Need Advice for Atom based NAS

[vbman213]

I'm looking into building a Atom based NAS.

I need some help selecting which ATOM mobo to go with.

I really don't care about graphics performance (it is and always will be a server, nothing else)

I was considering using FreeNAS with ZFS. I've heard some really good stuff about the ZFS file system. And it is all done through software.

So software raid/zfs vs hardware raid?

Next, if I'm going to run ZFS I need to make sure that I buy a 64bit capable atom board.

Also, I would like the board to have a minimum of 4 SATA headers. I will be booting freebsd from a usb stick (or maybe a compact flash to IDE adapter (if the board has IDE))

Any ideas?

 

[sara_h]

I use a FreeNAS solutions named FSNAS-600G which used Gigabyte Atom D510 motherboard with 4 Sata ports.
It's a excellent product for me, ad it's configure with ZFS.

Regards,
Sara Habas

 

[sub mesa]

Also check Zotac Atom D510 motherboard with 6x SATA/300 and PCIe.

Also check SuperMicro's Atom boards with dual Intel gigabit NICs and IPMI:

http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/ATOM/ICH9/X7SPA.cfm?typ=H

BTW going for a real CPU like Core i3 shouldn't affect your idle power consumption very much, while gaining alot of performance power. So if you want low-power NAS you don't have to go Atom. Zotac has a nice Mini-ITX Core i3 board too based on H55.