DIY NAS 2010

20120628

Hmm time to build this one perhaps..

Have decided to forgo software raid and go for a manufacturer raid specific card..  That way if a machine dies, so long as the replacment host MB/OS has the correct drivers loaded the array should be available...

I'll also forgo 8 channel and settle to for 4 just to get it running...

Highpoint: 2640X1 / 2640X4: not hardware raid..

Highpoint 640 look nice & supports port multiplier..

SPM393/4 look really cool too...

 


20100825

Tried Citrix XenServer but doesnt do PCI passthrough

Tried Nexentor Stor

 


20100825 Mothervoards need AHCI mode for hot swap & possibly for easy HD idle spindown

 


20100820

Hardware ordered and arrived:

  • Gigabyte 880GM-UD2H (Ordered Asus M4A78L-M Socket AM3 MB (6 Sata) but out of stock so got a Gigabyte 880GM-UD2H AM3 MB instead, not my first choice but.. ok)
  • North Bridge: AMD 880G
  • South Bridge: AMD SB710  ***Arrg, does not support port multipliers..***
  • ATI Radeon™ HD 4250 Graphics
  • 1 x PCIx16
  • 1 x PCIx1
  • 2 x PCI
  • 1 x IDE
  • 1 x External ESata on backplane
  • 5 x Sata
  • Gigabyte specs say Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 and JBOD
  • AMD Athlon X2 845
    • Cheapest processor but has AMD-V extensions...
  • 2GB DDR3 ram
  • 4x Western Digital 2TB Green EARS
  • 7x Hotswap caddys
  • iCute 9 bay server chassis

Options:

  • FreeNas
  • OpenFiler
  • Nexenter
  • Ubuntu or similar with raid enabled

Complications:

PC's currently run:

  • 1 primary workstation: Q6600, multipe displays, Vista Ultimate
    • Runs 15 hours per day
  • 1 TV FreeView Windows XP PC with dual DVB-S satellite cards running GB-PVR
    • Runs 6-24 hours per day depending on recording schedules

File Server curently run:

Qnap TS409 Turbo

Seems to be an opportunity to consolidate a few of the above using virtual machines..

VMWare, XEN, XBOX etc

 


 

20100810 Update, reading http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/power-consumption-overclocking.html

and also

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/athlon-ii-x2-250u_3.html

Cant get hold of a X2 250U but 245/250/

Asus M4A78LT-M LE has 6 SATA ports..


 

Require:

  • Low power
  • No limit on drives for expansion
  • Raid 6?
  • FreeNAS?

 

 

Hardware:

  • Intel D510MO MB
  • PCI Sata x 4 + eSata2 PCI Board
  • 2Gb Ram

 

 


Notes:

 

 


 

WHS

http://www.homeserverhacks.com/2009/01/extreme-makeover-windows-home-server.html

 

 


 

Intel D510MO MBoard

~NZ$160 but only 2 SATA ports and possibly not port multiplier compatible

In addition to the entry-level features of the D410PT, the Intel D510MO offers a 
dual-core cpu, a mini-PCIe x1 connector (could be used for a wireless card or
for a Broadcom HD video decoder), a GigE network port, and a S/PDIF digital
audio header. Sadly it lacks a DVI or HDMI port.

Specification: D510 cpu, 1 PCI slot, 1
mini-PCIe x1 connector
, 2 SATA ports, 1 Gigabit Ethernet
port
(Realtek 8111DL controller), 2 DDR2 667/800Mhz DIMM slots (4 GB
max), VGA port, 2 PS/2 ports, 2 RS232 headers, 1 parallel port header, 7 USB 2.0
ports (4 on back-panel, 3 on-board headers), Realtek ALC662 5.1 channel HD audio
(line-in, line-out, mic-in rear ports, S/PDIF and front
panel header), mini-ITX form factor

Intel also have Atom 'Bandon' platform http://www.semiaccurate.com/2010/03/25/intel-wants-atom-every-nas/

Intel today announced the launch of a new platform for home and small business 
servers, snappily named “Intel Atom processor D410 single-core/D510 dual-core
with Intel 82801IR I/O Controller

 

 

Gigabyte GA-D510UD has 4 Sata ports

The Gigabyte GA-D510UD is an interesting Atom D510 board, due to it's 4 SATA 
ports (2 from the NM10 chip and another 2 from a JMicron
JMB363
chip, a.k.a. Gigabyte SATA2) and a legacy IDE port (could be used for
the boot disk or an IDE DOM module), which makes it very suitable to be used for
a fileserver. The Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 Technology, the use of all solid
capacitors and the presence of redundant BIOS chips should ensure that this
board will provide many years of reliable service.

Specification: D510 cpu, 4 SATA ports,
1 IDE connector, 1 PCI slot, 2 DDR2 667/800 DIMM slots
(max. 4GB), VGA port, 2 PS/2 ports, 1 Gigabit Ethernet
port
(RTL8111D chip), 8 USB 2.0 ports (4 on back-panel, 4 on-board
headers), 2 RS232 ports (1 on back-panel, 1 on-board header), 1 parallel port,
Realtek ALC888B 7.1 HD audio (line-in, line-out, mic-in rear ports, front panel
header), mini-ITX form factor


 

PCI SATA Cards

Digitus DS-33102

ST Labs A-213 A-223