NAS as torrent client.

[nicolaj]

Hi.
I've never worked with NAS, but i was thinking it might do what i'd like to do. Basically i want to move torrenting out of my main computer and into a separate system, i already have the setup, i only need to add another drive or 2 to the raid0.
I've looked at a mobo with a j1900 cpu and 12 sata3 connectors, this one or something similar.
But i'm unsure how well the j1900 will handle torrents, raid0 etc. It would be a 3 or 4 drive raid0 with an ssd as a temp drive. Right now i'm running the ssd temp drive and a 2 drive raid0.
Also does the freenas torrent client support using a temp drive and automatically skipping temp drive if source is larger than temp?

 

[m0nkey_]

Please check the hardware recommendations guide for FreeNAS suitable hardware: https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/hardware-recommendations-guide.12/

 

[danb35]

There is no "FreeNAS torrent client." There's a plugin available for Transmission, which is a fairly popular torrent app, but you can use any torrent software you can install under FreeBSD.

Transmission does support having in-progress downloads in a different directory than completed ones, but I don't think it does size checking as you describe.

 

[nicolaj]

I see. Read about docker and jail as well, but just superficial. But first i need to figure out how much resources something like that actually uses.

 

[danb35]

Jails by themselves don't take much in the way of system resources. Docker isn't implemented yet, but when it is it will require a Linux VM to run the Docker containers--jails are a more lightweight way to do just about anything that will run under FreeBSD.

 

[nicolaj]

I read something about installing different torrent clients in jails, like deluge, qbittorrent etc. And some stuff about freenas corral. Might be something that would cover my needs. I read the jails were lightweight. But the load on the system when everything is running is not easy to find info about.

 

[gpsguy]

Forget about Corral. It's dead.

 

[iammykyl]

When you have the build sorted, here is a tutorial for using Resilio Sync, plugin, > https://www.resilio.com/blog/sync-hacks-how-to-set-up-freenas-with-bittorrent-sync-using-a-plugin
" i already have the setup, i only need to add another drive or 2 to the raid0"
Do you mean you already have a case, etc, and just need a MB? Please list exatly what you have.

 

[nicolaj]

Forget about Corral. It's dead.

Forget about what?

Do you mean you already have a case, etc, and just need a MB? Please list exatly what you have.

Node 304, cooler master masterwatt lite 400w psu. Havn't purchased extra drives. I already have 2 hdd's and the ssd that's going in it.
I don't know about resilio, but i'll have a look at it.

 

[emk2203]

I've looked at a mobo with a j1900 cpu and 12 sata3 connectors, this one or something similar.
But i'm unsure how well the j1900 will handle torrents, raid0 etc.

The J1900 CPU is more than enough to handle torrenting needs. But you should look into some board which supports ECC memory. @m0nkey_ already said it: The hardware guide is a good first start. Are you really going to need 12 SATA3 connectors in an ITX form factor?

It would be a 3 or 4 drive raid0 with an ssd as a temp drive. Right now i'm running the ssd temp drive and a 2 drive raid0.
Also does the freenas torrent client support using a temp drive and automatically skipping temp drive if source is larger than temp?

You have lost me here, and I would like to know what you intend to do. For starters, a good disk setup with FreeNAS would be a 4-drive RAID Z2, where you can afford to lose two disks before data is lost.

A temp drive is not needed, this would make a difference only if you have a Gigabit-connection all saturated, and even then, only in theory. What you see from private trackers is something like 20 - 50 MB/s maximum download speed in peak conditions. This would download a GB in half a minute, and a TB in a few hours. There is no way that you can sustain this.

If you torrent and move the finished files from the SSD, the seeding of the files will take place from the HDDs anyway.

So what do you want to achieve with the temp drive? I am really curious.

 

[nicolaj]

No, i don't need 12 sata ports, it just happens to have that. 6 ports would work just as fine. But i'd like to keep it low power.

What i'm running now is a 2 drive raid0 with an ssd as temp drive. The reason is that the raid0, while being fine for seeding. It can't keep up with the i/o's during simultaneous down/upload. If it's either a multi-filed or multiple torrents running. The raid0 simply dies. However, the ssd can handle it in 90% of the cases. But yeah it does happen that i saturate the ssd as well. That's the problem of having +900mbit. The headaches i had finding a router that could handle it was a pain too, get's really expensive really fast. Had to turn to pfsense.
So while you're correct, a temp drive isn't needed for the majority. But for me it's required unless i'm building a raid0 big enough to match i/o's of an ssd.

So what i want to do is move those 3 drives into a separate system, and maybe add another 1 or 2 drives to the raid0. That would also allow me to move my computer into a smaller matx sized case instead of the tower i have now.

Edit: I do understand this isn't just a raid issue, but also drive controller queuing issue. The workaround is using an ssd as temp.

 

[danb35]

Keep in mind that most of us are concerned about data integrity and protection, so many of our comments are going to be coming from that perspective. It doesn't sound like that's an issue you're especially concerned with, which is fine, but suggests that a different NAS OS might be better suited to you.

 

[nicolaj]

Raid0 kinda is the middle finger to data integrity, so you're correct that, that isn't something i'm concerned about.
I don't know of other NAS OS's, pros and cons etc. Any direction you can point me in? And do please elaborate.

 

[gpsguy]

You mentioned Corral in one of posts.

After it's release in March, it was killed a month later. See - https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/important-announcement-regarding-freenas-corral.53502/

Forget about what?

And some stuff about freenas corral

 

[diedrichg]

I don't know of other NAS OS's, pros and cons etc. Any direction you can point me in? And do please elaborate.

http://www.how2shout.com/tools/best-free-open-source-nas-software.html

 

[nicolaj]

Forget about what?

That was a joke.

http://www.how2shout.com/tools/best-free-open-source-nas-software.html

I'll take a look at those.

 

[gpsguy]

Ok

That was a joke.

 

[nicolaj]

Now, is there any reason why it would be recommended to look for a different NAS OS? As far as i can see freenas is the most popular and one would assume it's also the most maintained and easiest to get help with.

 

[danb35]

Now, is there any reason why it would be recommended to look for a different NAS OS?

Because it sounds like you're trying to build the NAS on the cheap, and FreeNAS has some significant hardware requirements. It's perfectly capable of doing what you're asking for, but a J1900 is marginal at best, and 8 GB of RAM is the minimum, with 16 GB recommended.

 

[nicolaj]

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated. I noted that emk had a different opinion on the j1900 for torrents.

The J1900 CPU is more than enough to handle torrenting needs.