Setup/Configuration Advice Based on Current Build

[gman2017]

I have built my first FreeNas server using the following components below. The server will be used to serve up storage for datastores in ESXi (ISCSI LUNs) as well as CIFS file shares for my movies being streamed via KODI. I need some advice on the setup. Can someone please provide some direction on where to start to configure the ISCSI and CIFS volumes based on the equipment I have.

Chassis/Enclosure: Supermicro SC836 series 16 bay with redundant 1000 watt power supply

Motherboard: Supermicro X9DRD-7LN4F-JBOD

CPU: 2x E5-2650 v2 2.60GHz

Memory: 128GB DDR3 ECC

SAS HBA: Onboard LSI SAS 2308 flashed in IT Mode, PCIe LSI 9211-8i flashed in IT Mode. All 16 drives are connected to the HBAs.

Network Adapters: 1x IPMI, 4x 1G NICs, 1x 10G Intel x520-da2 (two 10G ports)

Boot Drive: 2x Intel SSD 530 120G (mirrored)

L2ARC Drive: 1x Micron SSD M500DC 800GB

ZIL/SLOG Drive: 1x Intel SSD DC P3700 400GB

Hard Drives: 4x 1TB drives (various manufacturers), 6x 8TB WD White label drives (255MB cache, 5400RPM – same as 8TB WD Red), 4x 6TB WD Gold label enterprise datacenter drives (128MB cache, 7200RPM)

 

[gman2017]

Can someone provide some guidance please.

 

[nightshade00013]

iSCSI likes multiple mirrored vDev's and no more than 50% pool usage for good performance.

Samba shares for movies should probably be at the very least a raidZ2.


Slog needs to be two drives mirrored so until you get a second one leave it out.

You will probably want to setup two pools as mentioned above. Probably use the 8TB drives in a RaidZ2 for the SMB. Take the rest of the drives and put them in another pool as multiple vDev's as mirrors that will give you around 6TB of good usable storage for now since you do not want to go over 50% pool usage. Should be easy enough to backup to the RaidZ2 as well since it will give you about 22TB of usable space.

 

[gman2017]

iSCSI likes multiple mirrored vDev's and no more than 50% pool usage for good performance.

Samba shares for movies should probably be at the very least a raidZ2.


Slog needs to be two drives mirrored so until you get a second one leave it out.

You will probably want to setup two pools as mentioned above. Probably use the 8TB drives in a RaidZ2 for the SMB. Take the rest of the drives and put them in another pool as multiple vDev's as mirrors that will give you around 6TB of good usable storage for now since you do not want to go over 50% pool usage. Should be easy enough to backup to the RaidZ2 as well since it will give you about 22TB of usable space.

My first goal is to setup the iSCSI storage pool first. Can you provide more detail on how to do this based on your recommendation. Additionally, will I need to setup the L2ARC/ZIL/SLOG drives for this pool as well?

Thanks for the comment.

 

[tvsjr]

First, you need to read the manual... creating an array of striped mirrors is well documented, as is the process to add an L2ARC and SLOG device. SLOG does *not* need to be mirrored... some people say it's a best practice, but you won't lose your pool if the SLOG device goes away.

I'd put your 6x 8TB drives into a RAID-Z2 for your CIFS share. I'd use the Gold drives, and dump the 1TB drives (buy another 4 6TB drives) for your iSCSI pool.