pool with two, 8-disk RAIDZ2 vdevs all in one step in the volume manager, or (2) you create the pool with a single 8-disk RAIDZ2 vdev, and then extend that pool with a second identical vdev. Both of these are done in the volume manager, and both will give you the same result. Suggest actually reading the manual, as well as the resources Chris linked to.

Thanks danb35,

I've read the manual and the links which Chris gave it explains the theory of it and I understand that, but the how to do it is neither in the manual or the links shared. I will try what you have suggest above on a test machine with 8 small disks to see if I can get it to work.

One last question how will i know when both VDEVs are stripped, will it appear in the log files or somewhere else?

 

[Selassie]

There are some caveats to being able to just add four more drives to a pool that is created with 12 drives. If you don't have prior experience with ZFS (the filesystem of FreeNAS) you should take a look at this reference material to familiarize yourself with some of the HUGE differences between ZFS and other file systems you have used before:

Slideshow explaining VDev, zpool, ZIL and L2ARC
https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Terminology and Abbreviations Primer
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/terminology-and-abbreviations-primer.28174/

There are a large number of other helpful links under the button in my signature that is called, "Useful Links".

Great links Chris,

yes i still have a lot of reading to do both prior to building the system and while testing before putting into production, the inks are much appreciated.

 

[danb35]

One last question how will i know when both VDEVs are stripped, will it appear in the log files or somewhere else?

When your pool consists of multiple vdevs, all vdevs are striped. Always.