I am a mechanical engineering college student whom has never operated a linux machine. I know how to use it to accomplish what I need it to, mainly computer model simulations on the campus's cluster, but I would like expand on my knowledge while also setting up a replacement for the 3 consumer grade NAS devices that I am currently using for storage.
First off, I am on a budget. I am not looking for the ultimate setup, just one that can handle 12tb overall capacity with redundancy. With that in mind, I've come up with the following setup that I would like to get opinions on before I purchase:
-Supermicro SuperChassis 747TQ-R1400B
-Supermicro X8DTG-QF
-Dual Xeon E5530 @ 2.40GHz
-$250, eBay, used.
-32GB DDR3 ECC Registered 1333MHz (4 x 8GB)
-$80, eBay, new
-3 x 3TB SATA Seagate
-2 x 2TB SATA WD Green
-Already own, but intend to upgrade to 6 x 4TB in the future.
My first concern is with purchasing used equipment. I know its always a bit of a gamble, but does server grade equipment generally have a good lifespan or am I purchasing something with a greater than average chance of failing in 2 months?
My second question is can that mother board recognize a 4TB disk?
Lastly, is there any real benefit to searching for a server with an optical drive or can installations be performed just as easily via USB?
Thanks and please forgive my ignorance.
First off, I am on a budget. I am not looking for the ultimate setup, just one that can handle 12tb overall capacity with redundancy. With that in mind, I've come up with the following setup that I would like to get opinions on before I purchase:
-Supermicro SuperChassis 747TQ-R1400B
-Supermicro X8DTG-QF
-Dual Xeon E5530 @ 2.40GHz
-$250, eBay, used.
-32GB DDR3 ECC Registered 1333MHz (4 x 8GB)
-$80, eBay, new
-3 x 3TB SATA Seagate
-2 x 2TB SATA WD Green
-Already own, but intend to upgrade to 6 x 4TB in the future.
My first concern is with purchasing used equipment. I know its always a bit of a gamble, but does server grade equipment generally have a good lifespan or am I purchasing something with a greater than average chance of failing in 2 months?
My second question is can that mother board recognize a 4TB disk?
Lastly, is there any real benefit to searching for a server with an optical drive or can installations be performed just as easily via USB?
Thanks and please forgive my ignorance.