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Here is my 32TB custom external array

E

EvanWasHere

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
68
I started a thread last year with requests for advice on this.. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1570694

I actually built it about a month after, but I never had a chance to show it off...

Specs:
Chenbro UEK-13601 SAS Universal Expander
Six Norco SS-400 4Bay Modules
A nice amount of CNC’d polished metal (same metal used on Ducati motorcycles)
Fanless PSU
Modified fans
12 Foot SAS cable
12 x 2TB drives (RAID 6)
12 x 1TB drives (RAID 6)
Total = 32.72TB (but capable of 48TB or 72TB)

This thing is near silent.. It's about 10 feet from my couch.. and you cannot hear it whatsoever..
I also get about 400MB/s transfer speed

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There are more pics here: http://EvanWasHere.imgur.com (Just be careful at work.. there are a bunch of NSFW pics I have taken there as well)


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All pics looking really great @ ur imgur.. ;) box looking really unique and cool :)
 
nice work! how nice it must be to have access to such awsome tools!

So your album, you trying to show off your computer, or your photography skills :)
 
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MrGuvernment said:
nice work! how nice it must be to have access to such awsome tools!

So your album, you trying to show off your computer, or your photography skills :)
Click to expand...

Um.. Both? lol.. I'm bored at work.. and I just made my imgur a pro account.. so I uploaded some of my shoots, some of my friend's pics, my HTPC/Battlestation, and my RAID array last night.. I figure, there's gotta be at least one picture in there that will make you guys happy.. And if so, my task is complete!

Thanks to everyone else as well for all the kind words!
 
Looks good,

My only suggestion would be to get shorter Minisas to SATA cables if you are running SATA drives. They look like what 100cm long?

Maybe drop down to 75cm ones if they will reach, as the max length of SATA cabling = 100cm.....including the backplanes.

Which if they are 100cm cables, you might (when you include the backplanes) be running the risk of errors / crosstalk etc.

.
But it's certainly a nice setup you have made :)
 
Stanza33 said:
Looks good,

My only suggestion would be to get shorter Minisas to SATA cables if you are running SATA drives. They look like what 100cm long?

Maybe drop down to 75cm ones if they will reach, as the max length of SATA cabling = 100cm.....including the backplanes.

Which if they are 100cm cables, you might (when you include the backplanes) be running the risk of errors / crosstalk etc.

.
But it's certainly a nice setup you have made :)
Click to expand...

Thanks man..

They don't have .75.. So I got 3Ware CBL-SFF8087OCF-10M 1 Unit Of 1 Meter Multi-lane Internal (SFF-8087) Serial ATA Cable x 6. The two drives at the end had to have long cable.. the others could have been shorter.. The case is sealed pretty tight.. so not changing it now.. But it's been running a year.. Has 2-3 of the older 1TB drives go bad over time.. and the actual RAID card died.. but other than that (knock on wood) I have had no issues.
 
Are those rivets or screws?... how do you get back into it?
 
Yeah, it was more a question of how you break in if the PSU or Expander or a Fan go bad.. I like the choice of screws. Very nice case!
 
...now THAT is awesome!

...something else to dream about - thanks for sharing
 
I have a hard time either envying your custom case design, layout, and the file server; or your pictures of your life; or all the above. :D

Really great job though (on both).
 
ok.. answer to a couple questions..

Are the bikes for sale: It is the back of a Ducatti dealership/service center. So, technically.. yes.. That's where we got the material and the machinery from..

Are there plans for this project: In my head.. lol. My friend and I did it off the cuff, so to speak..

Where can I buy this: I was debating this with my friend.. I should have shown this a year ago, when hard drives were much cheaper.. There is really nothing like this case.. it is sleek, super fast, and whisper quiet.. I need to see if it is worth it for us to set up something to sell these on the side.. I will price out cost of parts and labor and get back to you.. If at least 5 people want to order, then we can probably move forward.

Markqc: Did you have a crowd at your desk already, or did the crowd form after you loaded the pics. Enquiring minds want to know.. lol Hope you didn't get in any trouble.

Everyone else.. thanks for the compliments.. The board helped me with questions for the parts.. So without your help, this couldn't have been done.
 
Very nice. I would have added 4 blu-ray drives for disk ripping and made it rack mountable
 
Ok... We are still going over our costs.. Making this as a one off, is definitely more expensive than setting up a quick line of them..

There are a bunch of modifications that will be made if we set this side business up that we didn't do in the first build:

Less gaps
More solid
Better aluminum
Cleaner finish
Easier access to internals
Key option
SATA6

Honestly, there is really no case like this for sale out there (that i have seen)
It is SUPER silent.. quieter than a PC.. While still having airflow to keep the drives cool.
It is fast.. I easily get 400MB/s with standard HDs. With SATA6 and some SSDs.. it will be even faster.
HALF the footprint of current arrays on the market.
It is sleek as a Ferrari in your living room.. Wife/Girlfriend friendly..
24 x 2TB = 48TB or 24 x 3TB = 72TB.

The only comparable arrays would be http://www.pc-pitstop.com/sas_cables_enclosures/scsase246g.asp and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816111199

Both are $3,000, ugly as hell, double the size, and as loud as a jet engine..

If we can get at least 5 orders together, than we can even out the price of the metal manufacturing to be low enough to offer this for $6,000..

Hard drives and RAID card purchase would be purchased by the customer. The array would be sold as is, tested in the shop before shipment.. Warranty would be covered by the internal parts manufacturers..

If this is something that you guys are interested in, please let me know..
 
EvanWasHere said:
Um.. Both? lol.. I'm bored at work.. and I just made my imgur a pro account.. so I uploaded some of my shoots, some of my friend's pics, my HTPC/Battlestation, and my RAID array last night.. I figure, there's gotta be at least one picture in there that will make you guys happy.. And if so, my task is complete!

Thanks to everyone else as well for all the kind words!
Click to expand...

Mission successful!
 
I would be interested in something like this for a ZFS build:

-No SAS expander. (not a good combo with Solaris)
-Several SFF8087 backplanes.

This means I have several IBM M1015 disk controller cards in my PC. And then I connect those mini sas SFF 8087 cables to your chassis. Just something like this, (it has six SFF 8087 cables):
http://www.norcotek.com/item_detail.php?categoryid=8&modelno=ds-24d

The price is 600 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133046

And besides, SAS expanders are expensive. So no SAS expanders, would lower the price? Can you fix something like this? But a smaller case? And cheaper?
 
I'm not sure I would have any time to play with computer hardware if I had the quantity of other kind of hardware I see in those pics !
 
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