Researching New Build

[nasnice]

After an absence here of 2 years, while my 2 FreeNas systems ran flawless, I am slowly coming up on 80% storage on my Movie Storage System (Thanks to Blue Ray!)
So I am contemplating a new build and came to the following components:
"
Case: https://www.inter-tech.de/products/ipc/server-cases/4u-4129-n

Motherboard: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/X10SL7-F

Disks: 8 x https://geizhals.eu/hgst-ultrastar-....html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=eu&hloc=pl&hloc=uk

Slog: 2 x https://geizhals.eu/kingston-ssdnow....html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=eu&hloc=pl&hloc=uk

Memory: 2 x https://www.amazon.com/Micron-DDR3-1600-512Mx8-Mircon-MT18KSF1G72AZ-1G6E1-x/dp/B00NTAQXXQ

Processor: https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...core-i3-4330-processor-4m-cache-3-50-ghz.html

Boot drives: 2 x https://www.samsung.com/nl/memory-storage/fit-plus-usb-stick-black/MUF-32ABEU/
"
I would highly appreciate any comments or suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

Boot drives: 2 x https://www.samsung.com/nl/memory-storage/fit-plus-usb-stick-black/MUF-32ABEU/

If you can afford it, I recommend you not go with USB sticks. Lots of folks still do, but SSDs are soooo cheap you can get a pair of two and call it a day. If space is a concern you can pick up a pair of SATADOMs.

Slog: 2 x https://geizhals.eu/kingston-ssdnow....html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=eu&hloc=pl&hloc=uk

For any SLOG you'll want as much write performance as you can get and Power Loss Protection. Does this have PLP?

After an absence here of 2 years, while my 2 FreeNas systems ran flawless, I am slowly coming up on 80% storage on my Movie Storage System (Thanks to Blue Ray!)

If you're out of space but the system performs well perhaps all you need is to add more storage rather than a new system?

 

[nasnice]

@PhiloEpisteme
Thanks for your input!
I would love to expand the present system but think I have no Sata ports left so that brings on another problem how to expand the sata ports.. Maybe a good controller and seperate storage chassis would be much cheaper.. Problem is how to do that properly... Any suggestions?

I would want to try and add a slog though... sometimes we have up to 6 concurrent streams... Read and write....

Yes I can afford the SSD disks... but again available Sata ports..

About the Slog Disks I thought ZFS was also taking care of the PLP? Cannot find the PLP info on kingstons site any suggestions for an alternative?

I think my sig is out of date as well. Will open up the boxes and make a proper inventory... in the sig later today

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

I would love to expand the present system but think I have no Sata ports left so that brings on another problem how to expand the sata ports.. Maybe a good controller and separate storage chassis would be much cheaper.. Problem is how to do that properly... Any suggestions?

Being short SATA ports is easily solvable with a used HBA such as this one; all you need is an open PCIe slot with enough lanes.

If your chassis does not have enough space for the drives you can add a JBOD chassis which may save you money as you suggested.

 

[nasnice]

Just took a good inventory of my systems, and as noticeable in my sig I have a problem. Thought I had 2 X10SL7-F MB but it turns out the newer one is an X11SSM-F. Obviously the X10 board has enough ports left to expand and also the chassis has space left... but typically that is my Domain storage... So I have a plan and could use some input...

1. Exchange the Motherboards from chassis
2. Exchange the processors (Can this be done LGA1150 vs LGA1151) will this work? Or just keave it and buy a better one for the X10 board if needed performance wise?
3. Update to the latest version of Freenas
4. Connect the 2 Pools, each to the other board; so the pool from the Media store X11 Board to the Domain storage X10 board
5. Expand the Media store pool with a new Vdev of 4 x 4 TB

Currently I am using the SAS ports on the X10 board as Sata connections but if I wanted to install a slog device (2 disks) as well could I expand one or more SAS ports with a cable?

The other option would be to add an JBOD chassis with the @PhiloEpisteme above mentioned Controller..

I bought the X11 board for more Bandwith turns out I am not using the 2nd Lan port at all...

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

1. Exchange the processors (Can this be done LGA1150 vs LGA1151) will this work? Or just keave it and buy a better one for the X10 board if needed performance wise?

I expect you not to be able to swap the CPUs out. Supermicro is pretty descriptive about which CPUs are supported by the specific boards.

Currently I am using the SAS ports on the X10 board as Sata connections but if I wanted to install a slog device (2 disks) as well could I expand one or more SAS ports with a cable?

What do you mean "expand one or more sas ports with a cable?" You can use an expander along with an HBA or SAS controller to get more lanes. SLOG devices are a bit heavy on bandwidth though; you may consider trying to get them on your main board's SATA ports and save the bandwidth on your HBA for data disks.

1. Connect the 2 Pools, each to the other board; so the pool from the Media store X11 Board to the Domain storage X10 board

What do you mean here? How do you plan to accomplish this?

 

[nasnice]

Thanks for The input!
I guess it is better not taking chances with the processors then although both boards claim to support both type of processors.

What do you mean "expand one or more sas ports with a cable?" You can use an expander along with an HBA or SAS controller to get more lanes. SLOG devices are a bit heavy on bandwidth though; you may consider trying to get them on your main board's SATA ports and save the bandwidth on your HBA for data disks.

So The X10 board has 8 SAS2 connections and 2 6GB Sata and 4 3GB Sata connections.. I have a pool of 7 drives So what would I connect where optimally speaking... this is without adding an HBA Controller. I guess the Slog devices go to the fast SATA connections. That leaves only 5 connectors free that is why I asked if I can expand those sas ports on the X10 board.. If not I might need the HBA controller you mentioned above...

What do you mean here? How do you plan to accomplish this?

So the Media storage pool of 7x4TB would be connected to the X10 board and the Domain storage pool (7x3TB) would be connected to the X11 board. Systems stay seperated just the drive arrays physically move to another chassis...

Thanks for your fast reply!

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

I guess it is better not taking chances with the processors then although both boards claim to support both type of processors.

Oh, if the board says it supports it I would believe the board. My statement was a hunch; supermicro's specs should be believed over my hunches and musings. You can always email them to ask directly as well.

8 SAS2 connections

Is this true? Or is it 8 lanes of SAS2 spread across 2 plugs?

I have a pool of 7 drives So what would I connect where optimally speaking... this is without adding an HBA Controller. I guess the Slog devices go to the fast SATA connections. That leaves only 5 connectors free that is why I asked if I can expand those sas ports on the X10 board.. If not I might need the HBA controller you mentioned above...

It looks like the SAS ports on that board are just standard SATA/SAS plugs. You can probably then just connect all of the drives to the available ports using standard cables.

 

[nasnice]

Is this true? Or is it 8 lanes of SAS2 spread across 2 plugs?

There are 8 physical Sata Like Plugs on the mainboard... From the Manual:
"
2-10
SATA Connections SATA/SAS Connections Two Serial ATA (SATA) 3.0 connectors (I-SATA 0/1) and four SATA 2.0 (I-SATA 2-5) connectors are located on the board. These SATA ports are supported by the Intel® C222 PCH chip. In addition to SATA connections, eight SAS connections (L-SAS 0-7), supported the LSI 2308 SAS controller, are also located on the motherboard. These Serial Link connections provide faster data transmission than legacy Parallel ATA. See the table on the right for pin definitions. SATA/SAS Connectors Pin Definitions Pin# Signal 1 Ground 2 SATA_TXP 3 SATA_TXN 4 Ground 5 SATA_RXN 6 SATA_RXP 7 Ground A
"

Currently there are some in use as standard Sata ports.

Easiest would then be to expand this with a five drive Z1 and the 2 SLOG devices.

 

[PhiloEpisteme]

You're right, I looked at the board while writing my last post and edited part of it but forgot to delete that bit. So yeah, it sounds like you should have plenty of available plugs for your drives, no?

 

[nasnice]

Think this is the best solution... Just ordered 5 8TB HGST SAS drives to fill 5 of those sas connections... Will start now to try and xchange the drives...

Later processors, SLOG, and finally the extra drives...
Off To Work will update later...

 

[anmnz]

I guess it is better not taking chances with the processors then although both boards claim to support both type of processors.

Um.... no they don't. At least not according to the Supermicro specs I'm looking at. Different socket types, different processor generations.

https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/X10SL7-F

https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/X11SSM-F

 

[nasnice]

Um.... no they don't. At least not according to the Supermicro specs I'm looking at. Different socket types, different processor generations.

OK Thanks for helping out.... did not realize that the processor generations also play a role... Just thought that they would be funtionally equal... I Think I will email supermicro about this...

As for the socket I always thought the 1150 and 1151 were basically the same .. Just that the 1150 does nor support the newer Processors..

So what would be an more powerfull economic alternative for the pentium G3220 on my X10 board? I Think I found something...

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Intel-CPU-X...026301&hash=item4b689de159:g:RVoAAOSwbw1aE-no
Looks very well.. But will it fit the X10 board? Also does not have an IGPU doI need that or has teh X10 graphics on board?

 

[anmnz]

Yes it will fit. LGA1150 CPU, LGA1150 board, no problem.

Also the Supermicro doc says "Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/v4", and that CPU is an "E3-1220 v3" which matches. The "1200" designates a series not a specific CPU -- many people would prefer it was written "12xx".

 

[nasnice]

Hi all,
After succesfully testing the new Harddisks and controllers I have assembled the new system(s).
Working like a charm again.

Made one misstake on the boot device... wanted to use a Samsung Fit32 USB stick but that did not arrive in time... used a verbatim usb stick instead... it will fail... What is the best way to exchange the verbatim for a new Samsung Fit?

Can I just save the config with the password seed; install freenas on the samsung and upload the saved config? Can it be that simple?
Or is there more involved?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Redcoat]

Can I just save the config with the password seed; install freenas on the samsung and upload the saved config? Can it be that simple?

Yes, it can be just that simple.
You might want to consider mirroring your USB boot device following the manual's procedure.