Search results

For $135, that's a very good value.

Just wanted everyone to know this worked like a charm. Wish it had been in the OI Wiki. :( Now a question. As mentioned earlier I've got 5 2TB SATA3 disks which I want to use as a Raid-z1 volume, and a 120GB SATA3 SSD, which I envisioned using for the boot drive. Should I just format the whole...

No optical drive available, but I'll try this when I get home : http://bradrobinson.blogs.exetel.com.au/index.php?/archives/3-Solaris-11-Express-x86-64-bit-installer-for-2TB-root-disk.html Will let you know how it goes.

32-bit Great minds think alike, although I was going to try Ubuntu first. But Solaris 11 installs properly. All disks are recognized (of course, since Sol11 is 64-bit only). Same USB stick and installation method as with OI. Problem with the Illumos kernel, do you think? Or something else?

No, the installer will install either depending on how much memory it detects. But despite the 8GB I have, it's only installing x86 (32 bit).

Approaching my wit's end and haven't found the answer here or anywhere else I've googled. First of all, pertinent hardware: Intel S1200kp motherboard, latest firmware i3-2120T processor 8 GB Kingston unbuffered ECC RAM LSI SAS9212-4i4e HBA, latest IT firmware 1 Mushkin 120GB SSD 5 Seagate...

Hi, pitne. Just to clarify, do you mean you can run ESXi on a USB, but if you run OI by itself on a dedicated NAS (i.e., no virtualization), it should be run from a hard disk? Is it a no-no to run it from an SSD?

This thread suggests there's a good chance the i3-2120t may support ECC (based on experiences with other i3s with the proper Intel chipsets), and I'll know for certain when I try it out myself in a few days. Of course I'll update the thread with my findings. I wanted a low-TDP CPU and you can't...

Going with an Intel S1200KP and (for the time being) an i3-2120T, and some ECC RAM. All these make sense for a NAS of the scale I'm thinking of. I want dual Intel NICs and ECC in a mini-ITX form factor. Would be nice if the mainboard had VT-D but currently nothing out there is available in that...

Nice summary! Just an update on this project. I've decided not to build an all-in-one box (supporting both virtualized environment and NAS) but rather to do two purpose-built boxes, with the NAS first. I have most of the pieces but still waiting on a couple of bits. I'll post a bill of...

I haven't seen much discussion about the SATA backplane (and Lian Li's installation guide doesn't seem to have a link). Can you tell me about connections, whether it was necessary to use right-angle (or left-angle) connectors? How about providing power? How difficult was that part of the build...

You can but can't provide direct access to hardware, which can lead to less-than-optimal performance depending on what the VMs need to do.

No VT-d on the S1200KP from all that I see, but I think it'll work fine as a NAS board with a processor that supports ECC. I'm leaning towards a SuperMicro mATX board when I build a second box for an ESXi host, since Intel's is comparatively weak, although it costs a bit less. I think I'll wait...

ESXi 5 I'm going start out trying ZFS on Linux (probably Debian 6) first, try FreeBSD/FreeNAS if that doesn't work, and finally fall back on Nexenta or OI as a last resort. I'd prefer to use BTRFS and may mess with it a bit before I go ZFS, but it doesn't seem quite ready for prime time...

Let's not forget to list the nice mITX server boards when they come out. If they come out.

I know a lot more about storage than about virtualization, so appealing to the general wisdom on this board. Suppose I have a very performant ZFS NAS that can present an iSCSI target to a virtualized ESXi environment. What's the smallest ESXi host I can build that will provide all the base...

It's not on the supported list, but I've seen a couple of instances online where people have gotten it working. Here's one.

Interesting/odd board but doesn't support ECC RAM and only takes mobile chips. I don't know how it would do with ESXi. That was one of the boards I was looking at when I started this thread. The other board, a Jetway, looks almost perfect in terms of spec (supports VT-d, AMT, Intel NICs, and...

Well, I just double-checked, and the S1200KP doesn't support VT-d either. For some reason I thought it had, but my impression was incorrect. So it looks like there's no Mini-ITX board that will simultaneously support VT-d, ECC RAM, and Sandy Bridge processors (with the possible exception of the...

i3-2120T. Dyslexic fingers. :)

The Q25 spec calls for a maximum CPU cooler height of 80mm. I imagine the case and mainboard layout will drive the max width/diameter possible.

I'm going with an i3-1220t for now. The price is right. There are rumors that even the v2 Xeons will be delayed a bit, so I'm letting myself in for frustration if I wait. A couple questions for anyone who's built a Q25 box: - For the SATA connectors (including left-angled) available here...

Sorry, had too many tabs from that site open and in a sleepy stupor copied the wrong URL. Here's the correct one. But you're correct, this test was on a SuperMicro board with a C204 chipset, not an Intel S1200KP with the C206. Regardless, I'm likely to opt for a Xeon E3-1265L v2 after it's...

FWIW, a new (I think) review of the PC-Q25.

I know I've seen a more official reference about using i3s with the S1200KP, but this thread discusses it in a bit of detail. Seems to work and supports ECC RAM with that processor. EDIT: I found the official word in the Intel manual on the S1200KP:

I've looked at the Fractal Array, but the review at SPCR was not very encouraging. And I prefer the kind of disk setup the Q25 (or TJ08-E) has, as well as the general layout. I plan to run off a SSD, although I may try booting off USB sticks while I'm trying out different OS options.

Hey, the Q25 has a *140mm* maximum PSU length! Wish it supported 160mm!!

Thanks, Danny, good advice. I've used Linux for several years and I do know how long it can take to get drivers for particular hardware :). Have no firsthand experience with FreeBSD/FreeNAS nor with Solaris variants (though my understanding is that those distributions are often limited in terms...

Further thoughts: Since Tesla convinced me to wait a bit for the next-gen Intel chips, I stepped back and opened my mind to other possible approaches. For instance, there are a lot more MB choices in the mATX form factor, ones that provide more versatility and features. Supermicro has a few 1155...

Hi, Tesla: Looks like the 330W Seasonic has been discontinued. The lowest power model in that series is currently 380W. Now it *is* 140mm, but non-modular. The SilverStone Strider 500W is modular, and the Seasonic and Kingwin fanless 500W PSUs are as well, but the latter two (80+ Gold and...

Would you go fanless for something like this? Or in a case this size, stuffed with HDs, is a PSU w/fan pretty much required?

Maybe an FM181? Have to think ball bearings and more control over RPM must be quieter than sleeve bearings.

I think it'd work but need to do all management remotely via SSH, etc. I'd consider putting a 1245v2 in there if I want onboard vid. TDP of 77w but probably idles pretty low and will rarely get anywhere near that high. Would guess it stays around 25-30w most of the time if that. The Wade looks...

So one slower drive?

Not sure I'd call yfrog snappy, exactly, but it ain't bad. You've convinced me to wait a bit before indulging in my hardware project, especially with cool little babies like the E3-1220Lv2 practically around the corner. I imagine I'll play around with both ZFS as well as BTRFS before I settle on...

Speaking of Ivy Bridge... IB will be nice, but a couple of things will happen when the chips are released: They'll be priced really high. There'll be early bugs working with current chipsets. Prices on the existing generations of chips will go down. I don't absolutely need to buy now...

The Q08 has a drive cage extender... ...but the only pictures of the Q18 show a 2.5" enclosure that seems to sacrifice one of the 3.5" drive bays. Moreover, the latter has a bottom plate (optional?) similar to the Q25. My questions are whether a Q08 style extender will be...

Sorry to revive a slightly old post, but any idea whether the Q18 will be able to accommodate 6 swappable drives, similar to the Q08?

Thanks for your reply. There seem to be several PSUs to choose from...one of the more interesting is this totally modular Seasonic. Spendy but very quiet and efficient. It's a little longer than the ATX standard but fortunately Lian Li makes an extender for their SFF cases that should solve that...

Just curious what kind of temps people are seeing in these cases when they're stuffed with HDs. I like the case but am a little worried that form may not have followed function. At CES, Lian-Li was showing a new case in the same ballpark (the PC-Q18) that is a bit of a hybrid between the Q08 and...