Will it FreeNAS - First NAS

[matty1080]

So I've been looking at getting a nas for a while now, and probably like most I was looking at getting pre made unit like qnap, drobo etc....

I then stumbled across FreeNAS while researching and have decide this is the route I want to take. Having built desktops in the past I'm wanting to expand my knowledge with servers. So as well as keeping data safe, this will be a project/hobby if you will.

I'm looking at mainly storing media (photos/videos((from cameras)), DVD rips). Time machine and windows backups.
I will also be looking at a plex media server too in the future having used this before on the mac I would like to use this on a proper server. This would only have one, two at the most accessing this at one time.

Setup:

- Supermicro X9SCI-LN4F https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/xeon/c202_c204/x9sci-ln4f.cfm

- Intel Xeon E3-1225 https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIAAEE54F1019

- Hynix 16Gb (8Gbx2) ddr3 1333hz https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I...u7mfr8c-pb&dpPl=1&dpID=41zUEktr1KL&ref=plSrch

- WD reds 1TB x4

- 16Gb Sandisk flash drive

Reason for the motherboard is I have it already and working my spec around this.

I did look at 120Gb SSD for the boot drive as they aren't to badly priced but would like to save sata space.

I will be looking at going for the full 32GB ram eventually but want to get up and running first. Plex won't be installed until the 32GB will be installed.

This as you might have guessed will be a home setup I've currently got a AV rack setup where this will be fitted into a 4u rack case. I do have an old Antec 900 case that I could use but there's to many fans for my liking and the psu that's in there will be over kill I feel. A 600w modular with Sli function, bought a while ago. ( http://www.rmac.kingwin.com/products/cate/power_supplies/abt_600MA1S.asp )

I will be looking at using the IPMI function to setup and access the server as this will be in my rack with no monitor.

Any feedback would be great

 

[danb35]

That's not a board we see used very often, but it looks like it should be fine. If the 1225 costs any more than the 1220, just use the 1220 (or better yet the 1230); the integrated GPU of the xxx5 parts won't be used with FreeNAS.

Consider larger disks--that's only going to give you, at most, 2.4 TB of storage once you account for parity and the recommendation that you not fill a pool past 80%. Especially if you're putting video on the system, that's going to fill up quickly. IIRC, the sweet spot for $/TB is somewhere around 3-4 TB right now--a resource to help with this is here: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...erformance-analysis-buying-information.56635/

Carefully consider your storage layout, because some decisions that are made at the outset can't easily be changed later. Take a look here for more information: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

 

[matty1080]

That's not a board we see used very often, but it looks like it should be fine. If the 1225 costs any more than the 1220, just use the 1220 (or better yet the 1230); the integrated GPU of the xxx5 parts won't be used with FreeNAS.

Consider larger disks--that's only going to give you, at most, 2.4 TB of storage once you account for parity and the recommendation that you not fill a pool past 80%. Especially if you're putting video on the system, that's going to fill up quickly. IIRC, the sweet spot for $/TB is somewhere around 3-4 TB right now--a resource to help with this is here: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...erformance-analysis-buying-information.56635/

Carefully consider your storage layout, because some decisions that are made at the outset can't easily be changed later. Take a look here for more information: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ning-vdev-zpool-zil-and-l2arc-for-noobs.7775/

Thanks for the input funnily enough those are the three cpus I have been looking at. I haven't seen anything about the gpu on the xxx5 must have missed that. Might explain the higher tdp (I know I shouldn't look into this to much).

I'm not going to set anything up until I'm happy with everything I'll look at bigger disks, I'm in the uk, but don't think prices will be that much different.

2tb wd reds - £80, if I were to buy in US, price conversion rate as of now would be £68. Or $104 per 2TB if US were to buy something over here.

I've had a look at the slideshow in the past but I'm going to read through it a couple of times before I dive in.

On another side note I've also been looking at using torrents too. Having used programs like transmission on mac before.

 

[matty1080]

Just a little update I've managed to pickup the Xeon 1225 very cheap so I've gone with this although as discussed previous at the price I got it at I'll give it ago.

Got a rack mountable case along with a sandisk 16gb SSD for the boot.

Installed a fan (Akasa ak-183-l2b)in front of the HDD slots to try and keep them cool.

This will slide nicely into my home made rack that's in the cupboard under the stairs. I'm going to swap thing around a little and have the server on the bottom.

Next up is Ram, PSU and some extra HDD.