Retired Moocher asks for storage planning recommendations

[Dave Hamby]

I'm a retired moocher formerly working in Navy wargaming and commercial nuclear power operator training simulator development scheming to replace two existing Drobo boxes providing MacOS directly attached storage, one used as iTunes media storage and one used as a Time Machine volume. All MacOs storage for these applications will move from directly attached storage to FreeNAS network storage.

I'm planning to build a new server having a single dual-redundant pool in a Fractal Design Node 804 case using a SuperMicro server, likely a X11SAE-M for modern video interfaces. This host may run a Win 10 VM from time to time This box will also pick up Plex media server duties from my Mac and an nVidia Shield. It will be delivering media using Chromecast. The Mac may also stream media from time to time via AirPlay and iTunes Remote.

The system will also be hosting a new UniFi Controller and UniFi NVR. These will be the first applications on the box. Later, I'll move the Time Machine storage and media (iTunes library) and set up a Plex server.

The hardware guides and FreeNAS installation guide are great but they leave me asking "How should I organize my storage for my needs?" What are best practices for containers and file systems? Is there a storage planning guide in the resources or a specific section of a resource I should consult?

My intent is to have Plex and the UniFi stuff in docker containers and iTunes and Time Machine storage accessible to MacOs and the iTunes storage shared with Plex so I don't have to copy the library from time to time as I do now for Plex on an nVidia Shield.

I'm hoping to bring this system up this summer after the Ethernet runs are completed and a FreeNAS host is commissioned.

Thanks for a warm welcome and your advice,
Retired Moocher Dave

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

Welcome!

How should I organize my storage for my needs?

For the typical user, one storage pool is the most convenient. Within that pool, datasets are used to break down the storage by purpose. A dataset is like a self-contained filesystem, meaning it can have its own properties. There's no 'best way' - too few datasets result in a lack of flexibility, too many datasets result in excess complexity.

I can't help you with recommendations for working with Docker, but I expect someone else can. Based on my experience with jails on FreeNAS and containers in Linux, I propose that apps that work together, e.g. Plex/Sonarr/SABnzbd, are easier to set up when they share access to a common dataset and run under the same user.

 

[Stux]

One small part of your question,

TimeMachine. Good news is it works very well on FreeNAS, especially if you follow this guide ;)

https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...-machines-with-osx-server-style-quotas.47173/

I used a FreeNAS to replace some Drobos too.

I'd recommend setting up a dataset for your timemachine backups, and sharing that, with the quotas set as above. If you want to have different quotas for different classes of macs (say 4TB for a big workstation and 1TB for little laptops), then you will need two different timemachine shares, which I believe means two different datasets.

At the moment there is no point having a workstation board with graphics support over a server board with remote IPMI support, but I imagine there might be a time in the future where you can pass the graphics card into a VM, and then have that VM actually output video/graphics... that time is not now though.

 

[Dave Hamby]

Thanks for your help, folks. I'm slowly getting the hang of it. One volume, multiple datasets with sharing specific to the intended usage. The Corral UI has changed some of the language.

Are we making an effort to collect recipes from the forums in resources? We have a hole in the middle that they fill.

 

[Dave Hamby]

As I was reading the guides yet again, I realized things were pretty cut and dry for small home servers. One volume with number of physical device determined by the ZRAID configuration chosen. The only question remaining is datasets with docker containers, bhyve VM's, and network sharing driving the decisions.

 

[diedrichg]

Docker (only available as a VM) plus a VM for Windows = much RAM. I'd recommend 32GB for your scenario.

Check out my post to plan your storage requirements. https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?posts/228918

 

[Dave Hamby]

Thanks: Planning on 6x4Tb and 32 GB main memory. That was fairly easy after reviewing storage currently in use and market pricing of disks. Just ordered the bits today.

 

[Dave Hamby]

Are there any issues with Skylake Xeon built-in graphics? TrueOS 11 is up to date with Intel onboard graphics so I assume FreeNAS is also. Said with fingers crossed and knocking on wood.

 

[diedrichg]

Are there any issues with Skylake Xeon built-in graphics? TrueOS 11 is up to date with Intel onboard graphics so I assume FreeNAS is also. Said with fingers crossed and knocking on wood.

You won't be porting out your Plex video if that's what you're thinking. FreeNAS doesn't work like that and doesn't include video drivers. The GUI is strictly web-based and you *should be administrating any changes through the GUI vs command line. To monitor BIOS-level stuff such as fan speeds and temperatures and to mount ISOs for installation (not necessary but pretty badass) you would want a board with IPMI.

Your Plex transcodes will have to happen over your LAN to your clients. This is where your CPU decision will be of importance to make sure it can handle X number of transcodes (if required by your clients).

 

[Scareh]

just a heads up since i saw you are using/going to use corral: it's no longer supported, so be carefull if you decide to go that way.
The docker support is still a while out on the fn11 version, so....

 

[Dave Hamby]

just a heads up since i saw you are using/going to use corral: it's no longer supported, so be carefull if you decide to go that way.
The docker support is still a while out on the fn11 version, so....

Did I miss some news about Corral?

 

[danb35]

Did I miss some news about Corral?

Apparently.
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/important-announcement-regarding-freenas-corral.53502/

 

[Dave Hamby]

Indeed I did. Thanks for the alert! As Brooks said, "Plan to tear one up, you will anyway"

 

[Dave Hamby]

Thanks all for your help navigating the initial planning process. The box is built and running with Plex and UniFi controller in jails. I elected not to put UniFi DVR in a VM as it seemed like Ubiquity was not vigorously supporting it. I caved and bought a UniFi NVR but will probably set up a dataset for video storage eventually as NVR can be configured to write to shares.

The only rough patch was the IIPv4 bridge address. Leave it blank or Arp gets unhappy.