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

Just taken the plunge with a "Microserver G7 N40L". Hopefully it likes having 4 x 2TB WD Greens in there as two RAID1s.

Will be nice to get rid of the old CoolerMaster Stacker that houses the current server hardware.
 
ots3go said:
Just taken the plunge with a "Microserver G7 N40L". Hopefully it likes having 4 x 2TB WD Greens in there as two RAID1s.

Will be nice to get rid of the old CoolerMaster Stacker that houses the current server hardware.
Click to expand...

I got 3 arrays in mine and it works fine.

2x 2TB RAID1
1x 1.5TB RAID1
 
I hear a lot of VM talk. May I ask what people are using VMs for? Might be a area I am missing out on.

I'm trying to figure out my hdd structure for when it arrives. I'm a little low on hdds and space so just working with ideas.

I know you can install a OS from USB stick and that with linux distros you can run it from the stick. With WHS 2011 would it just run like **** running from a stick?
 
Tobes said:
I hear a lot of VM talk. May I ask what people are using VMs for? Might be a area I am missing out on.

I'm trying to figure out my hdd structure for when it arrives. I'm a little low on hdds and space so just working with ideas.

I know you can install a OS from USB stick and that with linux distros you can run it from the stick. With WHS 2011 would it just run like **** running from a stick?
Click to expand...

Needs about 60gb space (I actually think it wants 140gb of space to install but only ends up using 60gb or so) so USB is not going to work.
 
Hey,

Just ordered one of these :D original plan was to get a Thecus/Drobo/Qnap but I couldn't resist the tinkering ability!

I want a plain old NAS to store files and access from multiple PCs - but if it can somehow stream to PS3, that would be fab. Couple of quick Q's:

  • OS - pretty much set on FreeNAS 7 - it's free, light and mature. For what I want, is this the best choice?
  • Thinking of either two (RAID-1) or three (RAID-5) Caviar Green 2TB drives - is the software RAID in FreeNAS any good though? Want to buy the drives ASAP, so if someone could advise that would be ace :)
  • There was a problem with Caviar Greens a few years back (drives falling asleep in energy saving mode, leading to corrupt arrays); does this problem still exist?

Cheers,

Su :)
 
Sumanji said:
Hey,

Just ordered one of these :D original plan was to get a Thecus/Drobo/Qnap but I couldn't resist the tinkering ability!

I want a plain old NAS to store files and access from multiple PCs - but if it can somehow stream to PS3, that would be fab. Couple of quick Q's:

  • OS - pretty much set on FreeNAS 7 - it's free, light and mature. For what I want, is this the best choice?
  • Thinking of either two (RAID-1) or three (RAID-5) Caviar Green 2TB drives - is the software RAID in FreeNAS any good though? Want to buy the drives ASAP, so if someone could advise that would be ace :)
  • There was a problem with Caviar Greens a few years back (drives falling asleep in energy saving mode, leading to corrupt arrays); does this problem still exist?

Cheers,

Su :)
Click to expand...

If you have the money available go with 3 x drives in RAID 5 with FreeNAS 7. I used it with Seagates/Samsungs and it's quite slick ....and easy to set up. Can't comment or advise on the WD issue you raised...... did not use them. from memory I think that this may have been resolved with a firmware update? You can tune when your drives spindown anyway in the GUI.

If you want to save some extra pennies... the 32 bit version is really good ... so no need to splash on 8GB RAM (Although of course the DDR3 is really cheap at the moment... so it's your call)... my install ran perfectly on the 2GB that came with the N40L + and extra 1GB stick, that a guy was selling from a N36L, from the MM

Just get a really decent USB stick to run it from... not a crappy, cheap flea bay model :)

Also try, if possible, to use a portable USB DVD drive to install just to save that space for a extra drive or 2.

Lastly ... setup a static IP :)

You state you like tinkering ... so give it a whirl. I did and then went to WHS 2011...... poop :( But I'll live with it and put the FreeNAS 7 or a cousin on a beat up scratch homebuild and run circles round the WHS install instead.... lol
 
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Do you have to have a minimum of 8GB to run the x64 version? Would like to run the x64 version (although I'm sure I wouldn't be able to tell the difference :p) but also want to keep extra cost to a minimum...

I was actually going to install to the hard drive itself - is this a bad idea? What USB would you recommend? I read that the machine has an internal USB port, so I can hide this away, right?

Do you mean static LAN IP or static WAN IP?

What features from FreeNAS do you miss on WHS?
 
RAM (DDR3) is just so low in price at the moment... so getting the max that the N40L will handle now.... is a no brainer ... but not essential is the point I was trying to make... albeit badly
It's just the old 32 bit adage of not being able to address more than 3.75Gb of memory ( or whatever your spin on that is ) If your going with the 64 bit version... and no reason not to... 4GB is fine but I would, personally, dump 8 in :)

Go with the USB install. It plugs straight into the internal MB slot and is bootable from that location... and it's neater and not prone to being knocked out or "little fingers" It means an extra HDD slot as well :) The complete OS with sit on a 8GB stick with loads of room to spare..


Static LAN IP ... it's just easier to admin if you know the IP is always the same instead of dynamical assigned

At the moment... it's (WHS) new to me and it's just a pain or more than likely growing pains and getting used to a more sedate system... Most missed ... not being able to connect my Linux machines or installs. Probably a workaround ... but so far it's alluded me. And speed.
 
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Got RDP runing withint he LAN fine, Can't access it via external IP tho :(
Opened and forwarded port 3389

EDIT: Sorted :)

EDIT: Can multiple RD sessions be ran at once?
Just thinkign have this one accesible from remote locations and then have all my other PCs at home set to WOL and Remote desktop enabled.
Wuld I be able to remote into machien within my home network from a remote connection externally to another machine?
 
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~Divine~Wind~ said:
Got RDP runing withint he LAN fine, Can't access it via external IP tho :(
Opened and forwarded port 3389

EDIT: Sorted :)

EDIT: Can multiple RD sessions be ran at once?
Just thinkign have this one accesible from remote locations and then have all my other PCs at home set to WOL and Remote desktop enabled.
Wuld I be able to remote into machien within my home network from a remote connection externally to another machine?
Click to expand...

So you want to be logged in more than once?

What OS are you running?
 
Hey mate,
Got RD working.
2008r2

Want to leave RD running on this with external connection.
Wondering if I can setup my other machines to WOL then once I'm RD'd into the main machine to RD into others from that?

So only leaving one available RD available externally so I don't need to leave all the machines on.
 
Any running ESXi 4/5 and using an SSD as the datastore with the AMD controller?

Tempted to buy one of these today with 8GB and a Corsair Memory 240GB Force Series 3. (£360 or so all in after cashback).
 
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