Home server questions

[Torn Mind]

I'm thinking of getting some sort of server some time in the future to host my files and be a DVR of sorts.
Now, with the standard "build" method, I am thinking of a Sempron system because some boards support ECC memory. A few Constellation CS drives with error correction seems to be adequate for such purposes. I think I will get a cheap case for now and look into gargantuan cases with a ton of drive bays in the future.

Now, I have a bunch of questions.

Does the Sempron 145 support ECC RAM? I know the Sempron 140 does, but info on its bigger brother is not easy to find.

Should I keep the OS on a separate drive from the rest of the storage?

Should I use a RAID array? If so, is software, fakeRAID, or a separate hardware controller the best for my needs?
What are some other alternatives out there?

 

[Ayah]

I assume if you're going with a sempron 140/145, price is really important?
if so, why not go with zfs and general "consumer" drives like wd reds?

better ecc option: i3 3220 with supermicro X9SCL+-F, it's about 200$ combined if you find them used.

 

[fffblackmage]

My personal home server/NAS runs on FreeBSD with a ZFS RAIDz storage pool. The hardware consists of an unlocked Sempron 145, ASUS 785G mobo (I've heard ASUS have mobos with ECC support), Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR2, 8GB USB flash drive as OS drive, and a weird mix of 2x Hitachi 5400rpm HDDs and 2x WD20EARS and one WD20EARZ. It's weird because I have them in a RAID-Z array. The only thing I didn't get was the ECC memory.

I was considering getting ECC memory, but after asking about it on this forum, I decided not to bother with it. The data I'm storing on the server/NAS wasn't so important that I needed to pay more. So far, after 2.5 years of use, I haven't really had any issues other than a failed HDD.

As the saying goes, RAID is not a backup. That said, I still use a RAID-Z array (kinda like RAID5). Since I don't have a real backup, I just wanted the RAID-Z for protection against drive failure, and data integrity. I was fortunate I didn't have any more problems, while the array was rebuilding, when it did suffer a failed HDD.

I would recommend using ZFS, but I wouldn't go as a far as using hardware RAID solutions if your data isn't that crucial and you don't need high performance.

 

[smitbret]

I would just go new. You can pair an AMD AM2, AM3 or AM3+ with most Asus Motherboards and get ECC support. You can get a dual core, 65W Regor core and MB for leass than $125. Spend the rest on as much ECC memory as you can if you go ZFS (my recommendation).

Constellations are overkill for a home server, too. WD Reds are ideal, but I don't think you'd go wrong with the consumer grade Barracudas, either. I have 3 and they run the same temps as my similar sized WD Greens and are about 40% faster. I haven't had them but for about 3 months so longevity could be an issue but I figure if they fail I'm a year it'll be time to get bigger ones anyway.

I don't think hardware RAID is worth the investment, either. In fact, ZFS offers some better data integrity features and will be plenty fast enough in a RAIDz1 or z2 setup.

IMO, ZFS + 1GB ECC RAM/TB of storage is by far the best bang for your buck if performance in a home server is your goal.

 

[smitbret]

Oh, and if you do something like FreeNAS, the boot drive is just a flash drive. No need to even think about wasting a HDD port for the OS drive.

 

[Ketchup]

A few thoughts:

RAM: for a home server, I don't think ECC is worth the pain. Never had a RAM issues on the home server (runs 24x7) and it's been over a decade since I had a RAM problem on anything else.

OS: I started with the OS on a separate drive, but when I got my last terabyte drive I just put the OS on it's own partition. In my case, the OS runs much faster, and it is just as easy to do anything I need (like reinstall and whatnot) as it would on a separate drive. And cuts down on the heat in the case, which as we all know is killer for hard drives.

Drives: I keep everything backed up on a separate location, so I don't bother with RAID. Just personal preference. For me the added security is worth more than the better redundancy of RAID. If I had the extra cash, I would probably do both though.

CPU: go cheap. Pretty much anything currently available will do what you need (for right now, anyway.)

 

[Torn Mind]

I do intend to backup to a separate location, as I am well aware that RAID does not preserve the state of the system, but rather just keeps it "alive" in case a drive dies.

Looks like I'll have to toy around with those OSes that support ZFS. I was thinking of using Windows Home Server, but the ZFS has some really compelling advantages.

Yeah, the server's tasks will initially be modest, being primarily a print and file server, and once I get more acquainted with the OS and tasks a server can do, I will then add in better hardware and case when it's necessary.

Also, the Constellations I am still considering are the "CS" ones, not the higher end and more expensive "ES" ones.

 

[mfenn]

ZFS gives you hardware-independent checksums, so you don't need to get fancy enterprise drives. Whatever cheap SATA drives will work. ECC is needed to get total error protection, but I dunno that it is worth the hassle for a home server.