Windows Home Server layout

[DarkTXKnight]

So Im going to build a WHS box today out of some spare parts: x2 3800+, 2 GB RAM, and Ive got 4 hard drives - an 80GB, 1 350 and 2 750's.
I was thinking of begining by only inserting the 80GB first, to force whs to install to that dirve (only 20GB iirc) and then load the other 3 drives . I plan to mirros select folders and docs across the 750s and 350. Does anyone have any other advice I need to consider? would I be able to run a torren client on this etc? Id like to be able to do a few things wiht this mahcine if possible as it's going to be the filestore for my media library as well.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

Actually, I think that changed with PP1.

I've got a 250gb as the OS+data drive with 2x1TB data drives. The only space used on the 250GB drive is the 20GB OS partition.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

that was my thinking. I could have used the 350 as an os + data drive, but i wouldnt want to waste the space if i dont have to.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
that was my thinking. I could have used the 350 as an os + data drive, but i wouldnt want to waste the space if i dont have to.

It's not really a waste either way is it? I thought the whole idea of storage pooling is that what data actually goes which drive is transparent to you.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

Actually, I think that changed with PP1.

I've got a 250gb as the OS+data drive with 2x1TB data drives. The only space used on the 250GB drive is the 20GB OS partition.

The data partition of the system drive still stores the tombstones. Microsoft's advice is unchanged, always make the biggest drive the system drive.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Microsoft's advice is unchanged, always make the biggest drive the system drive.

That's my understanding and my recommendation, also. Replacing the system disk at a later time will be difficult. I'd want the system disk to be the largest and most modern of the disks in my WHS server. You can replace any of the other disks easily at any time.

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
that was my thinking. I could have used the 350 as an os + data drive, but i wouldnt want to waste the space if i dont have to.

WHS will use all available disk space for storage as it deems appropriate. Space on the system disk won't be "wasted".

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

If you want to have folders mirrored across the 750 & 350, then leave the 80gb drive out. There isn't any sort of selecting where a file is replicated to, but there are add-ons that allow you to see where it was replicated to.

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

Actually, I think that changed with PP1.

I've got a 250gb as the OS+data drive with 2x1TB data drives. The only space used on the 250GB drive is the 20GB OS partition.

Okay, now try to copy 300gb at once to the WHS storage pool. If it works, then they changed it. If it doesn't work, then they didn't. Space on the primary drive is kept available as much as possible, because the system first copies to this drive, then spreads it out amongst the other drives in the pool.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
that was my thinking. I could have used the 350 as an os + data drive, but i wouldnt want to waste the space if i dont have to.

It wont be wasted, the drives with the tombstones will also hold data if the other drives are full

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

Actually, I think that changed with PP1.

I've got a 250gb as the OS+data drive with 2x1TB data drives. The only space used on the 250GB drive is the 20GB OS partition.

It did change, but any computers connected to the WHS will only see the space on the system drive as the amount of space on the server. I have over 1.4TB total on my WHS, but my system drive is an 80gb - therefore all my PCs only think there's 60gb of space available. I can't copy any bulk amount of data over 60gb at one to the WHS, plus it looks funny if you map the drive - "244gb free of 54.6gb"

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Raduque

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I thought that you were supposed to use your largest drive as the primary HD. The reason being is that WHS divides up 20GB for the main OS partition, but then uses the remainder of that drive as the primary data drive, which stores "tombstones" for all the other drives in the system. So you want that data drive to be as large as possible.

Actually, I think that changed with PP1.

I've got a 250gb as the OS+data drive with 2x1TB data drives. The only space used on the 250GB drive is the 20GB OS partition.

It did change, but any computers connected to the WHS will only see the space on the system drive as the amount of space on the server. I have over 1.4TB total on my WHS, but my system drive is an 80gb - therefore all my PCs only think there's 60gb of space available. I can't copy any bulk amount of data over 60gb at one to the WHS, plus it looks funny if you map the drive - "244gb free of 54.6gb"

This is true with PP2, but I think the amount shown free is the largest data drive available not only the storage drive. In PP1 it was the storage drive since the file was staged there before being moved elsewhere. In PP2 file copies occur (apparently) directly to their final location.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

ok so it seems like the most likely configuration is that I leave the 80 out altogether, use 750GB #1 for system ( taking 20 GB sys to 730GB tombstones into account) and have 750GB #2 and 350 for my data pool.

So what happens when I want to upgrade say the 350 to another 750 (might have a 3rd) or larger? What are the steps for upgrading and then removing the smaller drive?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
So what happens when I want to upgrade say the 350 to another 750 (might have a 3rd) or larger? What are the steps for upgrading and then removing the smaller drive?

If you have physical space for it, you can use the 80 GB disk if you wish. Just don't use it as the System disk.

As long as the disk you want to change isn't the System disk:

1) If there's room, insert the new drive into the WHS server
2) In the "Server Storage" screen, find the new drive, right-click on it, and tell WHS to add the new drive to the storage pool.
3) In the "Server Storage" screen, right-click on the disk you want to remove. Select "Remove".
4) Wait until the drive has been removed from that screen. WHS will move all the files on that drive to other available drive space on the server. This will take a while.
5) If you have physical space constraints and need to remove the old drive before adding the new one, you'll need to manually MOVE files from the WHS storage pool to elsewhere (network or local USB, eSATA, or FireWire drive). Move enough files to ensure the remaining ones will fit on the WHS server after you've removed the old drive. Then go to Step 3) and tell WHS to remove the drive.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: DarkTXKnight
So Im going to build a WHS box today out of some spare parts: x2 3800+, 2 GB RAM, and Ive got 4 hard drives - an 80GB, 1 350 and 2 750's.
I was thinking of begining by only inserting the 80GB first, to force whs to install to that dirve (only 20GB iirc) and then load the other 3 drives . I plan to mirros select folders and docs across the 750s and 350. Does anyone have any other advice I need to consider? would I be able to run a torren client on this etc? Id like to be able to do a few things wiht this mahcine if possible as it's going to be the filestore for my media library as well.

You won't need to mirror the files. In the server storage scrren you can select which folders will be duplicated and it will make copies of those folders/files on the other disks.

I used an 80GB drive as the primary and have a 400GB, and a 1TB drive in the machine and have no problems. I've also copied 200GB's of data to the WHS in one transfer and never had a problem.
I'm going to toss another 500GB and be done with it.
The hardest part about setting up my WHS was getting it to host a blog for my GF.