Newbie to FreeNAS: need your simple explanations and advises

[NewUser68]

Hello,
I read freeNAS documentation, wiki, forum and trying to understand what is what... :)
Sometimes it's a bit difficult to understand as I'm really a newbie on this, so if you can help me with some simple explanation and advises it will be very helpful.

I read some tutorials and I think it's not that difficult to install and configure what I am trying to build but not clearly understand which config suits good for my usage.

I am trying to build a data server for my home usage:
- this data server stores pictures, movies (Bluray backup) and music files
- access those files through home network from WD Live hub.
- access those files through home network from home theater Windows PC
- access those files through home network from other handheld devices (android/iOS)
- access those files through home network from my LED TV (Samsung)

I want the server be able to restore data in case of ONE disk failure
I intend to build a server with max 6 HDDs

The HW config is as follow:
- Asus Vintage V6-M4A3000E (http://www.asus.com/Barebone_PC/V_Series_2530L/V6M4A3000E/#specifications)
- AMD Athlon II X2 250 (is it possible to use AMD sempron 140 [Socket AM3 - 1024Kb - 2.7 GHz - 45nm ]???)
- DDR3 8GB [2x4GB] (KINGSTON Value [KVR1333D3N9K2/8G])
- HDD (mostly likely SATA300 1.5To (1500GB) - 5400 SAMSUNG SpinPoint). I already have 2 of those HDDs. Is it possible to mix 1.5T HDD with 2T HDDs?
- USB Memory stick (4GB for freeNAS boot)

I saw using ZFS with RAID-Z1 (without undrstanding what is really ZFS and RAID-Z1 even after reading some wikis, but this is not my question :)) could be ok for my usage and requirements.

Could you guys help me and tell me if my HW config and FreeNAS with ZFS, RAID-Z1 are ok for my usage.

Thanks you all...

 

[iJimmyC]

I am trying to build a data server for my home usage:
- this data server stores pictures, movies (Bluray backup) and music files

Yes it can serve this kind of data

- access those files through home network from WD Live hub.

Not sure, I don't own one, and don't know how it operates in terms of connecting to NAS...

- access those files through home network from home theater Windows PC

Yep, once you've set up the system and log into the web GUI, simply set up the windows share (There's a tutorial video on the FreeNas site if you need it..)

- access those files through home network from other handheld devices (android/iOS

This wouldn't work natively... Mainly as I don't think these devices can handle connecting to external storage (this may depend on jailbreak etc..) But you CAN place the referential files of the music and compatible video files in iTunes (stored on the NAS) and turn on home sharing in iTunes to "stream" to say an iPad..

- access those files through home network from my LED TV (Samsung)

Again as I don't have one, and don't know which model you have, I don't know what they've put into this TV, and whether it can connect to a NAS directly or whether you'd have to go through a PC (NAS - PC - TV)...

I want the server be able to restore data in case of ONE disk failure
I intend to build a server with max 6 HDDs

With 6 HDD I'd personally go with RAIDZ2 - Then you get 2 drive failure redundancy.. So instead of a 5-1 (RAIDZ1) you'd have a 4-2 (RAIDZ2) but this might not suit your storage needs... But it's just a preference thing..

The HW config is as follow:
- Asus Vintage V6-M4A3000E (http://www.asus.com/Barebone_PC/V_Series_2530L/V6M4A3000E/#specifications)
- AMD Athlon II X2 250 (is it possible to use AMD sempron 140 [Socket AM3 - 1024Kb - 2.7 GHz - 45nm ]???)
- DDR3 8GB [2x4GB] (KINGSTON Value [KVR1333D3N9K2/8G])
- HDD (mostly likely SATA300 1.5To (1500GB) - 5400 SAMSUNG SpinPoint). I already have 2 of those HDDs. Is it possible to mix 1.5T HDD with 2T HDDs?
- USB Memory stick (4GB for freeNAS boot)

Hardware looks fine.

HOWEVER! mix and match 1.5TB and 2TB HDD is NOT advisable. Within a single vdev I would stress the use of the same size disks! Now.. You may want to create 2 separate vdevs, one with the 2TB HDD and the other with the 1.5TBHDD and have them in the same Zpool.. However, then you're looking at losing more data storage space...

Hope this helps you understand a little better.. and points you in the right direction.

This might be of use in understanding what ZFS is.. and what the processes involved are.. (although you might find it a bit boring..)

http://blogs.oracle.com/video/entry/becoming_a_zfs_ninja

 

[NewUser68]

Hell iJimmyC,
Thanks alot for your clear explanation.

Regarding my WD Live Hub and my Samsung TV, I think a samba share is fine. I mean I have a linux PC (Ubuntu) and when I share a folder from Ubuntu with Samba, I can access the folder and files in this shared folder from WD live hub and from my Samsung TV.

For mixing HDD size, hopefully I got your advise :) I will use my existing 2 x 1.5T and buy other 4 x 1.5 HDD instead of 2T. I already read about vdevs, but actually I'm lost with that as well as ZFS (even I spent time to read many pages on that).

One more question: if I start with 4 x 1.5T (3 x 1.5T storage + 1.5T redundancy), can I add one or more 1.5T later on when I need more storage space without difficult configuration/setup?
easily (easily for a newbie)?

Regarding the CPU.. Is it possible to use AMD Sempron 140 instead of Athlon II X2 250? Because in the compatible HW documentation, I saw Athlon, but not Sempron... (less $$ for Sempron)
Anyways, thanks for your help... Once I have setup all that stuff I'll post here if everything works fine.

 

[iJimmyC]

Right... Well technically you can't add any drives to a vdev (which is what I think you are meaning) - basically you have 3-1 (RAIDZ1) and want to say make it 4-1.. This is unfortunately not possible..

HOWEVER, you CAN add 4 more drives and have a 3-1 (RAIDZ1) and another 3-1 (RAIDZ1) so then you have 2 x 3-1 (RAIDZ1) in the same zpool (in the GUI I believe you would do this by selecting the 4 new drives and then configuring them in ZFS, RAIDZ1 and giving the "volume" name the same as the original... - but I'm not 100% sure! Check before doing this, and make sure you have a backup of your data too!!)

So technically you can't add another drive to the vdev that you've originally created, but if you add a new vdev you can add that total storage to your original zpool (Volume in the GUI - the WEBGUI combines vdev and zpool into one thing called "volume")

Check out this guy's note as to how he set up two separate vdevs into the same zpool using the GUI...

http://d.goodlad.net/articles/home_file_server/

Good luck.

 

[NewUser68]

Well... thing is a bit different as the max HDD that the mainboard accepts is 6 and I don't think I will need more storage.
So, I better should go directly with 5-1 RAID-Z1.

And regarding the CPU? Do you think AMD Sempron 140 is ok?

Thanks again...

 

[iJimmyC]

Personally... I would go with the "AMD Athlon II X2 250" I'm afraid I don't know much about the Sempron, and I personally think that the more horsepower available when running ZFS the better.. But then again, as FreeNas is a cut down of FreeBSD, and therefore not as CPU intensive, you might not require the extra power...

As for the RAIDZ config, there shouldn't be any problems with that.. But as I mentioned, with 6 drives, I would go for RAIDZ2 4-2.. But again the storage capacity is more important than redundancy in this situation..

To add more drives at a later date you could always look into SAS/SATA controller cards.. - This is what I'm looking into at the moment, as I'm planning a completely new build with 15 HDD..

 

[NewUser68]

15 HDDs... that's huge storage capacity :)

For my usage I guess 5 HDD will be enough (and one for redundancy). And I will follow your wise advise for the CPU.
I'll build all that stuff and will come back here looking for your additional advise if I encounter any issue during config (I saw many tutorials for config, so I assume it should be ok).

Many thanks again iJimmyC...

 

[iJimmyC]

Follow the tutorials and the FAQs and you can't go far wrong..

15 HDD can be physically big.. But Logically small..

I'll leave you with that.

Good Luck! God Speed!!