Low consumption NAS build

[MannyRik]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and I am looking for tips on on building my home made NAS.

Currently I have an old Pentium III notebook running FreeNAS with a PCMCIA card two external USB disks where my files are stored. Since a few weeks the PCMCIA slot is getting hotter and hotter and sometimes it reboots when temp goes over 102°C... so I am thinking of building my own NAS.

I am not an expert and I've just seen this article (http://www.happysysadm.com/2012/12/low-power-nasfile-server-build.html) on a self built NAS with a deep explanation of all the steps he took. And it looks so cool. So, can you please advice on that built.

I don't want to spend more than 300$. I wish I could also have an SSD because everybody says it's damn fast. What do you think?

Thanks in advance!

MannyRik

 

[BrightCandle]

When it comes to a NAS a gen 2 i3 is more than enough. The main thing you want from your motherboard is extra SATA slots on your motherboard so you can add lots of drives if you want. You can drop down to an Atom if you like, it will impact performance a little but its a lot cheaper.

There isn't much point adding an SSD to a NAS. 1Gbit networks can only transfer 100MB/s and any 3.5 hard drive can do that.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Welcome to the forums...

If you just need a simple storage (e.g. no transcoding) NAS, I can recommend the ASUS C60M1-I. It has the CPU (AMD C60 @ 1.33GHz) onboard and 6(!) SATA3 ports in an ITX form factor. And it only sips power...

 

[MannyRik]

Thanks for your quick replies!

Do you think that with an Atom or a C60 I can go under 30 watts like the guy did, also considering that he has 4 disks in its chassis?

Also I think that a miniITX case is too small to scale up in case I need it, isn't it?

I'd add an ssd just for fun :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Thanks for your quick replies!

Do you think that with an Atom or a C60 I can go under 30 watts like the guy did, also considering that he has 4 disks in its chassis?

Also I think that a miniITX case is too small to scale up in case I need it, isn't it?

I'd add an ssd just for fun :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Well, I run a 4-disk ZFS array at ~20W(idle)-30W(load), so its possible but YMMV. It depends on what disks you use and the efficiency of the PSU...

 

[MannyRik]

Well, I run a 4-disk ZFS array at ~20W(idle)-30W(load), so its possible but YMMV. It depends on what disks you use and the efficiency of the PSU...

You have ZFS on a mini-ITX motherboard? How much ram do you have? From what I have understood reading http://www.happysysadm.com/2012/12/low-power-nasfile-server-build.html is that his solution is more scalable than using another mobo 'cause the MSI z68 can go up to 32gb and it has an HDMI port. I like his point of view but I am impressed by your lower power consumption!

Still hesitating...

 

[mfenn]

You definitely do not need 32GB of RAM on a ZFS system with a small number of spindles. Hell, the only way that you'd even benefit from the extra ARC space is if you had a workload that consisted overwhelmingly of random reads (not likely).

Some basic questions need to be answered before we can really give you in-depth advice though. Also, how much storage are you looking to get for $300?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

You have ZFS on a mini-ITX motherboard? How much ram do you have? From what I have understood reading http://www.happysysadm.com/2012/12/low-power-nasfile-server-build.html is that his solution is more scalable than using another mobo 'cause the MSI z68 can go up to 32gb and it has an HDMI port. I like his point of view but I am impressed by your lower power consumption!

Still hesitating...

Current NAS config:

Board: ASUS C60M1-I
RAM: Kingston KVR1333D3N9/8G 8GB DDR3-1333@800 (Weird issues if set higher...)
HDDs: 4x WD RE4 2TB (overkill perhaps, I admit I'm a little bit paranoid... ) 1x 80GB Seagate 2.5" system drive...
PSU: Antec EarthWatts 380W (temporary, on top of case... waiting for new SSF to arrive...)
And an Intel 82574L gigabit ethernet controller (don't ask)

The only thing bothering me is the lack of ECC RAM (perhaps I'm a bit too paranoid...) but since this NAS is only used for data-storage, its not likely to be an issue...

(This was only meant to serve as an appetizer for what's possible, you might have very different requirements... )

Edit; forgot to mention the Antec PSU is a temporary expedient...

 

[piasabird]

Maybe you should look at this FREE NAS web blog. You use the downloadable ISO and enable SAMBA so it can be read by a Windows computer (Streaming). I have played around with Linux a bit. Most Core 2 Duo processors are probably fast enough.

http://les-revues.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-build-nas-box.html

 

[MannyRik]

Maybe you should look at this FREE NAS web blog. You use the downloadable ISO and enable SAMBA so it can be read by a Windows computer (Streaming). I have played around with Linux a bit. Most Core 2 Duo processors are probably fast enough.

http://les-revues.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-build-nas-box.html

Thanks for your input but I have already used Freenas for a logntime and I think that a Windows server is a better option nowaday. With Windows 2012 I can deduplicate my data at block level, it has a brand new SMB 3.0, and I can add any program I want to test because more or less every soft can run on MS.


@Insert_Nickname:I don't mind not having ECC. It's just a home build...

I am also concerned about the performance I can get with such a NAS. Which software do you suggest to use to test SMB/CIFS?

 

[mfenn]

Windows Server 2012 is also $750 for a standard license, so you've got to take that into account.

As for performance testing, check out Intel NASPT.

 

[Paperlantern]

I got a deal on a Drobo FS. I know they are a LITTLE pricey but it is an incredibly versatile unit and with 5 drives, it pulls like 18 - 20 watts.

 

[rchapoteau]

Just wanted to folow up on this. What type of data transfers do you get with this board setup? I'm thinking about getting it myself because it looks like it would be small cheap and quiet.