SATA SSD for boot

[mvcad]

Hi All,
What do I look for in a SATA SSD to be used as boot disk in freenas?
I recently built a freenas server using a 120 GB WD green ssd for boot. I got checksum errors and a degraded boot volume almost immediately after initial boot in freenas. I learnt from this forum that some models of ssd have a firmware conflict with freenas. So I was wondering what model/brand of SSD I can use for boot volume in freenas?

 

[sretalla]

This is a known issue with 3D NAND and/or marvel controllers... if you search for my post history you can find a reference to the redmine issue for it.

Just avoid 3D NAND and Marvell controllers... kingston or samsung have been fine in my experience.

 

[rvassar]

I've been using a 60Gb Patriot "Flare" that I picked up on sale over the Summer. At $20, it was not much more expensive than a USB thumb drive.

 

[Chris Moore]

What do I look for in a SATA SSD to be used as boot disk in FreeNAS?

I think I already answerd this question in another thread... Yep, there it is...

Hi Chris, can you recommend any brand or model for an ssd suitable to be used as boot? I just built a FreeNAS box with a 120 gb wd green ssd as boot and I am getting checksum errors due to a firmware conflict with FreeNAS. I read in the forums some models have this issue.

I am using a pair of these Kingston drives in one of the FreeNAS servers I have at work:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/60GB-SSD-6...Drive-Kingston-SV300S37A-60G-SSD/263678679756
They have been working fine for me but the drives I have the most experience with are the Intel SSDs like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-320-Series-40GB-Internal-2-5-SSDSA2CT040G3-SSD/323548302120
I have half a dozen of these in different servers as boot drives and they are great. I would recommend them even though they are slightly more money.

I will duplicate this here just so others might benefit from the info. I have also used Samsung and HGST drives, SSDs that is, in FreeNAS without any problem.

Just avoid 3D NAND and Marvell controllers...

I don't think it is about the 3D nature of the memory. I would blame the Marvell controller...

 

[mvcad]

thank you all!, so its clear that the WD green SSD are no good for boot.
Since I already have the WD greens, are they good for slog or l2arc? or even as a data volume?

 

[rvassar]

Since I already have the WD greens, are they good for slog or l2arc? or even as a data volume?

I'm afraid not. There are some very specific requirements for SLOG / L2ARC use. Even top of the line Samsung EVO Pro's are not suitable for SLOG use, as they do not have power failure protection on the SSD controller.

 

[mvcad]

I currently have 2 off Samsung EVO as mirror slog. I haven't had any issues so far. and it has been about 3 months in a production server. Shoud I be worried?

 

[rvassar]

I currently have 2 off Samsung EVO as mirror slog. I haven't had any issues so far. and it has been about 3 months in a production server. Shoud I be worried?

Yes.

It's a complicated edge case. If you reboot a system with a SLOG without PFP, in-flight data can be lost. It has nothing to do with system UPS protection, or mirrors. It happens when the data arrives at the SSD controller, followed by the motherboard halting/resetting/powering off before the SSD controller has committed the data to the flash storage. Some devices have over-size capacitors to float the controller for a fraction of a second while the controller completes the operation, most don't...

 

[Scuba_Steve]

I been using ADATA 120GB 3D NAND SSD for several months now without issues, I am connected to an Intel controller, I was connected to the Marvell too didn't seem to have issues.

 

[mvcad]

FYI, I put a 120 GB Kingston ssd now, no errors so far

 

[cobrakiller58]

I been using ADATA 120GB 3D NAND SSD for several months now without issues, I am connected to an Intel controller, I was connected to the Marvell too didn't seem to have issues.

are you referring to the SU700 series? if so that appears to use a Maxiotek controller not a Marvell one

 

[Scuba_Steve]

are you referring to the SU700 series? if so that appears to use a Maxiotek controller not a Marvell one

It is an ADATA SU650 not the SU700.

 

[cobrakiller58]

I have no idea what controller is in that but I'm glad to hear it worked properly, this bug has been a contributing factor to staying with 11.0u4.

 

[freedombacon]

I've always used a USB drive as the boot device for freenas (and pfsense). It simply isn't worth the expense to use an SSD, especially if you have to source very specific moels. That is NOT something I want to deal with when the drive dies. Any decent USB drive works fine and are cheap enough that you can keep a couple spares on hand.

 

[cobrakiller58]

The avoiding specific controllers is a new annoyance I hope will be resolved but my experience with HDD and SDD boot has been great and I have yet to have one fail on me. At $30 for a SSD I can't say its much of an expense but it isn't everyone's cup of tea of course.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

I have no idea what controller is in that but I'm glad to hear it worked properly, this bug has been a contributing factor to staying with 11.0u4.

I purchased it since it was so inexpensive instead of running 2 SanDisk flash drives.

 

[Ericloewe]

It simply isn't worth the expense to use an SSD

I must profoundly disagree. The experience only gets worse, and it starts at "tolerable". And that's if they're reliable, which is more than you can expect from most USB flash drives.

 

[pro lamer]

already have the WD greens

Some in our forums were successful booting with them after disabling TRIM...

I would blame the Marvell controller...

Marvell is for WD Blue. Green uses silicon motion https://www.anandtech.com/show/10748/western-digital-introduces-wd-blue-and-wd-green-ssds which are known in our forums not to work as boot drives. IIRC some SanDisks use the SM too (those that fail to boot too)

Edit: having said that I wouldn't blame Marvell unless you're sure their SSD controllers are crappy...

Sent from my phone

 

[Scuba_Steve]

I think the controller for my SSD is a Silicon Motion SM2258.

 

[pro lamer]

I think the controller for my SSD is a Silicon Motion SM2258.

Quick Google-foo confirms it's not in the FreeNAS forums crap-list... Edit: but some other silicon motion controllers are (eg.SM2246 IIRC)

Sent from my phone