Question about my build.

[metrogeekythinker]

Hi everyone,

I am new to freenas, I am intending to do it for SME for roughly 20 users. Main usage on local SMB on document files. I will install nextcloud as well for the remote access as nextcloud support 2FA. Currently i will make do with just 4 HDD, will expand later.

Below is the specification I am intending to use:
Motherboard: Supermicro X10DRL-i
CPU: 2 x E5-2603 V4 (cheapest E5 V4 processor) or 1 x E5-2678 V3 (someone suggested this is more worth it, but mobo got to change to single CPU)
RAM: 4 x SAMSUNG 8GB RECC 2400MHZ
HDD for storage: 4 X 4TB WD HGST Ultrastar DC HUS726T4TALA6L4/ALE6L4 (Raid10)
Storage Card: LSI 9271-8i
Boot Drive: Probably SATA DOM (what capacity is needed? Is 2 required?)
SLOG device: 2 X enterprise SSD (what capacity is needed?)
Network Card: X520DA-2 or X710DA-2 (is there still issue with x710da-2? Should I get mobo with X520 instead?)
Chasis: 2U Chasis with 8 hot swappable bays
PSU: 800W 1+1 Redundancy 80PLUS GOLD
Switch: Ubiquiti Networks - EdgeSwitch® Lite ES-48-Lite (Will be using the 2 SFP+ 10GBE connection LAGG, load-balancing)

 

[Chris Moore]

Storage Card: LSI 9271-8i

No, if I recall correctly, that is a hardware RAID card and not suitable for use with FreeNAS.
Where are these specs from? Did you look at the hardware suggestions on the forum?

Hardware Recommendations Guide Rev. 1e) 2017-05-06
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/hardware-recommendations-guide.12/

Hardware Recommendations by cyberjock - from 26 Aug 2014 - and still valid
https://forums.freenas.org/threads/hardware-recommendations-read-this-first.23069/

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

RAM: 4 x SAMSUNG 8GB RECC 2400MHZ

My recommendation with RAM is to go with the largest DIMMs your board will support. For example, if your board supports 16GB DIMMS and you want 32GB of ram go with 2x16GB DIMMS rather than 4x8GB. The reason is that doing so will allow you to eventually max out your ram without having to toss old DIMMs

HDD for storage: 4 X 4TB WD HGST Ultrastar DC HUS726T4TALA6L4/ALE6L4 (Raid10)

You may find the following terminology primer useful. FreeNAS terminology uses terms like Mirrored, Striped, RAIDZ1, RAIDZ2, or RAIDZ3. It helps the community make sure we are all talking about the same things. :)

Boot Drive: Probably SATA DOM (what capacity is needed? Is 2 required?)

I use SATADOMS. You do not have to use two if you do not want to. Using two allows you to mirror them. 32GB ought tp be plenty.

 

[metrogeekythinker]

Thanks for the response! Sorry for not doing enough research. I have amended my build as follow:

Motherboard: X10SRH-CF (will be using the Broadcom 3008 for the storage HDD)
CPU: 1 x E5-2678 V3
RAM: 2 x 16GB RECC 2400MHZ (Is getting LRDIMM better? or RDIMM is good enough)
HDD for storage: 4 X 4TB WD HGST Ultrastar DC HUS726T4TALA6L4/ALE6L4 (Striped Mirrored Vdev’s) (They are 7200RPM, so should I get WD RED which is 5400RPM instead?)
Boot Drive: 2 X 32G SATA DOM
SLOG device: 1 X Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P Series 280GB (Necessary to get 2 for mirroring?)
Network Card: 1 X Chelsio T520-SO-CR (Is T520-CR good enough?)
Chasis: 2U Chasis with 8 hot swappable bays
PSU: 800W 1+1 Redundancy 80PLUS GOLD
Switch: Ubiquiti Networks - EdgeSwitch® Lite ES-48-Lite (Will be using the 2 SFP+ 10GBE connection LAGG, load-balancing)

 

[Bozon]

Thanks for the response! Sorry for not doing enough research. I have amended my
SLOG device: 1 X Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P Series 280GB (Necessary to get 2 for mirroring?)

https://www.ixsystems.com/community...ror-your-slog-zil-drive-recommendation.23445/

Interesting discussion of this fact, Here is my summary which may be off, because I am an intelligent dilettante as opposed to a working storage professional (hopefully my post will generate the necessary "ire" to get a WSP to comment.)

The SLOG doesn't need to be mirrored because it is only a performance help, if it goes bad, ZFS reverts to using the Pool for this function, and performance is degraded. Now if you can't afford for you performance to be degraded for a short period of time, then you should mirror it.

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

Thanks for the response! Sorry for not doing enough research. I have amended my build as follow:

Half the fun of building a machine is the research! I find the research never ending.

Striped Mirrored Vdev’s) (They are 7200RPM, so should I get WD RED which is 5400RPM instead?

The higher RPM drives will cause more heat in your case and will not really improve performance. I had some 7200RPM drives lying around when I built my first system and it indeed does see higher temps on those drives. If you're buying new drives and can get NAS drives at lower rpms without breaking the bank you may prefer that.

 

[Bozon]

RAM: 2 x 16GB RECC 2400MHZ (Is getting LRDIMM better? or RDIMM is good enough)

Interesting question about the RAM. Here is the memory config guide. It only says what is good. Probably the best way to go is the value ram that is approved by SuperMicro.
https://www.supermicro.com/support/resources/memory/X10_UP_memory conf_guide.pdf

 

[metrogeekythinker]

Thanks! I guess I more or less decide on this build.

Motherboard: X10SRH-CF
CPU: 1 x E5-2678 V3
RAM: 2 x 16GB RECC 2400MHZ (LRDIMM dont make sense as seems like most are 32gb onwards)
HDD for storage: 4 X 4TB WD Red (Striped Mirrored Vdev’s)
Boot Drive: 2 X 32G SATA DOM SLC
SLOG device: 1 X Intel® Optane™ SSD 900P Series 280GB
Network Card: 1 X Chelsio T520-SO-CR
Chasis: 2U Chasis with 8 hot swappable bays
PSU: 800W 1+1 Redundancy 80PLUS GOLD
Switch: Ubiquiti Networks - EdgeSwitch® Lite ES-48-Lite (Will be using the 2 SFP+ 10GBE connection LAGG, load-balancing)

 

[Chris Moore]

Network Card: 1 X Chelsio

This is the one that iXsystems sells as an upgrade:
https://www.amazon.com/FreeNAS-Dual...&qid=1553618662&s=electronics&sr=1-2-fkmrnull

 

[pro lamer]

1 x E5-2678 V3 (someone suggested this is more worth it, but mobo got to change to single CPU)

Why does it need a single CPU mobo?

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