Operation 20TB Server Build

HighlandeR

HighlandeR

HighlandeR

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Joined
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Well my 8x2tb server quickly ran out of space, so im this time round considering something more long term and flexible in upgrade terms !

Currently ive taken a lot of ideas from a previous thread called "operation tons of hard drives"

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18201878&highlight=case+hdds

Am inclined to go the route of the original poster and go with an Antec 1200 case with 13 bays about £140, and then stick in X-Case 5 Drive Storage Kit - fits in 3 x 5.25 Bays about £60 each , perhaps get 4 of them to max it out, so I can hold 20 hard drives, this is about £380 !

Is this still a good cost effective choice ?

Ive been looking also at X-Case RM420 4u Rackmount V2- 20 x SATA which holds 20 sata hdds, and Mini SAS connectors at £360.

After looking at the prices of a case with just 20 sata hdds im half tempted to learn DIY just to build a metal box to hold 20 hdds :eek:

Is there any other ideas ?
 
What the hell do you need 20TB for? :eek:

I'd be tempted to make one, or get an old server case off fleabay, then fill all the empty spaces with Lian Li or whatever drive racks.
 
I shudder to think what sort of content your storing there mate !

Must admit however with that much space on tap I'm kinda jealous !
 
Google 'Smurf's monster 40TB unRAID NAS build'

He did exactly what you're thinking of doing. I would also look at the unRAID 'Compulsive Design' subforum on their official boards. There's a load of suggestions for cases, as well as build threads.

I personally would like to see someone create a stonking great metal box from scratch/old cheap cases though, but that's because I love seeing people's creativity at work.
 
Cooling might be an issue, but I was toying with the idea of a Fractal Array R2, dropping 6 3TB drives into the cage as standard, mod the underside of the cage to put in another 2 3TB and then RAID 5 them on a Highpoint card.

But that's only 24TB lol unless you squeeze out some of the wasted space to the (interior) right of the board for another one. And maybe a 10th under the PSU :D
 
thx keep the suggestions coming, I doubt ill reach 20tb but id like too have something future proof especially with all the HD files and others I have, I have yet to consider the software side of it but was looking into Raid 5 or 6... but I see some other alternatives.

Yeah always surprises me no one made a cheapo Steel case with a server in mind... and just added long rails or enough mounting holes for say 24 hdds, I guess they have but then want £350-400+ for it !

Oh and what Hdds are better suited for a Server setup... Samsung 2tbs or WD 2tbs?
 
HighlandeR said:
Oh and what Hdds are better suited for a Server setup... Samsung 2tbs or WD 2tbs?
Click to expand...

I have seen a few people using samsung f4s in larger builds, but I personally dont know which ones would be best.

Out of interest though, what is the rest of the hardware you are using in this build?
 
HighlandeR said:
thx keep the suggestions coming, I doubt ill reach 20tb but id like too have something future proof especially with all the HD files and others I have, I have yet to consider the software side of it but was looking into Raid 5 or 6... but I see some other alternatives.

Yeah always surprises me no one made a cheapo Steel case with a server in mind... and just added long rails or enough mounting holes for say 24 hdds, I guess they have but then want £350-400+ for it !

Oh and what Hdds are better suited for a Server setup... Samsung 2tbs or WD 2tbs?
Click to expand...

Who needs rails, you could just make a load of holes then suspend all the HDDs with shoelaces, vibration free!
 
smeaney said:
I have seen a few people using samsung f4s in larger builds, but I personally dont know which ones would be best.

Out of interest though, what is the rest of the hardware you are using in this build?
Click to expand...

Yeah ive seen a few people about on google asking same question WD vs Samsung for raid/server setups.... doesnt seem a clear answer, im quite happy with my WD 2tbs, there more then fast enough but I hear there problematic and can be slow performance in Raid/server setups....

Currently ive not put any of my 8tb in raid or jbod setup, there all single and loose and if one dies im in for a long night ;)

I have no decided on the hardware yet but my Q6600go/mobo may have to do tempory or may get a less power consuming cpu/mobo for the setup.

Definatly a lot of research and thought has to go into such a thing...
 
Somnambulist said:
Who needs rails, you could just make a load of holes then suspend all the HDDs with shoelaces, vibration free!
Click to expand...

Yeah was oddly considering DIY, ive never worked with metal or such but a simple box with few wiring/elastic rope and one DIY jobby even more hdds to fit into it....

Thats why im really surprised no ones made a cheap steel server case for like 50 hdds....
 
Highlander, if you're not worried about noise, and just using it for a server type thing (no high power CPU/video etc), you might be able to get an old Server class case from the likes of Cheiftec.
I've got one here*, from about 2001 that's been unused for years because it couldn't cool a modern high power setup, but has masses of room and I suspect would be easy to mod with extra drive bays (it's built like a tank).
IIRC it's got 6x 5.25" bays, a pair of externally accessible 3.5" bays, then a pair of pull out bays for 3x3.5" drives (unfortunately they don't pull out well if you've got a big video card fitted).
And that's before taking into account it was designed to take a second PSU, and has a huge amount of excess space (about a small midi towers worth), in the top compartment (above the motherboard and primary PSU, behind the 5.25" drive bays).

It would probably be a cheap way to get a solid case to at least start the project off, possibly whilst working on a perminant case? (IE get the internal hardware etc and most of the drives, then transplant to the final case).


I'm going to have to either put my old parts in the MM or tip them (I rounded everything up and found I'd got 5 cases, with about 4 nearly full mainly socket A systems in them - including one I'd forgotten about).
 
HighlandeR said:
Yeah was oddly considering DIY, ive never worked with metal or such but a simple box with few wiring/elastic rope and one DIY jobby even more hdds to fit into it....

Thats why im really surprised no ones made a cheap steel server case for like 50 hdds....
Click to expand...

I suppose the market for that kind of scale in a home use configuration is tiny. All the Synology and Qnap devices under the 'home' umbrella are 4 drives max, and even the small business ones are around 8 before it jumps to racks. unRaid is the only thing I've seen where people are taking more traditional towers and plonking in a dozen or more drives via modding and those 5 in 3 drives or similar.

It would probably be very inexpensive to get an old case off the bay for the mobo tray and other essentials, then make something to hold that and all the drives, add a few fans and wire it up. Probably wouldn't look pretty, but it's not like you'd want to keep it in a main room to admire.
 
HighlandeR said:
thx keep the suggestions coming, I doubt ill reach 20tb but id like too have something future proof especially with all the HD files and others I have, I have yet to consider the software side of it but was looking into Raid 5 or 6... but I see some other alternatives.
Click to expand...

Raid 5 isn't really going to cut it with the number of drives you're planning on having. If one fails it will take so long to rebuild that another could fail and you'd lose everything. Raid 6 is better but might not give you the performance you want. You might need to consider using raid 50 or 60 or looking at a software solution (eg zfs)
 
thx werewolf noise is actually a factor I didnt mention would have to be silent as possible, my Corsiar 850ax would be powering it all up eventually.


Think ill consider a few DIY options oddly, perhaps sawing off some of the hdd racks in those cheap and nasty cases :)

Ill check into Zfs been hearing that a lot also...



I
 
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