Newbie With Starter Questions

[timlab55]

I'm a newbie with NAS, so please don't make it hurt so badly like some boards do when a newbie doesn't understand what is trying to be said. I'm hoping this is going to be slow and successful on my end. With that being said, in about 2 days I will be getting my computer back which I want to turn into a DIY NAS. Don't have the money right now to purchase a NAS. Before sending my computer off for repair, I did download the truenas software, but when I did that, I notice that there was two soft wares, which was called "FreeNAS-11.3-U5 and the other was TrueNAS-12.0-U1". So to get this going, which one do I need to download and install?

Thank you

 

[timlab55]

I wanted to edit my first post, but can't seem to find an edit button, so I'm going to add it here. I guess I should inform you all WHY I want a NAS. I have two computers. One computer sits in my office, and my other computer sits next to my evening chair. According to what I know about networking, sometimes when I'm on the office computer and save something and then during the evening, I turn on the easy chair computer, I can't connect to the office computer, because the office computer has gone into sleep mode and it doesn't want to wake up. Sounds like me when I go to bed, once I'm in bed don't wake me up for nothing. So having a NAS unit I figure this would be an easy fix. In addition to that, I found out that having a NAS, not only can both my computers connect to it, but also my android TV, both my phones, and other devices. So that is the reason why I want a NAS. As I mentioned in my early post, I'm using an old window PC to do do it.
Thanks for listening.

 

[SweetAndLow]

True nas 12.0-u1 is the current latest stable release.

 

[timlab55]

Okay next question: When I tried this the first time, I watched the video and it said that I should have two USB sticks ready. I did. But I wasn't sure about how to use them. I know one will be used as a boot, but the other I'm not sure about. Can anyone help me out with this please?
Again, thank you for taking the time in helping out a newbie

 

[SweetAndLow]

Read the manual. Linked at top of this forum or just search for it.

 

[timlab55]

Okay I'll give it a try, but I'm one of those people who can read write and do math, but at 65,things just don't stick in the mind like they use to, but thank you for your information.

 

[timlab55]

Okay, I've looked and read some parts of the manual that might answer the rest of my questions, but couldn't find them. So again, I come back to ask them.
#1: I have two HHD. One is 1TB and the other is 4TB. I plan on putting the operation OS on my 320GB SSD. Can I use the 1TB and 4TB together, as they both run at 7,200 rpm's? The 1TB is a normal Hd and the 4tb is a NAS drive?
#2: Can you partition the SSD drive to make a 3rd drive?
#3: My old computer (once I get it soon), will have 16GB of ram. Should I still include a SWAP drive as well? If I should, what size should it be? I don't plan on running alot of apps on it, again, just something to hold my files and read them back when I need them from any computer.
#4: So that I don't waste elect, as again I'm not rich, can my NAS unit be put to sleep between this time and that time? As well as not having the HD's disk spinning all the time.
These are all the questions I have so far until I get the computer in and running. The machine I putting on my NAS on is a HP Z220 workstation which I'm sure will work (I hope).
Thanks

 

[Heracles]

#1: I have two HHD. One is 1TB and the other is 4TB. I plan on putting the operation OS on my 320GB SSD. Can I use the 1TB and 4TB together, as they both run at 7,200 rpm's? The 1TB is a normal Hd and the 4tb is a NAS drive?

Yes, but the 4TB will be limited to only 1TB of usable space. The only redundancy possible with 2 drives is a mirror, so both drives will offer you a 1TB volume.

#2: Can you partition the SSD drive to make a 3rd drive?

Technically possible but not to be done. The entire interface is designed with the assumption that each drive is fully used for a single purpose and that is not partitioned. If you go against that assumption, you can not assume that anything will work as expected anymore. Just don't do it.

#3: My old computer (once I get it soon), will have 16GB of ram. Should I still include a SWAP drive as well? If I should, what size should it be? I don't plan on running alot of apps on it, again, just something to hold my files and read them back when I need them from any computer.

TrueNAS will take some space on each drives for swap itself. No need to give more.

#4: So that I don't waste elect, as again I'm not rich, can my NAS unit be put to sleep between this time and that time? As well as not having the HD's disk spinning all the time.

Yes and No here... To spin your disk up and down repeatedly will cost you a fortune more than letting them spinning all day long. The reason is that when you keep starting / stopping the drives all the time, you kill them in no time. The cost of replacing these failed drives will be way more than the cost of electricity that will keep them running. Also, in winter time, the heat dissipated by the server is kept inside the home, so the regular heating does not have to produce that one. At the end, it is not lost. That heat will turn to a cost only if you are using air conditioner during summer time. And again, to kill your hard drive with ups and downs will cost you more than that electricity.

The machine I putting on my NAS on is a HP Z220 workstation

Not a good idea. Workstations are not meant to stay up and running 24 / 7. Their power supply is not meant for that, they will not dissipate that much heat, ...

You should be able to find a used server for a reasonable cost and that one will fit the task you are looking for.

 

[SweetAndLow]

Okay, I've looked and read some parts of the manual that might answer the rest of my questions, but couldn't find them. So again, I come back to ask them.
#1: I have two HHD. One is 1TB and the other is 4TB. I plan on putting the operation OS on my 320GB SSD. Can I use the 1TB and 4TB together, as they both run at 7,200 rpm's? The 1TB is a normal Hd and the 4tb is a NAS drive?
#2: Can you partition the SSD drive to make a 3rd drive?
#3: My old computer (once I get it soon), will have 16GB of ram. Should I still include a SWAP drive as well? If I should, what size should it be? I don't plan on running alot of apps on it, again, just something to hold my files and read them back when I need them from any computer.
#4: So that I don't waste elect, as again I'm not rich, can my NAS unit be put to sleep between this time and that time? As well as not having the HD's disk spinning all the time.
These are all the questions I have so far until I get the computer in and running. The machine I putting on my NAS on is a HP Z220 workstation which I'm sure will work (I hope).
Thanks

Thanks for reading the manual it usually helps answer the simple questions and then let's us help with the more complex ones.

I agree with what heracles said except for the comment about your system but being good at running 24/7. That box will be just fine running your system. Yes lots of people around here run server hardware but there are more people running truenas on consumer hardware than server hardware.

 

[timlab55]

So from what I understand now is the following:
#1: Since I'm going to put in a 1tb and a 4tb, the 4tb will useless as the system will make this into a 1tb drive, because it sort of going to mirror the 1tb drive. So I'll leave out the 1tb drive and only use the 4tb. If I need more, I'll just get either a bigger drive or another 4tb drive of the same flavor.
#2: Just don't do it!
#3: Nothing to be done.
#4: Just leave the system up and running. My only problem is I will have to unplug it during storms, as I've already lost one computer to a lighting storm.
#5: I can use my Z220 workstation with no problems.
Thanks

 

[Heracles]

My only problem is I will have to unplug it during storms, as I've already lost one computer to a lighting storm.

I suggest you get yourself a UPS instead. In case of a storm or a power failure, the UPS will protect the NAS. It will also provides it with some power and a signal to shutdown itself cleanly instead of crashing. FreeNAS is using NUT for that.

That way, the NAS will be protected and will power itself off cleanly when needed only. All of that unattended.

 

[timlab55]

I thank you for your advice. But at this time I don't have the funds for one. Therefore, how can I safety turn off the NAS without killing it?

 

[Heracles]

If you can not afford a power bar or a UPS, to manually turn On and Off the NAS once in a while is not that bad. Hard drives will cool down and it will mean more spin up and down, but not that many. The worst is when you put your hardware in "power saving mode". In that case, the drives can be stopped and restarted every 10 minutes. That is way too many. To do it manually only when a storm is coming will not be in that category. You can do it, but just know that even a simple power bar would be better.

--It will protect the box against surge
--It will prevent the hard drive from cooling down by avoiding to stop them when a storm is expected
--It will prevent ups and downs by avoiding to stop them when a storm is expected

A UPS would be even better by :
--preventing even more hard drive cool downs when there is a power outage
--preventing even more ups and down when there is a power outage
--offer that protection unattended

Without affording anything, power down your server manually. Just know that it is not economic in any way.
A simple power bar would not cost much if you do not already have one. It will help a lot by avoiding to power down as a precaution against surge.
The UPS is the complete solution and it will serve you well once you will be able to get one.

Both the power bar and the UPS can also be re-used for even more benefits, like protecting other electronic devices or recharging your cell phone when there is an outage.

 

[SweetAndLow]

This is not complicates, just power it off in the gui. Turn it off and on as many times as you want just know freenas works best when it's always on. There are tests and scrubs that should be configured to run periodically and if the system isn't on then they don't run. Sounds like you just want to turn it off for storms which is perfectly reasonable.

Again most people do not use a ups or even know what it is.

 

[timlab55]

I'm not out to piss any members off at each other. I do have one of these ( link attached)Power. However, I even had this on, and the lighting still got to me. So until I can get a UPS, everything is going off during a storm. Sorry.

 

[timlab55]

You know, I'm so excited that my computer will be coming, that is when they find it. I'm thinking they lost it, and all they can do is pay me for it. So if this is the case (which I will not know until next week), someone mentioned to me that a z220 could handle it, but I could use something a little less powerful. So with that in mind, any suggestions? What about these NAS on amazon? At least 4GB expandable up to ? in ram tho.
Thanks