I need a third production server to run an application that runs as a VM and takes a pile of drives. I'd prefer to use 2.5" drives for it since you can stack the suckers in to a 5 1/4" -> 2.5" bay if at all possible, but I've had a bitch of a time finding systems with 5 1/4 bays left, and I'm not sure which way to go.
Right now for this I've got a Dell T20 stuffed full of drives (but no external 5 1/4 bay sucks, I'm literally duct-taping shit in), and an old Sandy Bridge gaming system going into a special coolermaster case that'll fit under a shelf.
With the remainder of the resources this system will support normal VM workloads in this cluster, which are a mix of transcoding applications (the mass-store holds raw video/audio prior to recoding), a plex server (feeding from the transcoded data), some game servers, and a mix of other things that are RAM heavy but light on CPU. Trying to keep the entire cluster to at least Ivy Bridge era Xeons. I'd also like this system to be as small and silent as I can get it, since there are 9 other systems in this room where I work/game, and the cooler/quieter it can be the better - also it needs to be a tower as I don't have a rack.
Needs to support a minimum of 6 drives, and at least 4x 1GbE connections. IPMI/IPKVM would be nice, but I have one last KVM connection left as well. I also get a major discount on all Dell hardware, because yeah.
Option 1:
Xeon-D SoC based system. Lower power/cooling than some of the other options, but I'd have to build it instead of just buying something and adding drives/RAM. Not sure if I really feel like building another system, but I'd have a real IPMI via the SM boards which is nice.
Option 2:
Dell T330. Everything I need, add the bay and fill with drives and you're done. It's BIG though - I've got a T310 that runs another set of workloads, and it takes as much space as I'd want to give up to a single system.
Option 3:
Dell T30. Same issues as the T20 I currently have, but more modern, and just... well, stuff shit in again. Not my favorite idea, and no real IPMI either since those don't have DRAC, but hey - it's small.
Option 4:
Buy another used gaming system circa Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge from someone on here, strip out the video card, and just use the motherboard. No IPMI again, which means another KVM connection I've got to use. Cheaper than the alternatives I'm sure, and I can put a corsair water-cooling AIO in to keep it quiet.
Thoughts?
Right now for this I've got a Dell T20 stuffed full of drives (but no external 5 1/4 bay sucks, I'm literally duct-taping shit in), and an old Sandy Bridge gaming system going into a special coolermaster case that'll fit under a shelf.
With the remainder of the resources this system will support normal VM workloads in this cluster, which are a mix of transcoding applications (the mass-store holds raw video/audio prior to recoding), a plex server (feeding from the transcoded data), some game servers, and a mix of other things that are RAM heavy but light on CPU. Trying to keep the entire cluster to at least Ivy Bridge era Xeons. I'd also like this system to be as small and silent as I can get it, since there are 9 other systems in this room where I work/game, and the cooler/quieter it can be the better - also it needs to be a tower as I don't have a rack.
Needs to support a minimum of 6 drives, and at least 4x 1GbE connections. IPMI/IPKVM would be nice, but I have one last KVM connection left as well. I also get a major discount on all Dell hardware, because yeah.
Option 1:
Xeon-D SoC based system. Lower power/cooling than some of the other options, but I'd have to build it instead of just buying something and adding drives/RAM. Not sure if I really feel like building another system, but I'd have a real IPMI via the SM boards which is nice.
Option 2:
Dell T330. Everything I need, add the bay and fill with drives and you're done. It's BIG though - I've got a T310 that runs another set of workloads, and it takes as much space as I'd want to give up to a single system.
Option 3:
Dell T30. Same issues as the T20 I currently have, but more modern, and just... well, stuff shit in again. Not my favorite idea, and no real IPMI either since those don't have DRAC, but hey - it's small.
Option 4:
Buy another used gaming system circa Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge from someone on here, strip out the video card, and just use the motherboard. No IPMI again, which means another KVM connection I've got to use. Cheaper than the alternatives I'm sure, and I can put a corsair water-cooling AIO in to keep it quiet.
Thoughts?