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

tbz_ck · 11 Aug 2011 at 11:23

ShowMeTheCache said:
Having done more googling I seem to have come across the idea of running ESXi from a USB memory stick and then hosting client O/S. This seems like a really interesting idea.

Would ESXi be a good choice for this hardware? Have other people got this working?

Is it possible to load Bitnami images into this configuration?

Thanks in Advance
Gavin

This is what I do.

ESXi on USB Stick on the internal slot. VM's on datastores as required.

Works well.

audric · 11 Aug 2011 at 13:14

tbz_ck said:
This is what I do.

ESXi on USB Stick on the internal slot. VM's on datastores as required.

Works well.

seconded!

[RB] · 11 Aug 2011 at 13:50

I've switched mine from Freenas 7.2 using ZFS to WHS2011 using software RAID 5. Got 5 2TB disks for storage and the 250GB with WHS on it.

The RAID 5 is slower than a hardware card as you'd expect with this processor but the network performance under windows seems to be far better than it was under Freenas ( I can only assume old network driver+old SAMBA+ old ZFS is not a good combo!).

Running Subsonic, Sickbeard, CouchPotato and SABnzbd served to my PlayonHD mini and using the client pc backup provided by WHS I couldn't be happier

DiCe! · 11 Aug 2011 at 14:43

With FreeNAS or any other software can you add disks to the server and it then builds it up over time? or do you have to go for all the disks at once?

Swarfega · 11 Aug 2011 at 19:20

I also use ESXi. Its perfect for jumping between different OSes or even running two or more at the same time.

I wish I had the money to buy another two, one with 8GB memory in it and the other using the spare memory sticks taken from the other units and with a shed load of storage. 3x Quad PCI Nics and finally a Gigabit L2 switch for a proper tasty HA, DRS and FT ESXi setup.

However that isn't going to happen with no money! I can but dream.

rogan · 12 Aug 2011 at 01:07

bit confused on the cashback, does the intel xeon (ml110) model also qualify for cashback?

found it for £330 and would like intel over AMD so..

bremen1874 · 12 Aug 2011 at 01:28

The ml110 is a completely different server.

There was a similar cashback offer on certain versions of the ml110 the back in July, I don’t know whether they’ve been extended into August or not.

rogan · 12 Aug 2011 at 01:41

darn :/ not really interested in the amd model!

_SBradley_ · 12 Aug 2011 at 09:16

Can anybody tell me how much disk space is required for WHS2011? I'm thinking I could run it from a 32 GiB USB stick?

[RB] · 12 Aug 2011 at 10:41

_SBradley_ said:
Can anybody tell me how much disk space is required for WHS2011? I'm thinking I could run it from a 32 GiB USB stick?

Not too sure on the offical requirements but on my 250GB disk it split the partion into 60gb for the OS and the rest for storage.

Digital · 12 Aug 2011 at 14:40

_SBradley_ said:
Can anybody tell me how much disk space is required for WHS2011? I'm thinking I could run it from a 32 GiB USB stick?

Thought it was 160GB, and didn't allow to install to USB.

_SBradley_ · 12 Aug 2011 at 14:58

Aha. OK, thanks for the info!

I'm still unsure which way to go. Just finished running SpinRite on my new (replacement) F4EG, so now I have four disks to play with. I may go back to the original plan of ZFS RAID Z1 on FreeNAS 0.7.2. Otherwise, it looks like I'll need to get the 250 GB drive installed in the ODD bay (and purchase a copy of WHS). Decisions, decisions...

KIA · 12 Aug 2011 at 21:20

I wouldn't run WHS from a USB stick. The writes would probably pwn it.

DavidS14 · 13 Aug 2011 at 07:58

WHS 2011 on a 60GB Vertex 2 in mine, full install with a few apps is about 20GB. To get it to install on a system with specs below the minimum recommended you can edit the cfg file to suit your system.

Have a read of WHS 2011 install config edit

nickcardwell · 13 Aug 2011 at 08:36

_SBradley_ said:
Aha. OK, thanks for the info!

I'm still unsure which way to go. Just finished running SpinRite on my new (replacement) F4EG, so now I have four disks to play with. I may go back to the original plan of ZFS RAID Z1 on FreeNAS 0.7.2. Otherwise, it looks like I'll need to get the 250 GB drive installed in the ODD bay (and purchase a copy of WHS). Decisions, decisions...

have a look at the unraid thread, consider it? mass storage, with raid protection, that can be upgraded /hd's replaced over time. running from usb

_SBradley_ · 13 Aug 2011 at 10:21

DavidS14 said:
WHS 2011 on a 60GB Vertex 2 in mine, full install with a few apps is about 20GB. To get it to install on a system with specs below the minimum recommended you can edit the cfg file to suit your system.

Thanks for that! This makes a lot of sense to me: I wouldn't want to be using the system drive for any storage, anyway. (I have 8 TB for that!)

Now, if only I'd bought two SSDs during Epic Tuesday.

I don't think there's anything that cheap around at the moment...?

What exactly is required to get a drive installed in the top bay? (I'll have a search through this thread now... Hope I can find it in the millions of pages!

)

Oh, one question about WHS itself: I read that previous versions had something called "Drive Extender", but that it's been removed in 2011. Is this a problem? Does WHS provide software RAID as a replacement, or...? Thanks!

DIABLO · 13 Aug 2011 at 13:39

_SBradley_ said:
Thanks for that! This makes a lot of sense to me: I wouldn't want to be using the system drive for any storage, anyway. (I have 8 TB for that!)

Now, if only I'd bought two SSDs during Epic Tuesday. I don't think there's anything that cheap around at the moment...?

What exactly is required to get a drive installed in the top bay? (I'll have a search through this thread now... Hope I can find it in the millions of pages! )

Oh, one question about WHS itself: I read that previous versions had something called "Drive Extender", but that it's been removed in 2011. Is this a problem? Does WHS provide software RAID as a replacement, or...? Thanks!

Windows Server 2008 R2 which WHS 2011 is essentially, offers software RAID 0, 1, 5 and also JBOD. To install a drive in the OD bay you need a molex to sata power adaptor, a sata cable perferably with a right angle at one end a 5.25" to 3.5" harddrive adaptor and perferably use the hacked bios to get full speed out of the drive.

here is my microserver

_SBradley_ · 13 Aug 2011 at 22:19

DIABLO said:
Windows Server 2008 R2 which WHS 2011 is essentially, offers software RAID 0, 1, 5 and also JBOD.

Cool. I know that RAID-Z1 fixes one or two problems with RAID 5... Is it really a concern?

To install a drive in the OD bay you need [stuff] ... and perferably use the hacked bios to get full speed out of the drive.

Thanks! I think I already have most of that stuff... Maybe not the width converter. I'll have to check my box o' junk.

Am I right in thinking that the hacked BIOS requires a non-current BIOS to be installed first? (I have the latest BIOS installed. Will I have to revert to a previous version before applying the patch?)

Thanks!
Simon

ubern00b · 13 Aug 2011 at 22:24

_SBradley_ said:
Am I right in thinking that the hacked BIOS requires a non-current BIOS to be installed first? (I have the latest BIOS installed. Will I have to revert to a previous version before applying the patch?)

Nope, you can install the hacked BIOS independently.

Can anyone confirm if this ram (KVR1333D3N9K2/8G) works OK in the Microserver? I bought some Corsair ValueRam that I assumed would work OK but it appears it doesn't. Blue screens happen frequently. Popped the original 1GB DIMM back in and no more blue screens.

I am busy mem-testing it now, could just be a faulty DIMM but if it isn't I will just buy the Kingston stuff, assuming its confirmed to work.

_SBradley_ · 13 Aug 2011 at 23:56

ubern00b said:
Nope, you can install the hacked BIOS independently.

Ah, good stuff.

Speaking of memory, I've ordered the 8 GiB Kingston kit that's on for £45 this weekend. Currently debating whether to stick that in the MicroServer, or upgrade my desktop to 12 GiB and hand down 4 GiB from desktop to MicroServer...