RAID Z2 server as a storage for TV production

[Carlos Owusu]

Hello,

This is my first thread here so I apologize if I've posted it in the wrong section. After researching on hardware for FreeNas for our , I have finally settled on the following specs for our first NAS server build.

Intel Xeon 1230v3 CPU
Supermicro X10SL7 Motherboard
16GB DDR3 RAM
8x4TB Western Digital REDs
Supermicro 825TQ 2U Rackmount Case
FreeNas 9.3

We will be using this to archive content for playback at later dates. This server will hold our commercials, promo, movies, documentaries, local content, etc... which will be copied to our main playout server over Gigabit. This server WILL NOT run the actual content but will act more as a storage.

I have decided to use RAID Z2 bcos of redundancy and we will periodically back up IMPORTANT content to another server. We also have hard copies of all content in our library. Total storage now stands at 14TB. Is this correct for a RAID Z2 volume? What are you recommendations for this build? Am I on the right path?

Thanks
Carlos

 

[diedrichg]

You are looking at approximately 18.89TB usable space. As such, you are a bit light on the recommended 1GB RAM/TB storage. If you start running jails, and especially virtualization, then you will be RAM starved.

Take a look here to see if you are optimizing your disk cost ratio:
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/38092/

 

[Carlos Owusu]

OK thanks. So 32GB would be more ideal? How is the configuration though? The only thing I might add be Plex just so that our programming deptarment can have access to metadata from the files on the server.

And I am only getting 13.6TB usable space :(

 

[diedrichg]

OK thanks. So 32GB would be more ideal? How is the configuration though? The only thing I might add be Plex just so that our programming deptarment can have access to metadata from the files on the server.

And I am only getting 13.6TB usable space :(

Here is the direct link to his calculator. https://jsfiddle.net/Biduleohm/paq5u7z5/1/embedded/result

You can then use my spreadsheet (link in previous post) that utilizes his calculator to make sure that you are using the right sized disks and not spending extra money.

 

[Carlos Owusu]

Yes bookmarked your site. Very useful!

But what I don't understand is why after adding all the drives and creating a default RAID Z2 volume I get only 13.6TB when I make a Windows share. But your calculator says I should be getting around 18TB.

 

[Fuganater]

From what I have read on here, 16GB of RAM is good up till 25ishTB of HDD space. Any higher and you will want to run at least 32GB of RAM.

That being said, if this is only a File Server, you are fine, but if you are running other plugins such as Plex or Transmission, go with 32GB of RAM.

 

[diedrichg]

Config looks good aside from the RAM. Yes, 32GB would be preferred and would give you room to grow. You won't need more than a 550W Seasonic power supply. 450W may even be enough.

 

[Bidule0hm]

In fact you should see a bit more than 21 TiB in the GUI. Something is wrong with your configuration and/or you have snapshots taking some space. Can you post the output of the command zpool status between code tags please?

I agree with a 450 W PSU (unless you plan on adding more drives in the future) ;)

 

[danb35]

after adding all the drives and creating a default RAID Z2 volume I get only 13.6TB

I'm thinking one of two things:

• You have striped mirrors, rather than RAIDZ2
• You have two RAIDZ2 vdevs, each consisting of four disks

Either of those would give you the same amount of space (four disks' worth). A single 8 x 4 TB RAIDZ2 vdev would give you 24 TB, or 21.5 TiB, of capacity, less filesystem overhead and reserved space--figure 20.5-21 TiB net. The calculator you linked to gives the same result, if you read it correctly. The bottom line number is not the net expected capacity of your pool, but the usable capacity, accounting for the recommendation to keep at least 20% of your space free.

The output of 'zpool status' would show exactly how your pool is configured.

 

[Carlos Owusu]

Thanks for the feedback!

@Fuganater I may be using Plex if I can figure out why my server isn't connecting to the Internet to be able to get the Plex
plugin installed. Lol

@Bidule0hm I am using the Supermicro redundant PSUs that came with the case. 700w redudant. When typing zpool status -

raidz2-1 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3b74ef50-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3c2928a3-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3cdb54d3-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3d3bfb7e-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0

errors: No known data errors

pool: freenas-boot
state: ONLINE
scan: none requested
config:

NAME STATE READ WRITE CKSUM
freenas-boot ONLINE 0 0 0
gptid/3e5e4c23-6771-11e5-ba28-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0 0

errors: No known data errors
[root@ss1 ~]# zpool status

@danb35 Striped mirrors or 2 RAIDZ2 vdevs a good thing?

 

[Bidule0hm]

Ah, you're using the GUI shell. Can you post the output of zpool status | less (then use the key Q to get your prompt back) please?

 

[Carlos Owusu]

Returned with this -

pool: RAIDZ2
state: ONLINE
scan: none requested
config:

NAME STATE READ WRITE CKS
UM
RAIDZ2 ONLINE 0 0
0
raidz2-0 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3885dce4-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/39553eca-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3a1181e8-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3ac5833c-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0
raidz2-1 ONLINE 0 0
0
gptid/3b74ef50-6b39-11e5-a7c3-0cc47a63f036 ONLINE 0 0
0

 

[danb35]

Striped mirrors or 2 RAIDZ2 vdevs a good thing?

Neither is necessarily better than the other. Striped mirrors will give you better I/O performance, particularly more IOPS. Two RAIDZ2 vdevs will give somewhat better redundancy. Your zpool status output shows that you have two RAIDZ2 vdevs. The problem with this, if you want to call it a problem, is that it uses more of your disk capacity for redundancy than you'd counted on. Each RAIDZ2 vdev uses two disks' worth of parity, so you're using half of your total disk capacity for redundancy. That's good and safe, but it's inefficient. You were expecting to have a single RAIDZ2 vdev, so only two disks out of your eight would be used for parity. If you want that outcome, you'll need to destroy the pool and recreate it that way.

I also note that you've named the pool RAIDZ2. This isn't really recommended, as it can make finding things on your log files difficult (confusion between the pool name RAIDZ2 and the storage mechanism RAIDZ2). The "standard" name for ZFS pools seems to be "tank" for some reason, but anything that wouldn't be showing up in the logs for other reasons would be fine (video, perhaps?).

 

[Bidule0hm]

Ok, so you have 2 striped RAID-Z2 of 4 drives each. That's why you have less space, you use 4 drives for parity instead of 2. There's pros and cons to do that but now you know why you have less space at least.

 

[Carlos Owusu]

Oh thank you!

Damn! Destroying the pool would mean moving my 10TB somewhere and putting them back?

 

[Jailer]

I would be a bit concerned about building a storage server that is nearly full to begin with. You're leaving yourself very little room to grow.

 

[Carlos Owusu]

@Jailer Very true. But if I were to do a single RAIDZ2, we would have a bit more space. The server content won't change as much except for a few files. Commercials we don't use anymore will be deleted and content we no longer show (example - TV series, etc...) will be removed.

 

[danb35]

I would be a bit concerned about building a storage server that is nearly full to begin with. You're leaving yourself very little room to grow.

Well, if he'd done what he intended to do, his pool would only be a little over half full.

@Carlos Owusu, yes, I'm afraid you'd need to find someplace else to put your data to destroy and recreate the pool. But doing so would give you about 8 TB more capacity in your pool, so it's probably worth it.

 

[Carlos Owusu]

OK. Thanks alot guys!

Will recreate the pool and try again

 

[Jailer]

I dunno, video production to me means lots of large files. Of course only the OP can answer with any certainty if the storage needs will be suitable.