Please review DAS part list

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Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 9, 2011
Messages
102
Hey all.... Just wanted to run build specs past you before purchasing. I've heard talk about expanders potentially being an issue for some raid cards. Let me know what you think the setup below and suggest alternatives.

Requirements:
  • Mount Storage to Existing Win 2003 x32 Server (as drive letter pre-login)
  • Raid 6 (hot-spare would also be nice)
  • Lifespan of 2 years (would like to re-purpose for ZFS afterwards)
  • Utilize already purchased Hitachi 3.5" Deskstar 2tb sata3 (7k3000) drives
  • 10+ drive capacity
  • Would like to keep under $2500, certainly not to exceed $3000

Parts:
 
Yikes... you are spending way too much on that. You can use a Norco RPC-4224 plus expander and PSU for significantly less.

The 9280-4i4e will give you one SFF-8088 port to connect to the DAS. That means you get a maximum of 24gbps to the DAS. There are dual port controllers and expander options available that will give you 48gbps.

Ever think about building a ZFS server and then using 10GbE or Infiniband to connect it to the main server? Can use PXE boot even if you really wanted (or you just use RAID 1 boot drives for Windows Server.) Just thinking that if you are going to do that anyway in two years, might just do it now. For the cost of that chassis and the controller (~$2100 IIRC) combined you have a ton to play with.

Also, as a thought would be Supermicro setups with single port 6gbps expanders (Look for E16). For example, a Supermicro 847E16-JBOD is a 45 drive chassis with 1400w redundant 80Plus Gold PSUs, hot-swap cooling and etc for $1700-1800. Alternatively a 846BE16-R920B has 920w platinum PSUs, 24 bays in 4U and runs about $1,100. You could get a JBOD board and a SFF-8087 to SFF-8088 converter and save $150+ or skip the RAID controller and put together a ZFS server to export via 10GbE.

BTW if you want to "ghetto" rig something similar, DIY JBOD DAS enclosure original and DIY JBOD DAS Iteration 2. Re-building today I would probably use the Intel Expander as it has a 4 pin molex connector which would save some money.

Not saying you have a bad idea, but the DS-24E is hard to recommend at that price especially since it does not have redundant PSUs and if a fan dies you have to unscrew it. It is a bit lighter/ smaller so that may be a consideration.
 
Business... Non critical media server with remote backup. Current capacity 6TB. We are rebuilding entire center in 1.5 years, so this is just a stopgap.... and parts for future dev servers :)
 
pjkenned,
I'd love to just make a zfs server and open up a share to the existing server. If it were solely up to me, there would be doubt. I run zfs at home and just love it and I'm pretty sure it would work beautifully. I'm kinda stuck for now looking for a DAS setup.

I like the Supermicro 847e16-JBOD. Better bang-for-the-buck. I also found the Supermicro CSE-837E16-RJBOD1 (16+12 bay). With something like these, I'd need to switch to the LSI 9280-8e. I knew supermicro made server cases like these, but did not know they also fitted them with expanders. Thanks for the heads up!

As for ghetto DIY.... yes, that is something I'd definately be willing to try.... at home.
 
Speaking of the Supermicro chasis... If I chose the CSE-847E26-RJBOD1 with dual controllers, could I use mux boards to use SATA drives instead of SAS?
 
pjkenned said:
Yikes... you are spending way too much on that. You can use a Norco RPC-4224 plus expander and PSU for significantly less.
Click to expand...

Significantly less if you're at home not costing an employer money while you're putting it together. I've done it both ways. I've got the Norco DS-24E. It's the epitome of turnkey and has the excellent LSISAS2x36 expander chip. Or hack together a rough equivalent with a Norco 24 bay case, ATX powerboard, 36 port Intel expander and Power Supply (I say hack because its not perfect - you still have to use the PSU on/off switch as the power switch for the chassis since the power board doesn't support momentary switches) and save 20-25% over the cost of the DS-24E, and I've done that too many times. But for business purposes I'd go DS-24E, it's much cleaner since its purpose built. Or alternately one of the Supermicro's.

And its still a major cost savings over something equivalent from HP, Dell, etc.
 
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Not that I'm overly concerned, but can anyone speak to the noise levels produced by the Norco DS-24E and the Supermicro CSE-847E16-RJBOD1?
 
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