Supermicro MDB-X11SSH-F-0 Micro ATX

[dturner71.dt]

Hey guys. First post here.

I've been reading through the forums as I'm about to build my first NAS. Not happy with the aftermarket options at Synology, Drobo, Buffalo or Q-NAP.

I want to create a NAS with 8 x 6TB (Ultrastar 7k6000) hard drives in a raid-6 config.

I know the Supermicro board in question has 8 SATA connectors, but I read somewhere that 6 are in one group and the other 2 are in another.

• So my question is, can all 8 drives be in a raid-6 on this motherboard, or do I need an HBA controller? If I need a controller, which one do you recommend?

I mainly want to create a 10TB ISCSI target for my PC and stream Kody and Plex from my pc or from the NAS itself. Also some 1 or 2 TB ISCSI targets for my wife and kids PCs.
So 5 or 6 ISCSI targets and some 4K converting may be needed (x265 preferred)
I currently have a Intel I5 6400 I can use and update later if it's not enough power.
My main concern is being able to raid 6 all 8 drives and the performance I'll get from the controller on board and the 2 bonded Network connections. (will we get over 100 MB + for each ISCSI target?)

• Do I really need ECC Memory? And if not, what other Motherboards would you recommend?
• Motherboard size is not an issue as I plan on getting a Fractal Design Define R5 (ATX) case. (NAS will be in closet after I run a AC vent to it.)

Thanks guys.

Dustin

 

[danb35]

So my question is, can all 8 drives be in a raid-6 on this motherboard

Yes.

I mainly want to create a 10TB ISCSI target

Why iSCSI? Do you have some unique application that requires that you present what appears to be a local block device? Because in most cases, SMB is going to be less demanding of resources.

So 5 or 6 ISCSI targets

If you do need that many iSCSI targets, you probably want to set up your disks in mirrors for higher IOPS.

I currently have a Intel I5 6400 I can use

Not with that motherboard.

the 2 bonded Network connections.

Link aggregation doesn't really do much, if anything, to benefit you with fewer than about 10 clients.

Do I really need ECC Memory?

Do you care about your data?

 

[dturner71.dt]

Dan,

Why iSCSI? Do you have some unique application that requires that you present what appears to be a local block device? Because in most cases, SMB is going to be less demanding of resources.

• ISCSI will let me mount individual data drives per users. I can also use my PC as the processor to host the trans-code for Kodi. "I can backup to blazebackup" without them charging me any different fess as I pay $5 a month now. It's more expensive if I try and use the NAS backup.

• The 1 TB ISCSI targets will be of low use for the kids data drives. The Main 10TB drive will be used to stream Kodi to my 4K tv.

If you do need that many iSCSI targets, you probably want to set up your disks in mirrors for higher IOPS.

• So raid 6 or 5 is a bad idea? Raid 1/0 would probably do it, correct? What kind of performance would I get with 5 targets?

Not with that motherboard.

• Is there another motherboard you would recommend that would work for my CPU and requirements?

I already have the 8 drives. Everything else is negotiable.

Thanks.

 

[Nomad]

I went thru the ECC thing quite a bit when I build my first one and it's the dirt.

TLDR; Yes you have to use ECC with zfs.

zfs will scrub your data and verify it's correct, if you use non ECC memory and a bit flips or your memory has an error with will take good data from your drive and store it incorrectly thus destroying all your good data after the first scrub with bad memory.

 

[danb35]

TLDR; Yes you have to use ECC with zfs.

TLDR; no, you don't. Yes, it's recommended; no, it isn't essential.

thus destroying all your good data after the first scrub with bad memory.

Nonsense. But don't take my word for it; ask Matt Ahrens, one of the main ZFS developers:

There's nothing special about ZFS that requires/encourages the use of ECC RAM more so than any other filesystem. If you use UFS, EXT, NTFS, btrfs, etc without ECC RAM, you are just as much at risk as if you used ZFS without ECC RAM.

 

[Nomad]

This is where I pulled my info:
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ecc-vs-non-ecc-ram-and-zfs.15449/

My understanding is if you have a stuck bit and you do a scrub you'll get the scrub of death and kill quite a bit of data.

 

[danb35]

My understanding is if you have a stuck bit and you do a scrub you'll get the scrub of death and kill quite a bit of data.

...and the link you posted (and then deleted) explains precisely why that isn't correct.

 

[joeschmuck]

Times have changed with respect to if you need ECC RAM or not on a ZFS system. While you don't need it, it is highly preferred.

 

[Nomad]

Times have changed with respect to if you need ECC RAM or not on a ZFS system. While you don't need it, it is highly preferred.

Why? I mean why is it preferred if the times have changed.

 

[danb35]

Why? I mean why is it preferred if the times have changed.

You posted, and then deleted, a link to http://jrs-s.net/2015/02/03/will-zfs-and-non-ecc-ram-kill-your-data/. Did you read that page before you posted the link? Because it would have answered your question.

 

[Nomad]

Ya, but I took that down because the information is not correct.
Random post on the internet vs freenas.org
http://www.freenas.org/blog/a-compl...are-design-part-i-purpose-and-best-practices/

 

[Nomad]

You posted, and then deleted, a link to http://jrs-s.net/2015/02/03/will-zfs-and-non-ecc-ram-kill-your-data/. Did you read that page before you posted the link? Because it would have answered your question.

We can link all day long, I'm running it in my box, everyone I know is running it, are you running it? Do you know anyone not running it?

 

[danb35]

Random post on the internet vs freenas.org

When the "random post on the Internet" explains the reasons for its position, and cites one of the primary authors of the filesystem, I give that quite a bit of weight.

Yes, I use ECC. Yes, I recommend ECC (just look at my first post in this thread). But no, it isn't essential. We do ourselves and our users a disservice when we're spreading FUD about the scrub of death, or how you're guaranteed to have drive failure while resilvering a RAIDZ1 pool.

 

[Nomad]

I'll just leave these here.

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/zfs-import-crashes-freenas.18571/
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/freenas-crash-stuck-on-auto-import-volume.15816/
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ecc-vs-non-ecc-ram-and-zfs.15449/page-5#post-87136
https://blogs.oracle.com/vlad/zfs-likes-to-have-ecc-ram
https://pthree.org/2013/12/10/zfs-administration-appendix-c-why-you-should-use-ecc-ram/

White Paper on the issue:
http://research.cs.wisc.edu/adsl/Publications/zfs-corruption-fast10.pdf


Make your own choice about ECC vs non.