NAS and media server build

[mabbl]

Hi,

I'm planning on building a server for file storage and as a Live-TV head. I'd like to go full-encryption (don't like the idea of hardware theft and my data being out there unprotected) using ZFS RAID-Z1 under Debian Wheezy. I'd like to run isolated VMs using KVM as I did very well using VMs for my last home server.

So far I've pretty much settled on the following components:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670T
System Disk: Samsung 840 Basic SSD
HDDs: Seagate NAS HDD

I still need recommendations on the following parts:

- RAM (I thought I'd go with 2x 4GB here)
- Motherboard
- PSU

I'd like to be able to support up to 10 HDDs + the System SSD (the HDDs include the parity drive and backup drives for a complete system backup with some history).

Also the overall system shall be as efficient as possible. For the PSU I thought about getting an 80+ Platinum but those are only available 400W+ (I doubt I need that). Second option would be a PicoPSU but those go only up to 150W.

My third concern is with the Motherboard: Would you recommend getting as much SATA channels as possible or is it better to expand the provided number of channels using a controller card.

Any suggestions and advice welcome!

mabbl

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UPDATE: Answers to build questions:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Mainly serving files to LAN, some video encoding and a small groupware setup using Zarafa for email, calendar etc. All running in separate VMs.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Don't care as much on the hardware costs, but the running costs shall be as log as possible.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Germany

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
There are quite a lot of vendors: mindfactory.de, compuland.de, hoh.de
You don't have to look up prices for me and so on -- component recommendations will do.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Nope. Pretty much settled on Intel Core i5 at the moment.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Nope.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
Console only.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Now/asap.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Nope.

 

[mfenn]

I see a couple of issues here:

1. A super-stable distro like Debian is not a good choice for a media center. You will end up having to either put up with old, crusty players and codecs or pull so many backports that you might as well be running Ubuntu. ZFS on Linux is also best supported on Ubuntu LTS.

2. The S and T series CPUs are not any more power efficient than the standard CPUs. The idle power draw is the same, and given a constant workload, will effectively use the same or more power than a standard part. Their purpose is for thermally constrained environments, not efficiency.

Finally, can you update your post with the answers to these questions?

 

[mabbl]

I see a couple of issues here:

1. A super-stable distro like Debian is not a good choice for a media center. You will end up having to either put up with old, crusty players and codecs or pull so many backports that you might as well be running Ubuntu. ZFS on Linux is also best supported on Ubuntu LTS.

2. The S and T series CPUs are not any more power efficient than the standard CPUs. The idle power draw is the same, and given a constant workload, will effectively use the same or more power than a standard part. Their purpose is for thermally constrained environments, not efficiency.

Finally, can you update your post with the answers to these questions?

Thanks for your reply!

1. Debian was planned for dom0 and maybe the NAS domU. Not fixed yet, so thanks for the hint on ZFS and Ubuntu LTS.

2. Ok. My understanding is that less power transformed to heat means higher efficiency or am I missing something here? What CPU would you recommend?
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Edit: To clarify this: I don't want to build a media center, just having the option of using this as a Live-TV head for a HTPC seems nice.

 

[Cerb]

2. Ok. My understanding is that less power transformed to heat means higher efficiency or am I missing something here?

TDP is the measure of how much electrical power the CPU might convert to heat. That would just help you compare PCs to space heaters. Efficiency is how much work is done for a given amount of heat produced.

Most of the CPU's life is going to be spent in several idle states, with parts of the CPU running at lower speeds than reported even when not in those isle states. An S or T suffix CPU simply has a lower maximum state, reducing peak performance. There's no benefit to it, unless you are designing a system for an environment that might not be able to cool the regular version under load for some length of time. The plain model of a given cost will also run at those lower speeds, but can also run at higher speeds when you need it to.

 

[mfenn]

1. Debian was planned for dom0 and maybe the NAS domU. Not fixed yet, so thanks for the hint on ZFS and Ubuntu LTS.

I would not put the NAS serving functions in a VM unless you don't care about performance. Even passing through raw zvols is quite slow with the current ZoL implementation.

2. Ok. My understanding is that less power transformed to heat means higher efficiency or am I missing something here? What CPU would you recommend?

See Cerb's post for a great explanation of efficiency. In short, yes the S or T series puts out less heat per unit time, but they also do less work in that same unit of time. Thus, for a fixed workload, they will take longer and use the same (or more) power than a normal CPU.

I would recommend a normal i5 like the i5 4570 or the Xeon E3-1225 V3.

Edit: To clarify this: I don't want to build a media center, just having the option of using this as a Live-TV head for a HTPC seems nice.

Maybe your definition of "Live-TV head" is different from mine. In your view, what does a "Live-TV head" do?

 

[mabbl]

I would not put the NAS serving functions in a VM unless you don't care about performance. Even passing through raw zvols is quite slow with the current ZoL implementation.

Ok, so you suggest putting the NAS services in the Dom0?

See Cerb's post for a great explanation of efficiency. In short, yes the S or T series puts out less heat per unit time, but they also do less work in that same unit of time. Thus, for a fixed workload, they will take longer and use the same (or more) power than a normal CPU.

I read some articles on this topic in the meantime, including some benchmarks, and found that I can kinda build a "T" or "S" myself by undervolting a regular CPU. Also your argument regarding power x time sounds reasonable. I will go for a regular one now.

I would recommend a normal i5 like the i5 4570 or the Xeon E3-1225 V3.

What's the advantage of the Xeon over the i5?

Maybe your definition of "Live-TV head" is different from mine. In your view, what does a "Live-TV head" do?

Sorry for the poor definition – I want to put one or two digital sat or DVB-T tuners in the server and be able to use the signal throughout the whole LAN, most of the time for my HTPC in the living room.

 

[mfenn]

Ok, so you suggest putting the NAS services in the Dom0?

Yes.

What's the advantage of the Xeon over the i5?

Generally speaking Xeon has hyperthreading for a low cost, which can be useful in keeping many VMs responsive. Actually, I just realized that the 1225 V3 doesn't have HT, get the 1230 V3 instead. If you need the IGP, the i5 is a better deal (the higher Xeons are too expensive).

Sorry for the poor definition – I want to put one or two digital sat or DVB-T tuners in the server and be able to use the signal throughout the whole LAN, most of the time for my HTPC in the living room.

You should be able to do that (assuming you're talking about MythTV or similar). You have two options:

1. Put the MythTV receiver in the host machine.
2. Use a Xeon to get VT-d and remap the raw PCI devices into a VM.