Not sure where to start.

[IkeaGnome]

I'm completely new to the world of NAS. I've been doing some reading on it and every time I read more, I end up thinking a different direction fits my needs better. I have an old computer laying around the house that I'd like to turn into a NAS for some file backups, but mostly as a media server. I was thinking RAID 5/50. Now it's looking like ZFS Z1 is where I want to go. I'm in the process of running ethernet through the house set up to an 8 way switch. Attached to his/hers PCs and TVs in the house.
I don't have experience with Linux, but obviously willing to learn. I also don't have experience with NAS. I know there's going to be a learning curve with both. I'm fine with that. I'd just like to get some help with "Don't do that, this would be a lot better of a solution"
As far as my current build for a NAS. I have a 7700k/1070 system in the closet. It has no RAM in it, but I have 4x8gig sticks that are second hand, but good(Had to switch from them when my pc went ITX). I might end up just throwing all 4 sticks at it since it's highly unlikely they'll find another use.
For the hard drives, I'm leaning towards Seagate 8tb NAS drives, and a Samsung 870 500gb OS/Plugin drive. Ideally, what I'd do is get some feedback and pull the trigger on a set of 4 hard drives. I would like to have the RAID someone modular in a raid 10 or 50 style. 4 Drives now, add 4 later as needed etc. My motherboard has 6 SATA connectors so an expansion slot would be needed at some point. I'd like to buy that with the first batch of drives so it's here and done with(Shipping to Alaska can be fun).

TLDR; Need advice. RAID 50 for expand ability or (?) for other reasons? Any major pitfalls I'm about to walk into? Is the 1070 even needed for a media server? Is there a more "beginner friendly" way to set this all up? Any PCIE SATA expansion cards I find say they aren't RAID compatible, but I've been told they should work fine with a Linux based NAS. What should I look for in them?

 

[JohnDigital]

Welcome. Theres alot to cover and im bored today so ill add my .02.

Stay away from Z1. It seems like your wasting space I know, but stick with Z2 it works great, especially for --no offense, a newb. Its no longer recommended by anyone in any case, with the exception of things that have no value to you, because it goes poof real easy. If you absolutely insist on Z1, be vigilant, make sure your alerts are properly configured and received, or poof.

Use all the RAM for sure, and ECC memory is the norm around here, but as I always say, if you got it already go ahead and use it!

Id double up those 870 SSD your jail disk, and run a mirror, its a disaster when that single disk fails and you lose everything that makes TrueNAS "fun", its not fun. Parity on jail disks is a must, as well as boot and media.

Ive taken a liking to booting from 2 of these in a mirror.

AvagoLSI HBAs are well liked around here for SATA disk expansion. Use SFF8087 Forward breakout cables to easily add 8 SATA3 disks. Run your SSDs boot disks and jails from the MB and connect your main pool to the 1015 for beautiful performance as a media server.

Another thing to consider is the ethernet chip. Intel is the gold standard. Dont have one? Go ahead and get you a nice server grade dual Intel NIC when you swoop up the M1015.

Ill be around, shoot back.

 

[Newfoundland.Republic]

Hi @IkeaGnome - welcome aboard.

1. Take a look at the resources available starting with Hardware Recommendations Guide Rev 2a) 2021-01-24
2. Read the forums!
3. Be aware of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) drives - stay with CMR (Conventional Magnetic Recording) drives - see List of known SMR drives
4. Do not use hardware RAID. ZFS takes care of this for you and to do so it needs direct disk access. So, use LSI HBA (host bus adapter) for your drives as @John Digital noted. You can use your onboard SATA ports so long as they are "stock" (no RAID1). As @John Digital noted, Z2 is the beter route to go.
5. Do not use RealTek network cards!
6. There are things that you can do and things that you should do. The forum has lots of people who are willing to help, many of which have been around a long time. That said, if you've been around a long time, you've probably answered some "things you shouldn't do" questions - that means they may not be patient if you have problems with the "shouldn't do" options and are asking for help.

Remember - it is your data and if your data is important to you, follow the best practices. You will be happier!

Good Luck!

 

[Newfoundland.Republic]

@IkeaGnome - a couple of additional things:

• TrueNAS is based on FreeBSD, not Linux. Both have a *nix ancestor but are not the same. FreeBSD has a relatively small install base compared to Linux (read: not as popular) and thus has a more limited list of supported hardware.
• Remember that building a server is not the same as building a PC - the use cases are different. (e.g., don't overclock - if your into RGB lights, well to each their own ).
• Since this is a server, is will run 24x7. Keep that in mind.
• Don't be afraid of "previously loved" hardware. Be mindful of parts from China/Hong Kong - unfortunately some of it is counterfeit.
• You can get some great deals on older server hardware. Keep in mind that most server hardware is meant for the data centre where noise (i.e., fans) is not an issue.
• One great thing about server motherboards is that they generally have IPMI - you can do everything from your living room chair that you would do with a keyboard and monitor at the server.

 

[ChrisRJ]

What I would like to add to the great advice from @Newfoundland.Republic is that you should factor in a couple of weeks for coming to a decision point. I have been running file servers/NASes (Novell NetWare 3+4, Linux, Nexenta, FreeNAS) for more than 25 years and it took me about 3 months last summer until I really knew what I wanted. That is probably a bit excessive and not necessarily something to aspire for. But don't be upset with yourself if it takes more than a couple of days, that is absolutely fine.