Planning a linux mini-ITX fileserver build

[anichols]

As the title says, I am planning out a fileserver build using linux (probably Ubuntu) using a mini-ITX motherboard. I've been looking around for a suitable motherboard for this project, requiring the following features:

1) As many SATA 6 Gb/s ports as possible to plug JBOD hard drives into. Will implement software RAID in the OS rather than rely on the hardware RAID available to me.
2) At least one PCI-E slot to convert into more SATA 6 Gb/s ports
3) Decent RAM capacity (in case I decide to go with ZFS via FreeNAS)
4) Optional: Underclocking capability (to manage heat and power requirements....the drives are going to be a heavy load on the PSU as it is)
5) Optional: Onboard video (so I can use a KVM switch instead of relying on a true headless server)

So far my search on newegg has lead me to this board, but I would like to know what the Tom's Hardware community has to say on this idea. Maybe there's a motherboard out there that my search hasn't pointed out to me yet...since I'm in the early planning stages nothing is set in stone.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157464&cm_re=ASROCK_FM2A88X-_-13-157-464-_-Product

Currently meets: #1 (6 x SATA 6Gb/s), #2 (1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16), #3 (32 GB DDR3 2400+(OC)/2133/1866/1600/1333/1066).

Currently questioning: #4 (No one mentions underclocking or overclocking in the reviews, so short of buying the board and trying it myself, I don't know if this motherboard meets this optional requirement)

Currently fails: #5 (No video chipset, so this would have to rely on a headless setup)

To sum up, not the ideal board for me, but it would probably serve well enough. For close to $100 for the board, the price seems about right for everything it offers...just wish it offered everything I want in a motherboard for this project.

Thanks in advance for any constructive input I receive.

- A

 

[Karsten75]

Take a couple of hints from this lady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA9AKLOVOKk

 

[anichols]

Take a couple of hints from this lady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA9AKLOVOKk

That is an interesting video, but for the purposes of my question it's not as useful as it could be. The board she's using fails the initial requirement of being mini-ITX as per the thread title and the first sentence of my initial post. Yes, I could probably design it around using micro-ATX's form factor, but mini-ITX tends to be lower power consumption and the size difference would lead to a few headaches when I get out of planning and move on to assembly.

I will extend my search into youtube to see if anyone else has posted videos that deal more directly with the topic at hand. Thank you.

- A

 

[Karsten75]

Boards, m-ITX or u-ATX draw around 7W. It's the CPU and add-on cards you put in them that matters.

m-ITX only has a slot for one PCI card for SATA expansion. u-ATX has 2. As for the form factor - guilty, but I usually plan my cases around my boards and requirements, not the other way round.

The IPMI of that board allows headless management very nicely and easily.

The internal USB port allows or a very convenient booting option without relying on the data drives.

I think I found a very nice Lian-Li case for my NAS.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112339

or this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811165597

 

[anichols]

Boards, m-ITX or u-ATX draw around 7W. It's the CPU and add-on cards you put in them that matters.

Good point fairly made.

m-ITX only has a slot for one PCI card for SATA expansion. u-ATX has 2. As for the form factor - guilty, but I usually plan my cases around my boards and requirements, not the other way round.

Again, fair enough. In this case I am going to be fabricating my own case. What is the solution to not having ample space for all the hardware you have? Build the hardware into your furniture. In this case, a 10U rack sized space that will double as the chair I will be sitting in when using my computer.

I know what you are thinking, a space that large shouldn't restrict me from using micro-ATX. In the tenative layout I have planned out so far, there will be two identical servers in this case, side by side. The primary utilizing half the available drives, always on, as a dedicated file server. The secondary will be kept powered down except when it is needed to backup the contents of the primary file server. Both will be using their given drives in a RAID-10 configuration. And to make space more of a concern, a 20" box fan will be at the rear, venting out into the room....and a washable electrostatic furnace filter on the front, built into the case's door to keep the interior clean.

Room, like power, will be at a premium for this build. So while I know I'll be consuming a ton of electricity (compared to a normal NAS) to keep this thing running, switching off half the hardware for most of the lifetime of the chair (and thus having a solid backup of my system on hand at all times...one good enough that all it would take is swapping a network cable to put the other one live should I have a critical hardware failure) will bring it down to a managable level.

The IPMI of that board allows headless management very nicely and easily.

I am intrigued by the IPMI feature, though. So much so I think it is in danger of becoming optional requirement #6.

The internal USB port allows or a very convenient booting option without relying on the data drives.

As the motherboards will be totally enclosed in this case (no access to the outside save for a network cable and power cable drilled through the side of the case) internal USB ports are of less value. I can easily use an external USB port for the same thing...and build my own 'header' (plugging in some short USB extension cables M -> F) to give some USB visibility to the case exterior for attaching external drives to generate an offsite backup. Food for thought...

I think I found a very nice Lian-Li case for my NAS.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112339

or this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811165597

Lian Li does make some fine cases, I admit.

- A

 

[Rammy]

Just to target #4/#5

#4 You can overclock on 88X chipsets, so you shouldn't have any major issues undervolting the CPU/memory to reduce power demands. Obviously you'll want to fiddle with all of the other stuff you don't need too.

#5. Basically nothing comes with onboard video these days, it's totally gone out of fashion. Some of the AM3/AM3+ boards still have this, but as I'm sure you are aware (or have realised), you can't buy these boards at ITX size. At FM2/FM2+ or LGA1155/1150 (your main choices) it has all moved to CPU graphics. If you'd envisaged using an Althon II X4 in your build, then you would be without onboard video which I imagine would be a pain.

 

[Karsten75]

I can't find it now, but there was a DIY guy that built a 10-drive NAS into a shoebox-sized custom case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BatakM9iAik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPjcXkKxkIA

Workshop porn at it's best.

 

[anichols]

Workshop porn at it's best.

Sensing a theme here. I ask a question, you come back with geek porn. Which was the first thought I had about a minute into the first link you sent. ^.^

 

[Karsten75]

Well, you got me...

 

[anichols]

The IPMI of that board allows headless management very nicely and easily.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157466 seems to meet my requirements nicely (IPMI trumps the missing on board video, 6x SATA3 @ 6 Gbps, up to 16 GB ECC DDR3 1600/1333 RAM, PCI slot available...seems an all-around winner for me.)

Now to find a suitable card to stick in that slot for more SATA3 6Gbps action and a pair of USB sticks for booting. Might even stick a USB WiFi device on a cord so I can stick it's antenna out of the box so when the backup server is up I can wirelessly connect to it and upload backups of laptops to the dataset.

 

[Karsten75]

Just promise me that sometime down the road when you realize you should have used a u-ATX board you'll post back here.

BTW, did you enjoy the 10-drive NAS build? The first time I saw it I didn't realize he had 10 junked drives when he used that grinder and sparks were flying everywhere.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124064

Or you can look into port multipliers - but I've never fully understood them and there seems to be some caveats wrt controlled compatibility.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124062

I'm not endorsing either of the above, I'm just using them as examples of a class of product.

 

[anichols]

Just promise me that sometime down the road when you realize you should have used a u-ATX board you'll post back here.

Ok.

BTW, did you enjoy the 10-drive NAS build? The first time I saw it I didn't realize he had 10 junked drives when he used that grinder and sparks were flying everywhere.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124064

*nods*

Or you can look into port multipliers - but I've never fully understood them and there seems to be some caveats wrt controlled compatibility.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124062

I'm not endorsing either of the above, I'm just using them as examples of a class of product.

I wouldn't endorse them either, port multipliers are all well and good, until you have a drive failure. In a JBOD configuration it isn't bad...the multiplier will retry the drive again and again until it works. But in a software-managed RAID, you want that ailing drive to fail out immediately so the mirrored part of the RAID-10 can take over and give you your data (and an alert that a drive failed so you can replace it....or pull the failed drive to add a new hot-swap drive to the mix for the next failure, when it happens).