Adding second FreeNAS server for backup.. best drive configuration

[ozwaldca]

Hey guys,

Looking for some help with this one.

I am looking at adding a second FreeNAS server at a remote location for off site backup (replication).

I am ok with the hardware setup but was wondering about the drive config.

I am going to have the following drives when i start the project.

6 x 4 TB WD RED
8 x 1 TB WD RED

Any suggestions on how i would break up the pools? One big Raid-z2 pool as main and the one smaller Raid-z1 pool? would i be able to have two pools per server one ( 3x4TB/4x1TB)

Maybe two pools, one pool RAID-Z1 (3x4TB) for movies/shows and one smaller pool RAID-Z2 (4x1TB) for personal/critical files and then just backup the critical pool?

Cheers

ozzy

 

[BigDave]

Maybe two pools, one pool RAID-Z1 (3x4TB) for movies/shows and one smaller pool RAID-Z2 (4x1TB) for personal/critical files and then just backup the critical pool?

Using RAIDz1 on drives larger than 2TB is very risky IMHO, it takes a long time to resilver a 4TB drive and if you lose another drive during the resilver process,
you will lose the Vdev.

I am going to have the following drives when i start the project.

6 x 4 TB WD RED
8 x 1 TB WD RED

Any suggestions on how i would break up the pools? One big Raid-z2 pool as main and the one smaller Raid-z1 pool? would i be able to have two pools per server one ( 3x4TB/4x1TB)

Maybe two pools, one pool RAID-Z1 (3x4TB) for movies/shows and one smaller pool RAID-Z2 (4x1TB) for personal/critical files and then just backup the critical pool?

If I'm reading this correctly, you seem to suggest using only half the drives you have available, is there a reason for this?

 

[ozwaldca]

Using RAIDz1 on drives larger than 2TB is very risky IMHO, it takes a long time to resilver a 4TB drive and if you lose another drive during the resilver process,
you will lose the Vdev.

If I'm reading this correctly, you seem to suggest using only half the drives you have available, is there a reason for this?

Definitely want to use all the drives i was just suggesting split them up evenly?

 

[ozwaldca]

Using RAIDz1 on drives larger than 2TB is very risky IMHO, it takes a long time to resilver a 4TB drive and if you lose another drive during the resilver process,
you will lose the Vdev.

If I'm reading this correctly, you seem to suggest using only half the drives you have available, is there a reason for this?

so maybe use all 4 TB drives in RAID-Z2 and have two vdevs..... critical/non critical

 

[BigDave]

so maybe use all 4 TB drives in RAID-Z2 and have two vdevs..... critical/non critical

I would use the 8 drives of 1TB configured in RAIDz1 for the formation if one pool/volume, on this you could keep your non-critical data.
I would use the 6 drives of 4TB configured in RAIDz2 for the formation of a second pool/volume, on this you would keep the critical data.
In my signature, find the link to Vdevs/zpool for noobs written by cyberjock, you may have read it in the past, but I think you could do with a refresher ;)

 

[Jailer]

Gonna second @BigDave suggestion on pool layout.

 

[ozwaldca]

I would use the 8 drives of 1TB configured in RAIDz1 for the formation if one pool/volume, on this you could keep your non-critical data.
I would use the 6 drives of 4TB configured in RAIDz2 for the formation of a second pool/volume, on this you would keep the critical data.
In my signature, find the link to Vdevs/zpool for noobs written by cyberjock, you may have read it in the past, but I think you could do with a refresher ;)

Thanks for the help Dave,
Since i dont enough drive ports i will have to break it up per machine. Main server run the 4 TB drives in RAID-Z2 and second machine run 1TB drives in Raid-Z1

now if i do that, i currently have a machine running three of three of the 4 TB drives. Would it be better to add drives to extend current pool or recreate from scratch with the six drives. If i extend current volume i wouldnt be able to have RAID-Z2 would it not be more like a raid 50?

 

[Jailer]

You better read Cyberjocks guide that Dave referred to. You don't just add disks to a pool without breaking your redundancy.

 

[styno]

I am doing something somewhat similar for a backup/replication-only machine that I only poweron during the weekend for a couple of hours.
12*2TB in a single RAID-Z3, as the 2TB drives are drives that I recuperated from an old always-on storage solution.

 

[BigDave]

Thanks for the help Dave,
Since i dont enough drive ports i will have to break it up per machine. Main server run the 4 TB drives in RAID-Z2 and second machine run 1TB drives in Raid-Z1

I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about the deployment of an off-site backup machine.

Since i dont enough drive ports i will have to break it up per machine.

Are we now discussing two off-site backup machines :)

 

[ozwaldca]

I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about the deployment of an off-site backup machine.

Are we now discussing two off-site backup machines :)

I have a current FreeNAS box running with 3 x 4TB drives in RAID-Z1, I have recently acquired three more 4 TB drives.
I also have 8 older 1TB drives from a previous FreeNAS deployment. I want to use all my disks and have one main FreeNAS server with an offsite FreeNAS box for replication.

i was either thinking of making two identical storage models.... or separate my data between critical/non-critical and just replicate the critical data. that could mean having one server running 6x4TB in RAID-Z2 and one server running 8x1TB in RAID-Z1.

So i was then wondering what is better.... extending my current volume so adding a new vdev to my current three 4TB drive which are running RAID-Z1 or saving the data and creating a volume with six drives.

Does that clarify?

So one on site server and one off-site server

 

[BigDave]

So i was then wondering what is better.... extending my current volume so adding a new vdev to my current three 4TB drive which are running RAID-Z1 or saving the data and creating a volume with six drives.

Save your data off the 3 x 4TB RAIDz1 and rebuild a new zpool with all 6 x 4TB RAIDz2 for your main server,
Then create the backup machine out of the 8 x 1TB drives. As things begin to fill up you have choices down the road, such as replacing
the 1TB drives one at a time until the zpool will auto expand once ALL the drives have been replaced.

Since your RAIDz1 is made of 4TB drives I would "fix" that before doing anything else.

 

[ozwaldca]

Save your data off the 3 x 4TB RAIDz1 and rebuild a new zpool with all 6 x 4TB RAIDz2 for your main server,
Then create the backup machine out of the 8 x 1TB drives. As things begin to fill up you have choices down the road, such as replacing
the 1TB drives one at a time until the zpool will auto expand once ALL the drives have been replaced.

Since your RAIDz1 is made of 4TB drives I would "fix" that before doing anything else.

Thanks BigDave I was thinking the same thing.... but until i have all the parts i didn't have a choice...lol

What would be the preferred method to save all my data/ movies/shows.... i know i can do a save config but would i have to set up my plugins and stuff again? Can i restore a config backup to a new zpool/vdev?

 

[styno]

What would be the preferred method to save all my data/ movies/shows.... i know i can do a save config but would i have to set up my plugins and stuff again? Can i restore a config backup to a new zpool/vdev?

No no no, that is not how it works (unless I completely misread what you are going to do.)

The config backup does just that, backing up the FreeNAS configuration so you can restore it to a completely new install and keep ip/users/... The data (including the data inside the jails/plugins) are copied or replicated separately. This can be done from the gui with replications, zfs send to a different pool on the same or different machine or by other means of data backup. Please make sure to read up on this and don't be afraid to share your plan of attack for a double/triple check with the community.

 

[BigDave]

What would be the preferred method to save all my data/ movies/shows....

How much data do you have now? I would build the backup machine, configure a zpool with the 8 x 1TB drives and save off your data to that,
then rebuild your main machine with the new 6 x 4TB drives and transfer everything back on there. Unfortunately you will have to reconfigure
your plugins and other stuff. Sorry!

 

[ozwaldca]

How much data do you have now? I would build the backup machine, configure a zpool with the 8 x 1TB drives and save off your data to that,
then rebuild your main machine with the new 6 x 4TB drives and transfer everything back on there. Unfortunately you will have to reconfigure
your plugins and other stuff. Sorry!

Thanks for the help BigDave...

What er your feelings on Corral at this stage? I am tempted to build a super rig with all 14 drives. I worry about the replication across the internet to a site that only has DHCP WAN address. Having not done this before, can i set up a DDNS entry some place and then not have to worry about the IP changing?

 

[BigDave]

What er your feelings on Corral at this stage?

I'm playing with it on test metal since it was released, pretty
impressed so far but will not trust my data to it just yet.
I intend to use it at some point but I'm just not in a big hurry
because I need formal documentation to feel comfortable.

As for your other questions, I'll let those members with more
knowledge in those areas guide you with that.