Hardware Recommendations Guide

Hardware Recommendations Guide Discussion Thread Rev 2a) 2021-01-24

Arwen

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I think the confusion is that in the bad old days, a second CPU was always a second socket.
Today, most FreeNAS servers don't need a second CPU socket. And even some that include it,
could possibly run without it populated. Modern CPUs are multi-core, and some multi-threaded
for each core.

So, yes, I agree that re-wording "Most FreeNAS servers would not benefit from a second CPU."
would be a good idea. Perhaps;
Most FreeNAS servers would not benefit from a second CPU socket. However, using a CPU
that has at least 2 cores is recomended
I make that 2 core recomendation because ZFS has a bit more over-head than UFS and other file
systems.
 

Ericloewe

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I make that 2 core recomendation because ZFS has a bit more over-head than UFS and other file
systems.
I don't disagree, but all CPUs these days have two cores at the bare minimum, so the recommendation is somewhat redundant.

Just a small note. The guide tells us: " Most FreeNAS servers would not benefit from a second CPU." The first word here seems to be misplaced. If you want to use FreeNAS for media server of Docker container carrier, multiple CPUs will bring you great benefit in performance. Maybe this statement needs to be expanded into 2 small paragraphs for 2 different usage patterns (one is simple NAS with minimal additional functionality, and second is i.e. Docker container carrier or host system for multiple VMs).
I disagree.

If you want high performance, buy more cores. If that's not enough (which is going to be the exception), then consider multiple sockets.

i.e. Docker container carrier or host system for multiple VMs
At that point, I'm no longer concerned. If you want to run essentially arbitrary stuff on your server, do your research and fill in the gaps. It's hard enough to maintain the guide as it is, the last thing I need is more scope creep, especially the kind which grows with O(e^x).
 

Andrii Stesin

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I disagree, a 8+ core CPU is great for VM workflows. No need to increase your power consumption by adding another. Now if you want 10vms running then maybe you need something bigger but at that point, you should have a server just for vms.
This is a perfectly reasonable remark, I admit. But there may rise some more issues. Namely,
  1. 8 physical core (16 logical cores) Xeon rarely comes in a single-CPU board. Also, 6-core Xeons are much cheaper. One of my pet installations runs on top of the HP DL160 Gen6 server (bought used) with two 6-core (12 logical each) Xeons. This turned to be just plain cheaper to get and the CPU load is shared pretty nice.
  2. And let's mention, with the introduction of Docker into FreeNAS Corral, the case of 10-20-100-200 containers in one single hardware box has become pretty much a viable setup. So using two Xeons looks pretty adequate for this case of usage, isn't it?
  3. Go VMware way, storing VMDKs on FreeNAS and share these via NFS, also buying yet another piece of hardware for ESXi - just because someone does not like the idea of a second CPU socket for FreeNAS? Why?
 

Andrii Stesin

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At that point, I'm no longer concerned. If you want to run essentially arbitrary stuff on your server, do your research and fill in the gaps. It's hard enough to maintain the guide as it is, the last thing I need is more scope creep, especially the kind which grows with O(e^x).
Agh, Ok. I understand, thank you.
 

joeschmuck

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The Hardware Document MUST be updated to reflect VT-d requirements of Corral. CPUs that do not support VT-d will not be able to run Docker containers and VMs. This is critical. I feel that this is so critical that jails should be brought back in Corral.

I've submitted a Bug Report asking for Jails to be brought back but I'm not holding my breath.
 

Ericloewe

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joeschmuck

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A G4400 cpu doesn't cut it according to @BigDave and it has VT-x and the EPT. He posted screen shots as well. I read somewhere else that VT-d was required. It sure would be nice to know the new physical requirements from iXsystems, after all, they are making the new rewquirements based on the programming they are doing.
 

BigDave

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A G4400 cpu doesn't cut it according to @BigDave and it has VT-x and the EPT. He posted screen shots as well. I read somewhere else that VT-d was required. It sure would be nice to know the new physical requirements from iXsystems, after all, they are making the new rewquirements based on the programming they are doing.
Check that Mark, it seems I was DEAD wrong about the Skylake G4400 Pentium CPU!
HoooHaaa_VMcapable.JPG
 

joeschmuck

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That is actually good to know, but we still need to figure out what the hardware requirements are so we can properly promote what hardware will support future FreeNAS.
 

Ericloewe

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I'm fairly certain it's VT-x, EPT and unrestricted guest support.

EPT allows for guest memory pages to be natively handled by the host CPU, saving a translation layer in the VM. Unrestricted guest allows for the guest to run the CPU in Real Mode. I have no idea what VT-x does.

Fake edit: Ah, VT-x is a set of instructions that tell the CPU "Hey, I'm handing control over to this guest. He's a VM, so behave as you would with me, but keep in mind that it's all an illusion he's being fed."
 

Ericloewe

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Bah, change of plans:
Since I've been much busier than expected and my aesthetic sensibilities have not yet yielded something more pleasing than the default look, I'll be doing a Revision 1 d). The other big change, the glossary, is going into a separate resource, since it applies beyond this document.

Time frames:
~24-48 hours for the new Hardware guide release, probably a few days for the glossary (it will be rough, so there will be quick iteration once it's out).
 

Ericloewe

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And R1d) is out.

The next version will hopefully cover Intel C3000 and/or AMD Ryzen for servers. With any luck, both.
 

Gnrl Kitty

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And R1d) is out.

The next version will hopefully cover Intel C3000 and/or AMD Ryzen for servers. With any luck, both.
It says the download is "0 bytes" and clicking "Download Now" gives me an Error page that says, "The requested attachment could not be found."
 

Ericloewe

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Damn it, the forums were acting up when I tried the update. I'll fix that.
 

Ericloewe

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Thanks for the report, it should be fixed now.
 

Ericloewe

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Good news, we finally managed to convert this thread to a Resources discussion thread. That means tabs to easily navigate between the various parts of the resource and the inclusion of the handy download button in the thread itself.
 

Ericloewe

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