I built it, am I dumb?

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neural0

neural0

Limp Gawd
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May 22, 2011
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If you're looking for the bottom line question :
Win10 free upgrade/Server 2016/Essentials 2012? What OS should I install on the newly built home server if it's primarily used for media file storage?

If you want the whole story:
I started my journey into putting together a Home Server years ago with a WHS technet license on some older hardware and dreams of backup and file serving bliss.

Luckily I never had to do a recovery and actually test my backup setup... So no problems there :)

Then I planned out a power-efficient always-on 24/7 mini server build using the brand-new, absolutely-perfect, Windows Small Business Server 2012 Essentials!! This new OS was perfect and never needed any revisions or improvements! I'll never have to worry about the storage problems of WHS AGAIN!! Awesome!...

In what seemed like two days, SBS R2 was released. No way to in-place upgrade. Fml.

So now we make it to present day :
SBS R1 is still running fine but it's out of storage. I was able to get a great deal on a decommissioned commercial server (shout out to burritoincognito !!). The SBS is 99% used as a NAS to hold movie files that are not transcoded. Backups of the network computers are performed automagically and never really accessed again.

Here are the specs :
Silicon Mechanics storage server
36x 2TB 7200RPM SAS hard drives (ST32000444SS)
[swapped the 36x 2TB array for a 30x 3TB array for almost no price difference]
LSI MegaRAID SAS 9261-8i RAID controller
Redundant power supplies
2x Xeon E5649 (6 physical/12 logical cores/CPU)
SuperMicro X8DT6/X8DTE
SuperMicro SC847A-R1400LPB Chassis
48GB RAM
dual GigE
dual 10gigabit Ethernet adapters
No OS

But now... What OS should I use? Do I really need the Server 2016/2012 features or should I just do a Win7 -> Win 10 free upgrade?
Where to install the OS? On the array? Should I put a used 240GB SSD in as the OS drive?
I have win 7 license, I might be able to get a Server 2016 license through work but not sure, I have the SBS Essentials 2012 R1 license currently on the old server.

Halp!
 
>inb4 the Linux brigade lands... ;)

All that computing power just for a file server? Seems like a terrible waste of massive potential to me but that's just my opinion on it, of course. What I will say is this: if you're more experienced using Windows Server than any potential Linux solution, stick with Windows Server since it's familiar and you already know basically what needs to be done with it. If you're willing to experiment and learn more about Linux (presuming you don't have a lot of experience) then maybe consider it as an option for the operating system.
 
Those are even potentially overkill for a home ESXi box. What's the cost, as configured?
 
In short, I think there's a chance of bumping into some of the feature restrictions on a non-enterprise flavor of Windows. You'll want to review the feature charts and compare against your use case.
Ex. How many clients connect to this server at once? I thought there were some connection limits for shares on home/pro versions of Windows. You'll also want to land on Win10 Pro for multi processor support.
The update cadence of Win10 for home users may also become annoying/unnerving. (We've got some new features to get excited about. ... All your files are exactly where you left them.)

It's a pretty sweet server you've found though. I agree it seems like overkill for just a NAS, so I'd want to make sure I wouldn't get the bug to learn more since you have lots of under utilized room in that machine. - Ex. Hyper-V, AD, etc..


also.. #Linux
 
Highly recommend install the OS on SSD and then have a big, fat storage pool somewhere.

You have a couple of options:

  1. Install Windows 10 and use Storage pools with 2 disk parity. Probably screwed on the licensing here.
  2. Install the loonix and use ZFS
  3. Install Solaris and use REAL ZFS
  4. Leave Sever 2016 and use Storage Pools w 2 disk parity.
Also HUGE overkill for a 24/7 file server and it'll run up your electricity bill a fair bit
 
Stanley Pain said:
Highly recommend install the OS on SSD and then have a big, fat storage pool somewhere.

You have a couple of options:

  1. Install Windows 10 and use Storage pools with 2 disk parity. Probably screwed on the licensing here.
  2. Install the loonix and use ZFS
  3. Install Solaris and use REAL ZFS
  4. Leave Sever 2016 and use Storage Pools w 2 disk parity.
Also HUGE overkill for a 24/7 file server and it'll run up your electricity bill a fair bit
Click to expand...
Solaris is in 'dead man walking' state. I could look for a story, but I thought there were large layoffs in that unit recently.

I'd look at going with FreeBSD + OpenZFS instead for that option. For ease of use and more applicability to the OP, I'd look at FreeNAS.
 
Do you want to do anything other than media file server? You did mention you backup the workstations using the server, so that right there points you in a direction. If you like the management of AD, absolutely, stay with Windows server. There is no more SBS server, just "essentials" which only differs in # of VM instances and the way licenses are handled. If you want to learn server management for a potential Net Admin job - stay with Windows server.

Frobozz said:
Solaris is in 'dead man walking' state. I could look for a story, but I thought there were large layoffs in that unit recently.

I'd look at going with FreeBSD + OpenZFS instead for that option. For ease of use and more applicability to the OP, I'd look at FreeNAS.
Click to expand...

FreeBSD uses "Real" ZFS. Due to licensing restrictions, ZFS is not able to be integrated into the GPL'd Linux Kernel, hence the OpenZFS project. FreeBSD does not have that licensing restrictions, and simply ports ZFS from Solaris to the OS. FreeNAS is just a pre-built, pre-configured installation of FreeBSD, but many of the pre-configured tools and applications make it great for home server use.

I still think OP should stick with Windows server, unless he can find some very easy utilities for backing up his workstations to non-Windows servers. I'm sure the utilities exist, I am just unaware of them.
 
If it's a file server, it's an ungodly waste. eBay everything and buy a fully-loaded SMB NAS, and you'll exceed all your needs for years to come, and have a ton of cash left over.
 
Stanley Pain said:
Totally forgot about FreeBSD + ZFS :D
Click to expand...
I ran it as my primary server OS for several years, but got bored with it. I didn't have time to learn any fancy configurations, and it just worked without any fuss. So for fun I switched up to Windows 10 Pro as the main OS, and have a Hyper-V FreeBSD running. My hardware is desktop class (AMD 8320e on a 760g board, but with ECC RAM!) so I can play a bit. I don't have very many devices connecting, so management isn't an issue for me. Biggest issue I ran into using FreeBSD was the lack of native interoperability with Windows Pro clients - MS requiring ENT versions for Unix connections. Now I am bored with Win 10 as the server OS, and want to play around with AD and Server 2016, but I would need a perpetual license, not just an eval, and I don't have access to cheap Server licenses.
 
Why anyone would even consider any Windows server product for a home based server is totally and utterly beyond my comprehension and I question the methods used to obtain such a product.

Linux or FreeBSD with a webGUI for newcomers all the way.
 
Tiberian said:
>inb4 the Linux brigade lands... ;)
...if you're more experienced using Windows Server than any potential Linux solution, stick with Windows Server since it's familiar and you already know basically what needs to be done with it.
Click to expand...

Haha! I think I'm familiar with the consumer flavors of Windows so I'm familiar with Win Server by proxy.

DeaconFrost said:
Those are even potentially overkill for a home ESXi box. What's the cost, as configured?
Click to expand...

I got the server for $1000. I was able to sell the 36x 2TB hard drives for ~$35 each and replaced with the 30x 3TB's for $28 each :woot: so with eBay fees and S/H i figure I broke even? NOTE: this does NOT count the gas in my V8 Toyota Sequoia on the 5 hour round trip to pick it up nor the cost of the 2+ month argument with the wife over the "jet engine in my basement"

Bandalo said:
If it's a file server, it's an ungodly waste. eBay everything and buy a fully-loaded SMB NAS, and you'll exceed all your needs for years to come, and have a ton of cash left over.
Click to expand...

So now that you know the total cost is $1000, what would I replace it with at that price point?

Frobozz said:
How many clients connect to this server at once?

...so I'd want to make sure I wouldn't get the bug to learn more since you have lots of under utilized room in that machine. - Ex. Hyper-V, AD, etc..


also.. #Linux
Click to expand...

There are two computers at once? Maybe? I have an nVidia Shield TV that's always pulling files and maybe another TV plus a computer at the same time. I really haven't used any of the features other than setting up backup for the PC's. I have a domain only because it made me. I don't "get" AD. I've heard quotes like "security and users" but it never sunk in with me. Can someone tell me what the home use case would be for AD?

And now tell me what I could do with this extra power you speak of...
 
BulletDust said:
Why anyone would even consider any Windows server product for a home based server is totally and utterly beyond my comprehension
Click to expand...
Why is it any bother of yours what someone else wants to run in their home on their home network? Why do you and Boonie have to shove Linux down everyone's throats? Help the OPs with their questions, and what they are trying to do.
 
DeaconFrost said:
Why is it any bother of yours what someone else wants to run in their home on their home network? Why do you and Boonie have to shove Linux down everyone's throats? Help the OPs with their questions, and what they are trying to do.
Click to expand...

It's called educating, not shoving. Microsoft is doing the shoving.
 
neural0 said:
There are two computers at once? Maybe? I have an nVidia Shield TV that's always pulling files and maybe another TV plus a computer at the same time. I really haven't used any of the features other than setting up backup for the PC's. I have a domain only because it made me. I don't "get" AD. I've heard quotes like "security and users" but it never sunk in with me. Can someone tell me what the home use case would be for AD?

And now tell me what I could do with this extra power you speak of...
Click to expand...
I'm not sure this post is going to be all that helpful, but here we go!
Regarding AD: AD in the home would probably be overkill unless you had a reason to get more experience with it, even if just self edification. - If you're a plumber who wants to play games and watch TV, you probably have zero need for AD. If you're a plumber who is interested in technology, and authentication and authorization software processes, then perhaps. If you're in IT and knowing AD could help position you for a promotion or otherwise make work life better, then jump in and make an AD user for your dog and start administrating the crap out of it to see what you can learn. :D

Regarding the server:
So much depends on your experience level, personal interests, and level on the ‘give a shit’ meter.

With:
~84TB RAID 6 / ~45TB Raid 10 Storage
24 threads
48GB RAM
Quad NICs

If it were me, I’d be making it a virtualization host. Likely ESXi, but I might take some time up front to see how an alternative like KVM might look over a longer term.

In that host, I’d have the following types of VMs:
(The first two are pretty common)
*bulk storage fileshare - Linux host with Samba
*router - PFSense (yay dual/quad NICs)
*DNS blacklist - PiHole

*database server - postgresql
*front end webserver - nginx (80/443 forwarded to here - proxy containers or other vm content)
*Misc web app server(s) - Ex. NextCloud
*Home automation - home assistant
*Security cameras - Zoneminder
*System orchestration - The Foreman/Katello
*Client VMs for the above​

Probably plenty of room left over to accommodate whatever new things might become interesting. :)


For a Windows slant on the same idea:
Windows Server Hyper-V host (Why not Win7/10? - I would hate to want to explore something about the system only to be blocked by an artificial limitation because I didn’t have the appropriate version)
You could have SMB share directly on the host instead of in a VM
Hyper-V VMs for PFSense and web app interests above
Since I paid for it, I’d be exploring the other MS things I get with Windows Server.​

I know people do media things, like Plex, that could work an extra CPU cycle or two.. I just haven’t messed with it.
 
neural0 said:
So now that you know the total cost is $1000, what would I replace it with at that price point?
Click to expand...

How much storage space do you actually NEED? How much do you project needing in the next 3-4 years?
 
B00nie said:
It's called educating, not shoving. Microsoft is doing the shoving.
Click to expand...

Let me educate you about the virtues of being Vegan. Let me espouse how meat is murder and you're a terrible human being for allowing this kind of suffering. Let me tell you about it at every opportunity possible.

This is you(and other zealots) except Linux.
 
You're drones, simply put. And quite frankly not worth my time. I'll take a break on the forums, bye...
 
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