Planned hardware feedback request

[enteracloud]

Hi All,

New to truenas but we are looking to build out our first lab box for testing. Here is what we have planned;

Server - Dell PowerEdge T640 Rack
CPU - 2 x Intel Gold 6144 8c 3.5ghz
Memory 512gb DDR4
Truenas install disk - Intel P3700 400gb
Log Disk - Intel P5800X 400gb
Main controller -Dell Pec H330
Disks - 18x 10tb sas
Network - intel xl710-qda2 dual 40gb ethernet

We would to use this to play around with and get an idea of throughput, performance and overall functionality with Truenas

Appreciate any feedback or guidance or criticisms you have to offer!

 

[Nick2253]

Depending on your use case, this could be massively overspecced, or it could be woefully inadequate.

Couple thoughts:

• Given the price that such a server runs, I'm guessing that you're willing to invest in specialized hardware for the job. If this is the case, I'd probably recommend an iX box rather than trying to run something on a Dell box. Through iX you'll get much better support, and you won't have to worry about issues (like my next point).
• By default, the H330 from Dell is a RAID controller, and needs to be flashed to IT mode to support ZFS correctly. This will require an investment of time, and will likely not be supported by Dell.
• A SLOG may or may not be necessary, depending on the needs of the server. However, you have picked the correct kind of disk: a super-fast SSD with power-loss protection.
• 2x 6144s are overkill for most NAS loads.
• If you're looking for a hyper-converged solution, I'd recommend against it. In my opinion, there's a very narrow window where a hyperconverged box makes more sense than a separate Hypervisor and NAS. While it looks attractive from reducing your server counts, it creates problems for reliability, backup, and disaster recovery.