ratmice

So I built, and set up, my server yesterday. It's my first foray into the Linux world and I think it went smoothly. The problem lies in the fact that my network is all Mac, except the server. From within my local network I can telnet into the server without any problems. However, the IP address that my router (Airport Extreme) assigns the router is of the form 10.0.1.xx, like all airport addresses, and that is what's reported by ifconfig on the server. My question is how do you find out the "external" address so that I can log into the server from work, for instance. As you can tell I'm really new at networking etc...For my Macs I can surf to a site like "what's my IP" to see the "real" IP, not sure how to get that info for the server. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I need a little push in the right direction.

i3 540 is also OOS at TigerDirect, where I had mine ordered until I got the backorder notice, waited a few days (they said it was coming in the next day), got a "next week" ETA, cancelled, went with the 550 from newegg w/ free shipping, and I am holding it in my hands as we speak.

I see.. and so this would be included in the free 3 drive unraid? A cache drive, data drive, parity drive? And if I wanted to have 2 data drives I would need to purchase the next version? What is the smallest (cheapest) cache drive you guys would recommend? You need at least the Plus version for cache drive usage.

Thanks Joe. Unfortunately the only PC I will have in the house will be the UnRAID server - al Mac here. I tried to get my Macs to boot off the flash drive (both with DOS and UnRAID), I had seen some reports of being able to do so on an Intel MacBookPro, but no go. I just want to be ready when I get the box built so I don't have to go scrounging for a compatible flash drive. CPU due tomorrow, which is the last piece of the puzzle!

That reminds me, does anyone know if the serial number reported by system profiler in OS X is the same as the GUID? Or is there a way to see if a flash drive has a GUID using OS X? I'm still waiting on some parts for my build and would like to make sure that the aforementioned flash drive is usable. p.s. I tried to Google this, but GUID is too close to 'guide' and all I get is pages and pages of useless crap.

Well I've looked at every store I can think of around here and cannot find a Cruzer Micro to save my life. Does anyone have any experience running UnRAID on a Cruzer Blade? It's very small form factor is quite appealing for in case use.

Just got my 4220. Man is it larger than I thought Inside is a box with a bunch of brackets etc...Never having built a system before, what are they all for? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but there is no documentation for this thing at all (not that it really needs a lot).

I'm not sure exactly where to post this, so please move if there's a better location. Is there any formula (loosely speaking) for figuring out the best size for a cache drive, what slot to place it in (MoBo, or controller), type of drive (fast, slow, SSD etc...).

Thanks for the info, I didn't think it could make a difference, but always nice to check.

I am building a new server based on the SuperMicro X8SIL-F Mobo. I have available to me, some 1066 memory sticks that are compatible with the Mobo. Will I see an obvious performance difference compared to 1333 memory? If so, in what kind of situations? Thanks.

Newbie here. I am about to build a new system, and one of these F4 drives came bundled with one of my components. Sorry to dredge up the old thread. I am hoping that the drive has a date of Jan 2011 or later, but if not: •Can you turn of write caching just for this disk, or do you have to do the whole array? •Since all is new, If I do turn off the write caching, I shouldn't run into the problem, correct? •Would it be better to use this as a data or parity drive? Seems like a forced parity check would rebuild the parity drive without corruption, whereas if the data drive were corrupted, depending on when the last parity check was done, you could also have bad parity data, too. I may have trouble updating the firmware on the drive, no real access to any DOS system (I'm all Mac).

Sell one (both?), buy the 2TB drive, save additional money on cables, UnRAID license and electricity. Problem solved.

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

Actually, it is just the opposite for most of us. We load the data once on the server, then most of the activity is reading the data disks. The parity disk stays spun down 95% of the time. It it the least used. Didn't explain myself clearly: when parity checks are done, seems to be the most work for drives, particularly the parity drive, I assume. Since this one is very important, do people mirror it for a safeguard.

Another couple of questions: • Do people mirror their parity drives? Seems like that's the one under the most stress. • What kind of fan-speed/temp controllers do people use with good reliability? • What kind of changes to MoBo/CPU would the expectation of using the server as a media Streamer (XBMC, YAMJ, etc...) impose?

First, thanks for taking time to comment. OK, I am so overwhelmed by MoBo choices I just thought I'd start with one that was on the compatibility list that I saw today. I think I have to go with onboard video just to keep conflicts down to a minimum. Thnaks for pushing me in the right direction My other concern is that if/when we get support for >2TB drives will those typically be more power hungry? I guess I need to research this a bit. Hey 60 buck is 60 bucks Plus, you get a 2TB drive with the 4220. My plan was to use one of the 2.5" top slots for a cache drive, and I was hoping to (ghetto) rig another 3.5 inside the aft compartment of the chassis for the parity drive. My thought was that there should be excellent airflow back there to help cool the parity drive (as that one seems to have the heat issues), and the chassis appears to have a bunch of room, too. Maybe that's not a good idea? Well, the fitment of the fan plate is news to me. I took Norco on their word that it would work in the 4220. I'm not that averse to making use of my Dremel, but I'll look around for the horror stories first. Understood, thanks.

Thanks for the correction about the cables, ohlwiler. I found an ASUS p5b deluxe MoBo a local computer store for 100.00, seems like a great board, just will need a PCI video card because no onboard video.any comments about this board? Is that a decent price? It seems to be d/c at newegg so i wasnt able to compare price. Also, what dual core CPU would play well with it?

First I would like to say Hello to the Forum, this is my first post, and it's quite long. I have been lurking here for a bit - finally registered the other day. I want to thank, in advance, anyone who reads this post and offers suggestions. I really appreciate any input. I am considering building an UnRAID server to finally get rid of the pile of HDDs I have collected over the years. Hopefully, a lot of those drives could be repurposed in the array once the data is retrieved. Mostly to be used for storage and streaming, but backing up the various computers in the house is a bonus. Also the ability to run UnMenu and UnTorrent would be fabulous. The budget for the beast should be $1K, or under would be better (of course!), but I don't want to have a system that will need constant upgrades (MoBo, CPU) to keep up with the task. I know that's probably a pipe dream. I am as new to computer/server building as you can be, but have been doing a lot of reading/lurking and am not afraid to experiment. I am also a Linux newbie, I have had Macs since 1984 and really never touch any other OS (well Windows via bootcamp very occasionally). Large capacity and expandability is going to be key for my uses. I am going to use a server chassis. New drives will be green drives, but some of the other drives I have are not so green. Stuff I have figured out (I think): Case: Norco RPC-4220 • I will also get the 3x120mm fan plane, as that seems to offer better airflow. This is bundled with a 2TB Samsung drive through 2/9/11 so I may have to bite the bullet on it ASAP. SATA Expansion cards: SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 (2), PCI-Express x1 Controller Card (Silicon Image SIL3132) • Obviously the SATA cards depend on how many ports are on the MoBo. I need (eventually) 22 drives (20 data + cache + parity). If I can find a MoBo with 6 SATA ports that would get rid of the SIL3132. Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU-750TX or Maybe Corsair CMPSU-650TX • Recommendations here would be appreciated. This PS seems to be used a lot with minimal issues. Fans: GELID Solutions FN-TX12-15 120mm Case Fan with Superior Temperature Control, • As usual, if there are other, better options, I am open to suggestion. Also could use suggestions for temp controller for fans. Cables: NORCO C-SFF8087-4S Discrete to SFF-8087 (Reverse breakout) Cable (1), NORCO C-SFF8087-D SFF-8087 to SFF-8087 Internal Multilane SAS Cable (4), I have plenty of spare SATA cables around for the 2 additional drives. Probably have a few molex power splitters around, too - if not easy to find. OK, what am I missing here? Here's where I am getting in WAY over my head: MoBo: I know I want on-board video, at least 2 PCI-Express (4x min.) and one other PCI slot, on-board USB, so the UnRAID flash can live inside the case, 6 SATA connectors (4 OK). Anything else I need to consider? There are just so many options, lots of which seem to be discontinued, that my head is swimming. Seems like form factor is not an issue with the size case I want to use. Also, should I perhaps wait for the new MoBos that will allow > 2TB disks, or is that too far away to consider? CPU: Not a clue what to look for here. Seem like 2GHz minimum, after that not sure what to look for. Obviously depends on the MoBo, too. Ram: 2GB (maybe 4), type dependent on MoBo requirements. General questions: • I am not going to populate the case completely initially, is it better to buy all the components now to be prepared down the road. or should I just get the stuff I need, when I need it. For example, I could probably do with one SATA card initially, but I don't want to get stuck with incompatibilities, or no source for parts, in the future. • Is it OK to use 2.5" drive for cache? I would like to utilize the small drive mounts in the unit. Also, is there some way to figure out how large a cache drive should be? I think I read that the cache drive could be a PATA drive, true? Thanks for reading this far.