truenas 12x - best boot medium

[phier]

hello,
what are you using as a boot medium these days if u dont want to use SATA ports, usb sticks, is it possible to suggest specific brand/mode?

I saw someone recco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_To_Go which seems not to be on market...

thanks!

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

I recommend using SATA Whether you connect a DOM or a small 2.5" SSD is a matter of budget, availability and personal preference.

 

[sretalla]

I found that the samsung T5 portable SSDs are a good USB option if you can still find them in the smaller capacities for cheap.

 

[Alecmascot]

I use these in my two T110II servers and my PFsense firewall with 32/64/GB mSata SSDs.
Never had an issue over some 4 yours or more.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Nick2253]

I use USB drives on one of my systems. I personally wouldn't recommend it, but it's serviceable in a pinch. If you do use USB drives, ALWAYS use at least a 2-drive mirror. I have lots of medium- to high-end USB sticks, and I typically have at least one failure per year, and I'm doing nothing special with my boot pool.

The last time a USB drive failed, the other drive failed prior to rebuilding the boot pool, so I was forced to restore from backup. So make sure you have a good configuration backup no matter what.

 

[phier]

@Patrick M. Hausen
assume you dont have empty SATA slot on MB, in that case usb or extender to NVMe and to ssd plug NVMe, or whats the issue with that setup?

As ssd is almost same and cheaper SATADOM - whats the point of SATADOM?

 

[phier]

@Nick2253 i am still not clear how to achieve it,

i need SATA on MB (all) so the only way to use, @Patrick M. Hausen suggested,
2. The AOC-SLG3-2M is more or less a PCIe riser card and you can use it for only a single disk with these boards. You would need a board that supports bifurcation to turn a PCIe x8 slot into two x4 slots to use two SSDs. And then you can place only M.2 NVMe SSDs on that card. Then again it's reasonably affordable and combined with "prosumer" SSDs like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus you get 2 SSDs with full speed in a single slot.

But its not clear to me. "...bifurcation to turn a PCIe x8 slot into two x4 slots to use two SSDs. And then you can place only M.2 NVMe SSDs on that card."

Can I use 2x AOC-SLG3-2M and to each one plug one NVMe SSD?

Confused...

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

I use SATA SSDs mostly - where I have the space in the chassis. In the system where I needed both 2.5" SSD mounting places for the special vdev I used SATA DOMs. Just go with whatever fits. I detest ugly hacks like using double sided sticky tape or wire straps - if there is a mounting space for a SATA SSD I use it.

Can I use 2x AOC-SLG3-2M and to each one plug one NVMe SSD?

Yes, you probably can. But that's way more expensive than a cheap SATA SSD, so why not pick a mainboard with more ports? Even my old A2SDi-8C+-HLN4F comes with a whopping 12 of them. The NVMe SSDs on that card ware way to precious to me to waste them on booting - they are the highes performing drives in any of my chassis, so I use them for VMs and jails.

You do you. I like my things hassle free and maintenance friendly. But that's just me.

 

[phier]

@Patrick M. Hausen mb is already selected.. i cant change.

In case to use SATA then i have to buy SATA/SAS extenders via PCIe, i cant see any option how to do that.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

You could use a SAS/SATA HBA like an LSI controller flashed to IT mode to connect some of your storage disks and use two SATA ports of your mainboard for booting. Or you use a PCIe to M.2 card like the AOC-SLG3-2M.

You did not write much about the scope of your project. If this is a private system, seriously, a single high quality SSD will be perfectly fine for booting. And those cards come way cheaper than the posh "authentic Supermicro" one. Even more so if they carry just a single SSD.

For example:

Amazon.de

Dirt cheap. And since these things are really just "PCIe raisers", even the dirt cheap ones from China have a high probability of working just fine. Combine with a slightly outdated but new 250 G SSD ... case closed.

 

[phier]

@Patrick M. Hausen
Its home use system, i was not aware of an items as you posted on amazon. Thanks

Could you elaborate a bit more on that SSD? i mean it should be NVME but what brand/? I assume there are plenty which are not good for that scenario? maybe i am wrong.

thanks!

 

[phier]

cant find cheaper as 44euro 970 evo plus

Amazon.de

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Where are you located? I searched again at amazon.com instead of .de ...

So here's a trustworthy looking adapter card:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/

And for an SSD - whatever is M.2 NVMe (not SATA which uses M.2, too!), is coming from a supposedly trustworthy brand name and fits the budget. So possibly:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CXC32T2/

I personally am particularly fond of the Transcend brand because their SSDs have really high TBW ("terabyte written") for their respective size - a measure for the guaranteed endurance of the SSD.

So that adapter card probably will work but might not. With the Transcend SSD you will (probably) not go wrong.

HTH,
Patrick

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

So you are located in EU, Germany even?

The Transcend comes at 22,19€.

Amazon.de

For the adapter card just search your preferred online store. You need PCIe to NVMe M.2 - NVMe, not SATA. Well below 20€.

IMHO a single true SSD boot device (as long as it's not a USB "stick") will do well.

 

[phier]

yea, Germany is okay.

the new one is 32eur its okay.

Just need to find trustworthy adapter ;/

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Puzzled ...

A factory new 128 G SSD by Transcend is 22,19€

Amazon.de

And here's an adapter for 9,99€:

Amazon.de

I cannot guarantee that this combination will work but if you are in the EU and if you order from Amazon, you have 14 days unconditional returns by EU law ...

 

[phier]

dont get it ...
drive points to used Nvme
and the board of reduction shows nvme also ...

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Sorry, yes. The drive at 22.19 is used.

 

[phier]

i think i will go with 128g 33euro transcend nvme and this reduction

ICY BOX PCI Express Card, M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe 3.0 Adapter, Radiator, LED Lighting, M-Key, 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, Black​

Amazon.de

Icy box is at least some brand, the rest is some chinese noname shit...

thanks