FreeNAS on PC-Engines APU2c4

[Makki]

Hi, found no specific thread: http://pcengines.ch/apu2c4.htm
(please see my intro: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/hi-new-user-not-really-exploring-possibilities.47409/)

Do you think FreeNAS with - lets say two Raid1/10 (eSATA and/or USB3, 4-8TB backup-storage) could work out with close to wire-speed 1GBe in a mostly single-user environment?
Having the disks in external (eSATA/USB3) enclosures would be ok.

I've read at least 8GB RAM for ZFS/FreeNAS, but APU2 has 4GB fixed max..
Lets suppose the APU2 has/supports ECC RAM (as far as I understood right now only theoretical because BIOS-support in coreboot is still pending but thats okay for now as long as it resolves someday..)

No Gimmicks, no DeDup, no AES (although the CPU supports AES-NI, simply not required here), no other services on it (though, a little ownCloud would be nice..).

You could ask now, why APU2?: very low power, industrial, reliable HW (I have deployed several thousand ALIX as vendor over 8 years) so it gained some trust here..
I read through all of the net, but I dont like the idea of sticking together a consumer-board with an exhaustive CPU and a 300W PS for this purpose leeching 18-30W at home just for being 99% idle..

For FreeNAS it's surely a very low-end platform, but will it work out?

The reasons for FreeNAS are clear though; 100% Data-reliabilty is highest priority, not mainly performance (though very, very good!), good/easy backup (snapshots), easy UI (though Im not really afraid of a Linux/BSD-console ;) )


Main usage would be: dumping Backups (NFS, SMB) there it should perform better than the Syno to be replaced (it's at ~300Mbit with GigE) and occassionally serve some files to 4-5 clients.

I'd run it dedicated with FreeNAS, in a dual-rack-enclosure with a second APU2 doing the ugly web-work under debian/ubuntu, it would fit fine together but I'm unsure with the ("you need 8GB of RAM")..

Michael

 

[Ericloewe]

For FreeNAS it's surely a very low-end platform, but will it work out?

No, the 8GB minimum requirement is there for a reason.

100% Data-reliabilty is highest priority

Not going to happen with this hardware.

 

[Makki]

No, the 8GB minimum requirement is there for a reason.

Which I understood (we could also talk about business where I have 36 SAS-spindles but never had any question about FreeNAS during the last months there so far because this ESX-box has 128GB RAM anyway ;) )

Not going to happen with this hardware.

Just curious: why? Given ECC-RAM, why should this affect data-integrity ?

As said, I'd accept a performance penalty cause it's not #1 priority. Just want to understand it..

Michael

 

[Stux]

Because 4GB is not 8GB and external USB or ESATA connections are unreliable.

 

[Ericloewe]

Just curious: why? Given ECC-RAM, why should this affect data-integrity ?

Not enough RAM and it doesn't support ECC (it's Jaguar, it's meant for low-end devices).

 

[Makki]

Ok, I say eSATA and/or USB3 are more than reliable enough for a small SoHo-Environment to take backups (most don't do that either in SoHo..).
ZFS & Co should jump in to make it reliable enough.

We're not talking about Enterprise! I've partially signed off just today an order for two Fujitsu DX200 S3 with plenty storage-shelves, SAS 30TB net, for some ESX-hosts with Brocade FC-16G-12x-Switches in between. Just to make sure: I know somehow what I'm talking about..

But I really dont want this in my cellar at home! (noise, cost, power, ... 1kWh is 0.30€ here) but still reliable data-storage/backups.
I'll enjoy the day, kicking these Guys out because I know Z-Raid does it better but thats another league.

Back on topic:
Though I got the point but then I have to find a way to run FreeNAS on a "big box" within a (KVM?) as VM or smthg., running another two 50W boxes 24/7 just for the sake of being a NAS is no option..

Michael

 

[Makki]

Not enough RAM and it doesn't support ECC (it's Jaguar, it's meant for low-end devices).

1) yes,ok
2) it does support ECC (see above, not yet because of bios but I assumed that, ECC as given). It has and does support ECC (theoretical)

Michael

 

[pirateghost]

it does support ECC (see above, not yet because of bios but I assumed that, ECC as given). It has and does support ECC (theoretical)

but it STILL does not meet minimum RAM requirement. Why is this even an argument?

 

[Makki]

That was my initial question: because it feels like over-bloat: is this "minimum 8GB" or does it just "not perform perfectly in any bigger environment" with less(?)
This is an argument because one can get only "Bastel-Hardware" for that, (sorry German: "DIY-stuff" with ECC, ... , have to assemble Mainboard, CPU, Case, Fan, ..)

My first computer an Atari 520ST also didnt perform perfectly well given todays expectations with 512kiB RAM so I upgraded it to 2048 kB with a solderimg iron; but I dont really understand why a SOHO-NAS *must have* 8GB RAM..
Or in other words: worse, unable to benefit - or forced to miss - the many advantages of FreeNAS on power-saving systems (again: with ECC!) nothing below 30W idle without disks, hmmm.. (German: http://www.technikaffe.de/anleitung...gen_fuer_4_bis_16_festplatten_auf_einen_blick)

Sad! (Instead of building a really good FreeNAS [time not included], its much cheaper in terms of power-costs to buy one of the off-the-shelf bad Sy* QN*, ...)

 

[Ericloewe]

Instead of wasting your time writing fallacies that have been discussed to death, spend some time reading those discussions.

minimum 8GB

The word "minimum" is plastered throughout.

again: with ECC!

[citation needed]
It's low-end hardware not designed for servers or workstations. ECC support requires more than hand waving with some mentions of "BIOS support".

below 30W idle without disks

Like many recommended setups are capable of...
*link redacted to not give those morons better search rankings*

Technikaffe is run by morons. Their pathetic excuses for FreeNAS servers are laughable and expose them for the dangerous idiots that they are: Just knowledgeable enough to trick random people into buying into their crap ideas.

Sad! (Instead of building a really good FreeNAS [time not included], its much cheaper in terms of power-costs to buy one of the off-the-shelf bad Sy* QN*, ...)

Give me a break, a Raspberry Pi is much cheaper to run than a workstation and it could technically be used to edit 4K video. You'd be laughed out of a video editing forum if you suggested that it was somehow a superior solution because it "uses less power".

Also, no need to hide the names of competing solutions, FreeNAS stands on its own merits. You'll also find that the real competitors are moving to hardware that is closer to what FreeNAS has been geared towards for years now.

 

[Stux]

It's an enterprise filer in a soho environment. FreeNAS has been known to crash and corrupt the pool with 6GB of ram