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Home Server Choices- Guidance Requested

T

tikiman2012

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
1,228
So, after accidentally deleting some of my media on my HTPC on purpose (one of those Homer Simpson DOH! moments), I've decided that I need a server with some redundancy. I tried out Windows Storage Spaces & concluded that it is absolute garbage with write speeds from 15 to 20MBs. I will not tolerate USB 2 speeds! My network is Gigabit & my wireless is also.

I want a raid 5 type of redundancy. ZFS maybe? I want easy access for all of my devices. (Windows computers, Android devices, iPad & a couple iPods)

Hardware:

i5 3570k
Pentium G2030
Asrock Z77 Extreme 6 (6 sata on Intel chipset, 2 on Assmedia)
8GB Gskill Cas 8 ddr3
Samsung 320GB 2.5 inch drive from Xbox 360 for an OS drive
4 x WD 3TB Green drives (will eventually replace with Reds)
550watt power supply (overkill i know, but will work for now)


Doesn't have to be Windows based as long as all of the shares work properly.
What would you recommend?
 
For HTPC data I recommend SnapRAID (somewhere between raid and a backup) on whatever OS you want to run. For all other data make backups. For both data types traditional raid is not used.
 
I use SnapRaid + StableBit Drive Pool on windows and it works great.

To get any good write speeds out of parity storage spaces I think you need multiple SSD's to use for journaling. I think it is 2 for Raid-5 and 3 for Raid-6. I set up a test single parity storage spaces with 2 120GB SSDs and 6 WD Red 3TB drives. I got decent write speeds that way.
 
TType85 said:
I use SnapRaid + StableBit Drive Pool on windows and it works great.

To get any good write speeds out of parity storage spaces I think you need multiple SSD's to use for journaling. I think it is 2 for Raid-5 and 3 for Raid-6. I set up a test single parity storage spaces with 2 120GB SSDs and 6 WD Red 3TB drives. I got decent write speeds that way.
Click to expand...

Which version of windows?
 
I'm on 8.1 also. I keep getting an error when running the scheduler in the Elucidate gui. I can't save anything & it goes nowhere.
 
Use SnapRAID from the command line. There are only like 4 or 5 commands to use.
 
How do you combine Snapraid with Drivepool? Do you protect certain data with duplication and others with parity?
 
OP, be aware that no raid level will protect you from accidental deletes. The only thing that can save you there is a snapshot or copy on another device.

Seems to me like you need a backup system, not redundancy.

Out of the two backup is the one you cannot do without. Redundancy will only reduce downtime if something breaks.
 
SnapRAID actually will somewhat protect against accidental deletes given enough parity drives and you catch the problem before making many changes to the other disks.
 
UnRaid with nightly copies between shares to backups.

Runs on a USB and headless.
 
I am keeping a copy of everything (HTPC media) on a 6TB drive in my HTPC. This system that I am throwing together is going to be the backup machine. I (as in only me) will also stream media from it if the HTPC is off & vice-versa. I will also use it for system backups for the other 9 computers in the house. Should've done this a long time ago.

Un-Raid isn't an option. I need more than 3 drives & I'm not paying for it. I have legitimate copies of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, Standard, & Enterprise. I just don't see the need for something like that in a home media environment. I was thinking Nas4Free, but I'm gonna see how Windows 8.1 does with everything. If Winows 8.1 gives problems then I'll try another OS. I have almost rebuilt my media library. It took 2 weeks for the dvd's, Haven't even gotten to the blu-rays yet. I have everything (except the blu-rays) backed up on other drives that I had lying around, 7 old drives in total.

On another aside, which processor would people favor in this environment? Pentium G2030 or the 3570?
 
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