Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD

xibinim said:
Hhhmmm I might leave the optical for now. The SSD is more important anyway. Every time I look into what SSD to get I get nowhere. Looked at SanDisk's Pulse/Ultra/v300 range which seem to do well but then I hear stories of their reliability not been great. Then some friends said if I can get one in the same price range with something other than a SandForce controller - go with that. Decisions, decisions.
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I think the Crucial M4 or Samsung 840s seem to get the most praise (have an M4 myself)...

On the ports front you could have course add a card which gives you some extra SATA ports? (Unless you're using all your card slots for other things)

Or another crazy idea - could you mod an external USB optical drive to be an internal one which still uses USB? If that worked you could just loop a cable from one of the rear USB ports back into the case

p.s. Did you ever get your 40mm fan?
 
uncle_rufus said:
I think the Crucial M4 or Samsung 840s seem to get the most praise (have an M4 myself)...

On the ports front you could have course add a card which gives you some extra SATA ports? (Unless you're using all your card slots for other things)

Or another crazy idea - could you mod an external USB optical drive to be an internal one which still uses USB? If that worked you could just loop a cable from one of the rear USB ports back into the case

p.s. Did you ever get your 40mm fan?
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I would go with a USB external optical drive.
 
uncle_rufus said:
I think the Crucial M4 or Samsung 840s seem to get the most praise (have an M4 myself)...

On the ports front you could have course add a card which gives you some extra SATA ports? (Unless you're using all your card slots for other things)

Or another crazy idea - could you mod an external USB optical drive to be an internal one which still uses USB? If that worked you could just loop a cable from one of the rear USB ports back into the case

p.s. Did you ever get your 40mm fan?
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No :( - the fan wasn't in the box initially so OcUK sent another with Royal Mail. 6 days later, still nothing. The tracking number provides no useful information other than "progressing through our network". OcUK have sent another. Third time lucky.
 
xibinim said:
No :( - the fan wasn't in the box initially so OcUK sent another with Royal Mail. 6 days later, still nothing. The tracking number provides no useful information other than "progressing through our network". OcUK have sent another. Third time lucky.
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Shame that, good on OcUK to be understanding [/kissass ;)] ... I'm still looking forward to seeing how your fan mod goes
 
I know! It's getting a little frustrating now, ideally I would like to be done before moving house on Saturday. SSD ordered. Will report back about fan tomorrow (hope your are listening OcUK ;)).
 
Any tips on the DVD/5.25 drive? I'd like maybe a screen or LED lights that are red/green/(blue)? depending on stautus. Ie:

Server up? (ping bbc.net.uk) reply? green
Zoneminder up? (tests cam prog)
All cams working?
Logins (1-4) when someone logs into a service like VNC it displays amount of peoplre
USENET RED finshed, flashing red error, green DL'ing, Blue DL fullspeed
Torrents red nothing green dling blue fin-SEEDING
email/phone calls red error green working but nothing blue 1 email or missed call

A small screen would be nice but I'd a netbook WM8850 that could act as a terminal over VNC

HDDs OS one then 3x 2-4tb drives and an external backup one

I would like a 2x 2.5x thing 0+1 for private docunents, photos and it'd be encrypted. I WOULD weekly backup to another drive in a caddie.

I have, or will - a HDD for an OS and cam catures or I might use a SSD hydrid since its a lot of data at once. I planned on a VM on a USB drive that is encrypted but I can take out and rather than boot with my host OS (Ubuntu Server?) I can just boot on someone elses PC and it has addreesses, hamacti/VPN

Any advice on O/S setup? I have no idea on Hyper-V? Do I boot that and from there I can boot more than 1 OS?

planned on ubuntu server running zone minder and xbmc as a front end and a portable drive usb disk with ubuntu desktop 86 or another OS THAT has 2 setups (one basic for old comps and another running more eye candy.

Would like all laptops or comps to connect to the server as VPN (+ phones). If they are stolen I set the server to reroute to another OS where I can see were it is and whatsim is being used. Phones are gunna be running android, cm, pa and even reset carries this hack

I planned on running XBMC ontop as it is by an ol' plasma screen but it's setup is synced to all RASP PIS and WINDOWS machines. However Windows game section will use other emu and have win games. AS FOR THE 2 pci I was thinking hd5750 or whatever GFX is the best I can use that does sound and maybe a SATALITE INPUT as we've a Sky box, that other XBMCs can view and change chan. Will run Myth TV back end and PLEX. Theres a Zoneminder/MTV mod so all XBMCs can view cams.

We have 4 logins. One each with long passwords but you click name and type a pin. (same on PI's) Windows machines auto logs in depending on yourlogin.

I have an RFID reader. I was thinking of seeing if i can get a number keyboard (WIRELESS) on offer at a store. If the zoneminder wants to it can wake on LAN all comps and set all to play an alarm, noify me and have sirens and set off our alarm too. but if you swipe the RFID reader it stops. I could have more RFID readers.

the TV is 40" plasma Sd which we want rid of. then I think getting a nice 26" monitor on the wall and a GOOD speaker set, we can play mnusic and games from some XBOX360 controllers or cheap joysticks

I'd like also pxe boot UNBUNTU, OPENSUSE incase anything goes wrong someone can boot off the server. IS that possible?
 
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xibinim said:
No :( - the fan wasn't in the box initially so OcUK sent another with Royal Mail. 6 days later, still nothing. The tracking number provides no useful information other than "progressing through our network". OcUK have sent another. Third time lucky.
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Must be something about these microservers. They "progressed" my cashback claim through their network for about a month before admitting they'd lost it!

The post office really are unreliable useless *****
 
xibinim said:
Thanks - it was the SATA ports I was worried about. A guide seemed to suggest the SSD used the SATA port for the optical drive. Aren't 4 of the 5 SATA ports at the back of the drive enclosures? Can you gain access to the non-hot plug SATA ports conventionally? Ideally I would like an SSD, Blu-ray, the HD that came with it (to be replaced by a 2/3/4 TB hard drive), my current 1TB hard drive (also to be replaced at a later date) and a possibility to add one/two more if required.
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Flash the Microserver with the modded bios to enable AHCI on all 6 sata ports (4 on drivebays/mini sas, 1 internal and 1 external esata), then just run an esata cable from the back through one of the PCIe brackets back in.

This is the exact setup I have currently with 4 disks in the main drivebays, an SSD in the slot under the optical drive bay and a BD drive in the optical drive bay.

The bios will also enable hot-swappable drives on all ports :)
 
cokecan said:
Flash the Microserver with the modded bios to enable AHCI on all 6 sata ports (4 on drivebays/mini sas, 1 internal and 1 external esata), then just run an esata cable from the back through one of the PCIe brackets back in.

This is the exact setup I have currently with 4 disks in the main drivebays, an SSD in the slot under the optical drive bay and a BD drive in the optical drive bay.

The bios will also enable hot-swappable drives on all ports :)
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Where is the modded BIOS - I had one. "thebay" I think that's what we're on about.

Still debating HOW to install and which O/S. I came accross:

I planned on UBUNTU SERVER x64 + running KDE, XBMC, PLEX, zoneminder, torrent, SABNZBD.

Since I am using upstairs comp as a WinServer atm that's got the drives but I'd like to use a set of 2.5 drives (got a 500gb spare (OS?) and maybe and SSD drive (OS?+CCTV rec?) and get 2x same drives as RAID0+1 or RAID1 for personal data, home vids, photos. I've seen rack bay things and have an led/lcd monitor in the bay but thinking the 2.5 hdd bay may use the panel.

Then just big drives.

Right now, 8gb (from 2gb), I got today a HD6450 (anyway to draw sound from it? or HDMI is only option?) maybe buy a small touchscreen 7-10INCH that has sound and use dvi for tv or just swap cables.

Right now 1TB drive and an 80GB drive oh and a 500gb upstairs.

Can someone help me on Hyper-V? Is it like VMWARE or something? I hear you boot it then your muti os's run? I can't get my head round it

DS3612xs_4.2-3211_x64_Microserver-2en0130612
 
Hyper-V is Microsofts version of VMWare...

If you have Hyper-V Core, it runs by itself and can run virtual machines inside. Alternatively you'll need to run a Windows o/s and hyper-v with VM's.
 
cokecan said:
Flash the Microserver with the modded bios to enable AHCI on all 6 sata ports (4 on drivebays/mini sas, 1 internal and 1 external esata), then just run an esata cable from the back through one of the PCIe brackets back in.

This is the exact setup I have currently with 4 disks in the main drivebays, an SSD in the slot under the optical drive bay and a BD drive in the optical drive bay.

The bios will also enable hot-swappable drives on all ports :)
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Cool - thanks for data :). Didn't realise it enables hot-swappable, though not sure I will really use this feature but still handy.




Why is it so difficult to order a 40mm fan!!? First only the box comes, then the replacement is nowhere to be seen, then Royal mail admit they have lost it, then OcUK say there was an error with the second replacement order and now I am told it will come tomorrow. Could have built a 3D printer and made one myself by now.

uncle_rufus - won't be able to try the mod until tomorrow or Sunday, depending on how well the packing and moving goes.


Who here has done the BIOS mod? Is it true you have to do it with original hardware (e.g. stock RAM, empty PCI slots)?
 
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xibinim said:
uncle_rufus - won't be able to try the mod until tomorrow or Sunday, depending on how well the packing and moving goes.
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Take your time man - don't rush on my account :p The last thing you want to do is break something by trying to do the mod in a hurry... and I imagine it'll be the last thing you want to do when you've just moved (I know I like to spend a good few days getting everything in its place)
 
Don't worry I am not though I do want to get it all done and dusted sooner than later, considering the time I have spent acquiring/copying/scrapping/fiddling/tweaking the files/XBMC. Plus I would ideally like the mod to be ready for our first night (curry and film night) :p.
 
xibinim said:
Who here has done the BIOS mod? Is it true you have to do it with original hardware (e.g. stock RAM, empty PCI slots)?
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Which BIOS mod are you talking about? TheBay one? It's like any other BIOS upgrade. As far as I know there are no restrictions.

Use Rufus to create a bootable FreeDOS USB stick, copy the BIOS files to it, boot into FreeDOS, run the batch file, and a couple of minutes later your microserver is updated.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/netw...4l-microserver-updated-ahci-bios-support.html
 
Thanks but I have no idea what I'm doing when I load FreeDOS, tried changing directory but it doesn't work.

Edit - following the very simple instructions on the link you provided seems to have done it.

Edit 2 - SSD installed. These speeds seem OK for SATA 2? Thanks rotor, followed the instructions in the link instead. Extremely easy. Only issue I had was W8 hanging on "getting devices ready", ended up removing the other hard drives and that seemed to work.

2w3weo4.jpg


SSD is a 128GB Plextor PX-128M5S
 
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