Idea for new "mini" storage server

[VirtualLarry]

I put together a "large" storage server, in a full-tower ATX case, with 10 2TB HDs. I haven't paid for a "Pro" version of unRAID server yet, to be able to use it, but other than the software, the hardware is ready to go.

I was thinking, it would be nice to have a WHS as well as an unRAID server. I would use the unRAID server for bulk data, and the WHS for automated backups of my computers. I'm thinking of going with WHS 2011, since it's cheaper than WHS v1, and it supports bigger drives (4TB, etc).


I want something along the lines of these builds:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2173118
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2173256


My parts list:

Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 64-bit OEM System Builder - OEM ($53)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416443

LIAN LI PC-Q08B Black Aluminum Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case ($110 + $10)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112265

FSP Group FSP300-60GHS-R 300W SFX12V 80 PLUS Certified Power Supply ($45 + $8)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104075

BIOSTAR TH61 ITX LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS ($80 + $5)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138327

Intel Pentium G620 Sandy Bridge 2.6GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics ($70)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116399

Since there are no longer any mini-ITX mobos with six SATA ports on the market, I'm going to have to add a SATA controller card.

There are several possibilities at Newegg.
There are PCI-E x1 cards with Jmicron JMB363 chips on them, that have two SATA2, and one IDE.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124047

There is also a variant, that uses two IDE-to-SATA1 bridges, so the card has two SATA1 ports, and two SATA2 ports.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124029

There are also cards with Marvell chipset on them, that have two SATA6G, and one IDE.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124042
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124037
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815283005

There is also a card with a Silicon Image 3124 PCI-X chip, with a PCI-E bridge chip. That one has four SATA2 ports on it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124027
http://www.amazon.com/Syba-Express-Ports-Controller-SY-PEX40008/dp/B002R0DZWQ

Then you get into the $100+ cards, like Highpoint, Adaptec, Intel, etc.

Really, I want a card that supports booting off of it. If the Jmicron cards work, then I'll install an IDE DVD drive, for booting & burning. That would leave the two extra SATA ports for HDs, and allow me to use the max of six HDs in that case.

Edit: I already have five 1TB 7200RPM Seagate 7200.12 drives that I can use.

Does WHS2011 require being installed onto a seperate drive, or does it install onto part of one of the data drives like WHS v1 does? If it installs to a seperate drive, that might be an issue. I might have to choose one of the 4-port SATA controller cards, rather than 2SATA/1IDE, and use one of the mobo's sata ports for a DVD drive, and one for an SSD, and then use the remaining two mobo ports, and the four ports on the controller card, for the six HDs.

Since WHS 2011 doesn't support GPT partitioned drives

WUT? Is WHS2011 just as limited as WHS v1, when it comes to drives?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/228598-2/windows_home_server_2011_what_it_is_and_how_to_use_it.html

 

[ther00kie16]

Zotac has a 1155 version with 4 SATA II + 2 SATA III
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813500064

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-H67ITCE has it in-stock with $15 coupon WALNUT so only $120.

Also this server board that uses mobile CPUs if that's appealing at all.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182261

Silverstone Sugo are smaller but may still fit quite a few drives if you are creative. They come with power supplies and the older ones (sg05/sg06) are cheaper but don't have USB 3.0 on the front (they sell the board for you to swap out 2.0 for 3.0 for <$20)

Curious: the Zotac board has 3 video outs (there's even a version with 4): HDMI, DVI-I (digital+analog) and DP. Anyone care to guess if these will support 3 displays with Ivy Bridge? And the one with 4 has 2 DL DVI-I and DP. 3x 2560x1600 from a low-power $500 mini ITX PC would be interesting.

nvm... the one with 4 video outs has an integrated gts430. talk about a feature packed itx board. it has mini PCIe wireless and msata too.

 

[jpeyton]

This guy goes on sale at Newegg every month for around $200, and sometimes that includes a copy of WHS2011:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16859107052

I really don't see any advantage to you rolling your own "mini" WHS build when the HP solution will have you up-and-running within 5 minutes (about how long it takes to load up 4 drives in the hot-swap trays). You don't need much horsepower at all to do WHS automated backups. If you already have an unRAID solution for the bulk data, the rest should easily fit onto 4 SATA drives.

 

[VirtualLarry]

That HP micro-server is indeed interesting, and probably is cheaper than rolling my own.
Still, I would like to do it for the experience, not the cost savings.
Btw, the description for the server mentions "LFF SATA" drives. What are they?

 

[mfenn]

Why not just pay for a software license for unRAID and/or install WHS on that box? You have a boatload of hardware already, why not put it to use?

 

[mfenn]

That HP micro-server is indeed interesting, and probably is cheaper than rolling my own.
Still, I would like to do it for the experience, not the cost savings.
Btw, the description for the server mentions "LFF SATA" drives. What are they?

LFF and SFF are HP-speak for 3.5" and 2.5" drives respectively.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Why not just pay for a software license for unRAID and/or install WHS on that box? You have a boatload of hardware already, why not put it to use?

Well, I would prefer to put the largest quantity of data on an unRAID server, as it allows the highest data density, but still with the protection of a parity drive. WHS v1 has folder duplication, which instead of unRAID's N-1 drives worth of usable data, is N/2 if folder duplication is enabled for everything.

But I was thinking of a smaller WHS2011 server, to be my web server (possibly I would retire my current IDE NAS), and my backup server. Though, if it were compromised, I wouldn't want my personal data accessable, so I guess I would keep my current standalone NAS for web server duty and use WHS2011 for just backups.

One thing that I was curious about - WHS2011, either has it built-in, or has plugins, for streaming media. I was wondering, can I store the raw ISOs and MKVs on the unRAID server, and then have WHS access it via SMB/CIFS, and then in turn, stream it to clients like a HTPC? Given enough bandwidth (gigabit), I don't think that would be a problem, as long as I can get the software to cooperate.

Edit: Now that I think about it, perhaps I should focus on getting my current hardware working and running, rather than embarking upon another grand building quest.

Two unRAID Pro licenses are $150, or $170 if they physically mail you two USB flash drives with the license keys and server version pre-installed. I think I'll go that route.

That's really all I need, AND a replacement battery for my UPS. Didn't want to start up the server without having a UPS to protect it.

Was thinking, originally, I was planning on running WHS v1 on that hardware. In fact, I purchased a copy of it already. But then I found out about unRAID, and liked that better.

I have a floppy drive and an IDE DVD drive in the server, primarily because of WHS v1. If I removed the DVD drive (of no particular use for unRAID, since it loads and boots off of a USB flash drive), then I could fit in another 4-in-3 cage, and four more HDs.

COOLER MASTER STB-3T4-E3-GP 4-in-3 Device Module Hardisk Cage
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817993002

HITACHI Deskstar 5K3000 HDS5C3020ALA632 (0F12117) 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145475

That would give me 6 2TB 7200, 4 2TB 5400, and then add 4 2TB 5400, for a total of 14 2TB drives, or 26TB total capacity.

 

[mfenn]

Edit: Now that I think about it, perhaps I should focus on getting my current hardware working and running, rather than embarking upon another grand building quest.

:thumbsup: Now we're talking.