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

[joelk2]

Ok, just thought ZFS needed as much as possible.
Thanks though

1GB per TB of data i thought was recommended.



well after messing around for days and days with different OS's ive decided WHS11 is the one for me.

Server 12 Standard > WHS11 > FreeNAS 8 > WHS11

thats the route ive gone.

Server 12 was way to much for my needs, i think essentials would have been ok but Standard is the license i can get.

Freenas 8 seems like its ideal for a NAS but installing anything like sabnzb/crashplan/owncloud/plex seems like a right ball ache.

best part about it is the AFP support for my mac.

WHS 11 seems like the best for my needs. its easy to use, easy to install add ins and works fine with my macs.

 

[ubern00b]

How is everyone finding the performance of the on-board NIC? I am copying data between 2 unRAID servers (both Microservers) at 32mB/s currently. Was wondering if getting an Intel PRO/1000CT would yield any noticeable increase in network throughput.

 

[nails666]

How is everyone finding the performance of the on-board NIC? I am copying data between 2 unRAID servers (both Microservers) at 32mB/s currently. Was wondering if getting an Intel PRO/1000CT would yield any noticeable increase in network throughput.

I haven't used mine massively yet but when I initially set it up I transferred over all my data from my main PC. That was about 500Gb of files of all sizes and I was getting between 40MB/s and 85MB/s with a final average of just under 60MB/s. That was between the PC in my sig running Win 7 Home 64 bit and my Microserver running WHS2011.

 

[ubersonic]

Im running Windows 8, I tried other options but it was easy to set up and I had a spare key, Im also using drive bender as a storage pool for the 2x2gb drives Ive got installed at the moment.

Doesn't Windows 8 have storage spaces? (drive pooling) built in or is that just pro?

 

[Vimes]

How is everyone finding the performance of the on-board NIC? I am copying data between 2 unRAID servers (both Microservers) at 32mB/s currently. Was wondering if getting an Intel PRO/1000CT would yield any noticeable increase in network throughput.

Copying to the HP40L, via Gigabit Ethernet, I find that it will start out at around 110 MB/sec but then drops dramatically to almost half of that after about 2.5GB has been transferred, if a single file.
If there are several files then that initial transfer rate is maintained at 110 MB/sec.
At first I thought that the issue could be the capability of the onboard LAN but then I found...

If I am transferring a large (12GB ish in size) to the server and note its drop in transfer speed and I then start another transfer from the same PC to the same server, but a completely different drive, the total transfer speed of the two files is not that much short of the initial speed of the transfer.

Transferring FROM the server to my own PC (to a SSD) will sustain a constant (flat line) 100 MB/sec. There is no speed drop at all.

The HD's on the microserver are 5 x 2TB of WD Greens and Seagate Greens.

For me I tend to think that the limitations (drop in speed when transferring large single files to a drive on the server) is not down to the LAN, per se, but more of a limitation of the HD controller...?

I have not yet setup, apart from testing it, my N54L and so I do not know what the transfer speed would be from one server to another but I would have thought that you should be getting much more than you are, if you are wired at Gigabit speeds.

So I would expect over 110MB/sec transfer to my microserver.

 

[Yaayuh!]

I haven't used mine massively yet but when I initially set it up I transferred over all my data from my main PC. That was about 500Gb of files of all sizes and I was getting between 40MB/s and 85MB/s with a final average of just under 60MB/s. That was between the PC in my sig running Win 7 Home 64 bit and my Microserver running WHS2011.

Pretty much what i'm experiencing i'm using RAID-1 at the moment

I don't think the NIC is a hinderance at all.

 

[ubern00b]

Thanks all. I shall look at other avenues that could be causing my slow speeds.

 

[ubersonic]

Thanks all. I shall look at other avenues that could be causing my slow speeds.

What exactly are you copying? as that will affect speeds, I.E a 4.7GB .ISO is going to fly but an old archive folder with thousands of sub MB files will crawl.

 

[ubern00b]

What exactly are you copying? as that will affect speeds, I.E a 4.7GB .ISO is going to fly but an old archive folder with thousands of sub MB files will crawl.

It is all media, 1GB+ files. If you want the full picture:

My old file server is an N36L running unRAID (6 x 2TB Samsung F4's). I built a new N54L also running unRAID (4 x 4TB Seagates) and am copying my data from one to the other. All connected via GBit through a Netgear GS105. Doing some reading I found that the onboard NIC doesnt support jumbo frames and I thought this may have something to do with the speeds but since others are ok that probably isn't the case. The other thing it could be is an old NIC driver included with unRAID but I wouldn't know how to update this.

My data is copying at 32mB/s solid so I will just wait for it to finish (just under 10TB, it's going to take a while) and then I can play around with things once both of my N54L's are in place (Second one is an HTPC running Windows 7).

 

[nails666]

Has anyone here tried running a more powerful gfx card in their microserver like a http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-307-SP?

I've read reports elsewhere that that card does fit and runs fine and I am considering one to allow me to use my N54L for HTPC and light gaming duties in the living room. Should be able to get WoW to run acceptably on that I reckon which will please my wife

 

[MagicBoy]

Probably uses too much power. The x16 slot is rated at 25W according to the labelling on the logicboard. I believe the HD6450 is the best card you'll get for 25W.

 

[DiscoDave]

Finally got round to finalising my setup after having issues with running any NAS software inside a VM with RDM's of >2TB (simply put, cannot be done with ESXi 5.1).

Must say I am very impressed with the hardware. It currently lives under my TV but I'll eventually relocate it somewhere less obtrusive via a powerline kit.

I have a Acer Revo running openelec viewing the data via NFS mount points, works beautifully.

 

[ubern00b]

Probably uses too much power. The x16 slot is rated at 25W according to the labelling on the logicboard. I believe the HD6450 is the best card you'll get for 25W.

Quite a few threads on AVForums stating that the Sapphire Low Profile 7750 fits and works just fine.

 

[nails666]

Probably uses too much power. The x16 slot is rated at 25W according to the labelling on the logicboard. I believe the HD6450 is the best card you'll get for 25W.

Yeah power was my concern as well. As Ubernoob says though it seems some people have managed it so I might give it punt see if I can get it stable without cooking anything. What's the worst that could happen

 

[Attu90]

Doesn't Windows 8 have storage spaces? (drive pooling) built in or is that just pro?

It does but drive bender is better and it was only $10 USD the other week so I thought for the price, why not.

 

[Xire]

Hey guys,

Ive had my N40L for a year now and love it, but general navigation on it is quite sluggish...loading web pages etc opening windows. It hasn't bothered me previously but is now starting to annoy me.

The hardware in it has had no upgrades besides RAM, it is running 8GB. Any tips on how I can increase general performance without adding hardware? Im running WHS11

 

[DiscoDave]

Hey guys,

Ive had my N40L for a year now and love it, but general navigation on it is quite sluggish...loading web pages etc opening windows. It hasn't bothered me previously but is now starting to annoy me.

The hardware in it has had no upgrades besides RAM, it is running 8GB. Any tips on how I can increase general performance without adding hardware? Im running WHS11

Without adding hardware? Go Linux

 

[Swarfega]

WHS is full of bloat so kind of expected. Why though are you browsing from it anyway? The idea is it's a box with nothing more than a power and cat5 plugged into it. It shouldn't be used as a PC.

 

[Yaayuh!]

Hey guys,

Ive had my N40L for a year now and love it, but general navigation on it is quite sluggish...loading web pages etc opening windows. It hasn't bothered me previously but is now starting to annoy me.

The hardware in it has had no upgrades besides RAM, it is running 8GB. Any tips on how I can increase general performance without adding hardware? Im running WHS11

It sounds like you're using it as a PC. It's designed to be setup and left to do it's thing.
WHS is a large OS due to the amount of functionality it has and at the end of the day, it's Microsoft, so it's bloated in comparison to Linux systems.

Clear up all temp stuff, VSS and the like and make sure that nothing's running taking up all your resources.
If that doesn't work, either rebuild or go Linux.

In all honesty, i'm sick of WHS2011 already. It's just a bit of a mess and the client backups are terribly slow. I'm going to stick Windows 7 SP1 on there instead and use a 3rd party backup utility, at least then i don't have a 2TB limit.
I did toy with the idea of Windows Server 2012 Essentials, but this is aimed at small businesses alone really, with lack of homegroup/standard sharing, it's creates a domain with an AD database. Not something i'm interested in with just 4 client machines.

Back to Windows 7 it is!

 

[jncunliffe]

N54L/ZoneMinder/Video Capture

Hi,

I've just set up ZoneMinder running under Ubuntu Server linked to a group of IP cameras I have around house.

Has anyone installed a Video Capture card in their MicroServer that's compatible with ZoneMinder?

Cheers,

Jonathan