Newby Newb Questions

[JoshTem]

Hey there, I'm looking to build my own Nas and am really really green when it comes to this stuff. I think I understand the basic concept but there are somethings I don't quite get. So I have a couple of questions I'd just like answered.

Ok so I have an old pre-built I will be using for this, multi core has 4gb ram which I will upgrade to 8gb and I have a couple of 2tb Hdd's I will chuck into it.

This isn't going to be some complex thing, it will basically be a storage place for shared files, maybe a media server via plex and a backup system. for the house hold, we only run windows computers, maybe in future a mac might be a thing but for now it's not.

So whilst researching and trying to understand exactly what's going on I read somewhere that you need all the drives to be the same in order for FreeNas to work, is this true?. The reason I ask is I have a limited budget but wanted to upgrade and add a larger capacity HDD in later.

How do I or rather can I, set the NAS to back up folders/files from other computers on the network or do I need to set the computers up to back up on the NAS?

All computers and devices run Antivirus software, should I install some on the NAS? or Should the NAS have some and scan the other computers on the network? Not really sure how that all works exactly.

 

[pro lamer]

you need all the drives to be the same in order for FreeNas to work, is this true?. The reason I ask is I have a limited budget but wanted to upgrade and add a larger capacity HDD in later.

The vdev size will be the size of the EDIT: smallest largest HDD in the vdev. You can add more vdevs and each vdev can be different size. You can also replace a HDD in a vdev by a bigger one but the vdev size will increase when all the HDDs are replaced by bigger ones.

There is some primer/sticky on vdev, pool etc

 

[JoshTem]

The vdev size will be the size of the largest HDD in the vdev. You can add more vdevs and each vdev can be different size. You can also replace a HDD in a vdev by a bigger one but the vdev size will increase when all the HDDs are replaced by bigger ones.

There is some primer/sticky on vdev, pool etc

What's a vdev?

 

[Redcoat]

Go here https://constantin.glez.de/2010/06/04/a-closer-look-zfs-vdevs-and-performance/#vdev and do some reading, then come back here and look in the resources section (on the masthead). Then you can come back and ask better informed questions that are pertinent to your intentions. Also, read the forum posting rules - following them will get you a better quality response here.

 

[JoshTem]

Go here https://constantin.glez.de/2010/06/04/a-closer-look-zfs-vdevs-and-performance/#vdev and do some reading, then come back here and look in the resources section (on the masthead). Then you can come back and ask better informed questions that are pertinent to your intentions. Also, read the forum posting rules - following them will get you a better quality response here.

Irony of irony's you have to be informed to ask questions.

 

[JoshTem]

Go here https://constantin.glez.de/2010/06/04/a-closer-look-zfs-vdevs-and-performance/#vdev and do some reading, then come back here and look in the resources section (on the masthead). Then you can come back and ask better informed questions that are pertinent to your intentions. Also, read the forum posting rules - following them will get you a better quality response here.

also I did some research before posting, but nothing I've found thus far explained anything in a way I could understand or at least I did not think that what was already explained was pertinent to my situation.

 

[pro lamer]

What's a vdev?

check here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzHapVfrocfwblFvMVdvQ2ZqTGM/view

 

[JoshTem]

check here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzHapVfrocfwblFvMVdvQ2ZqTGM/view

Thanks

 

[gpsguy]

There's s lot of information in the documentation - http://doc.freenas.org/11/

If you'd like a PDF version of it, see the link in my signature.

 

[pro lamer]

The vdev size will be the size of the EDIT: smallest largest HDD

Typo, apologies. "smallest" is the proper.

 

[pro lamer]

add a larger capacity HDD in later

And one possibility more: one can have more than one pool.

Ps.
When calculating capacities some overhead must be included.