TremorAcePV
Explorer
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2013
- Messages
- 88
Hello,
I want a very simple home NAS setup that will utilize two 4TB Seagate 7200RPM HDD's in RAID1 (or FreeNAS's equivalent) for redundancy. 4TB is enough for my household as is.
Let's say money is tight and I want to buy one 4TB drive now and another later. I imagine putting it into the server in RAID1 would not be difficult (since it's the equivalent of copy/pasting a drive to another drive).
I tried researching this, and from what I read, cyberjock mentioned that adding a single drive to a pool was like playing with fire (great Moore's law reference). However, he was talking about a set up much larger than what I need, and I could be wrong in understanding what he meant due to my lack of knowledge in regards to ZFS, FreeNAS, and the like, as I've also read that it's very easy to grow a pool.
As for my hardware, I already have a moderate PC I built last Christmas. I've researched recommended hardware a bit as well on the forums, and from what I've seen, ECC is recommended for ZFS, getting server grade equipment is usually also recommended as the "premium" for it isn't that much more compared to the benefits, Realtek NICs can be crap or fine but aren't to be trusted, and low power is a major plus for 24/7 (Mine will be).
However, I already have a completely working computer that appears to be sufficient to run what I need.
Relevant Specs:
Now, I have a few questions:
Advice, suggestions, comments, and opinions welcome.
Thanks,
Vitalius (The V in my name).
I want a very simple home NAS setup that will utilize two 4TB Seagate 7200RPM HDD's in RAID1 (or FreeNAS's equivalent) for redundancy. 4TB is enough for my household as is.
Let's say money is tight and I want to buy one 4TB drive now and another later. I imagine putting it into the server in RAID1 would not be difficult (since it's the equivalent of copy/pasting a drive to another drive).
I tried researching this, and from what I read, cyberjock mentioned that adding a single drive to a pool was like playing with fire (great Moore's law reference). However, he was talking about a set up much larger than what I need, and I could be wrong in understanding what he meant due to my lack of knowledge in regards to ZFS, FreeNAS, and the like, as I've also read that it's very easy to grow a pool.
As for my hardware, I already have a moderate PC I built last Christmas. I've researched recommended hardware a bit as well on the forums, and from what I've seen, ECC is recommended for ZFS, getting server grade equipment is usually also recommended as the "premium" for it isn't that much more compared to the benefits, Realtek NICs can be crap or fine but aren't to be trusted, and low power is a major plus for 24/7 (Mine will be).
However, I already have a completely working computer that appears to be sufficient to run what I need.
Relevant Specs:
- AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition 3.4GHz default, boosts to 4.0GHz.
Yes, I know that it's a power hog when compared to server grade stuff, but this is my problem: I'm split between saving power/better efficiency over the long term by buying a system that is made for a FreeNAS server and using a system I already have that is capable (although not recommended) of utilizing FreeNAS. - 6 SATA II ports on the Motherboard.
More than enough for my needs. - 8GB of Kingston RAM (4x2GB DDR3 DIMMS)
From my reading, 1GB RAM for 1TB storage is the rule of thumb. The manual page recommends at least 8GB overall while other places say the minimum is 6GB. I was originally intending to turn an older system (DDR2 memory, for instance) into this server, but I didn't realize the RAM requirement would be this high. It's not ECC (obviously), but that goes back to my problem of either using what I have or investing the money in new hardware to optimize my system. I would also say my data isn't "vital" enough to warrant ECC being "necessary". Just media in general with system images and backups of games (my internet is painfully slow). - It uses a Realtek onboard NIC atm, but I can easily buy and install an Intel NIC and will do so if I ultimately decide to go with this system as my NAS. Still considering it.
- 750w 80 plus Gold PSU
Overkill, from what I've read, but it being Gold certified is a good thing. - It's currently in a Mid-tower case, but I'd likely put it in a smaller one once it's set up.
- SanDisk 8GB USB drive My boot drive, and I have 2 extras.
Now, I have a few questions:
- Are there any positives/negatives I am missing in regards to the choice between using current hardware or buying new hardware for each side, considering what hardware I currently have?
- Will 8GB RAM, in your opinion/experience, be sufficient for my needs?
- Would an SSD for cache aid in system performance? (This may be covered in the manual, but I may have missed it.)
- Should I go with UFS rather than ZFS if I decide to use my currently owned hardware?
- Are there hidden difficulties that I've yet to learn about in simply changing a single drive set up to a dual, RAID1 style setup with ZFS? (From the 3rd paragraph.)
- If you had these simple needs, with your knowledge/experience of FreeNAS, what setup would you build (i.e. hardware used)? (So I can consider how far my current hardware strays from what would normally be used)
Advice, suggestions, comments, and opinions welcome.
Thanks,
Vitalius (The V in my name).