The Ultimate unRAID Server? NEW MOTHERBOARD with BENCHMARKS!

[coppit]

Here's my unRAID server setup:

 

CPU: Intel Celeron D 331 Prescott 2.66GHz

Case: Raidmax Ares ATX-801WBP

MB: Asus P5PE-VM

Memory: 1 GB PC 3200 (1 stick)

PCI SATA II Controller: Promise SATA300 TX4 PCI SATA II

USB Stick: Sony Micro Vault Tiny 512MB Flash Drive

Parity Drive: WD5000AAKS 500GB SATA II (on Promise controller)

Data Drives: Two Maxtor 6V300F0 300GB SATA II (on Promise controller), One Western Digital WD2500JB 250GB drive on motherboard PATA controller

 

The system probably cost $320 from Newegg (I had some parts already). I'm shipping data across gigabit ethernet from an Athlon 64 3500, Abit AV8 machine across 2 Netgear Gigabit switches to my HTPC.

 

My 64K results:

 

SATA II READSATA II WRITEIDE READIDE WRITE

32MB33.91331.43637.87929.381

64MB35.00833.13737.03025.420

128MB35.57326.57838.86325.832

256MB36.47525.21141.69025.724

512MB42.17125.49644.17325.488

1GB8.35616.2918.29016.930

 

As with others, I'm seeing faster writes for some reason...

[TheMaster]

It has been a while since I posted here, so a quick update on the system that started this thread.

 

The server has been running for 3 months now, and has never required a reboot or other maintenanance of any kind.  Definitely a rock-solid stable configuration.

 

I still believe the components specified are driving the strong benchmarks, but believe performance is limited by the less-than-stellar hard drives.  I would love to run this with a 10k RPM RAPTOR 150 in the Parity and Tested Drive positions.

 

I actually had an opportunity to do this, with two 150s I had purchased for a new system build, but didn't want to screw up my array for the sake of a single benchmark (I do, after all, use this for storage and not just benchmarks!).

 

Is there an easy way to pull your data array drives, test a completely different configuration and then plug your data drives back in?  I don't really know if the thumb drive has data written to it specific to your configuration or if this information is stored exclusively on the drives in your array.

[Joe L.]

In versions 3.x onward of unRaid the entire configuration is stored on the USB flash drive in the "config" folder.  Nothing is stored on the parity/data disks  except for the parity and data.

(1.x and 2.x versions of unRaid kept the disk configuration in a second hidden partition on the USB flash drive, those are a bit harder to back up)

 

So... you could back up the files on the flash drive "config" folder, stop the array and shut down, swap out the hard disks, perform a reset configuration and be up and running for your tests. Obviously, the new disk will need to be cleared and formatted.  Then, swap back the old hard disks, put back the contents of your USB drive "config" folder and be back to your old configuration. It should simply restart when booted.

 

Joe L.

[TheMaster]

Thanks, Joe-

 

I'll hang on to this in case the opportunity (and time) presents itself to test some blazing fast hard drives to up the performance even further!

 

[Suse User]

Thanks for this thread, it's been a big help in choosing bits for my next UnRaid.

 

 

New Motherboard:  ASUS P5LD2-VM R2.0

$91.18 at Buy.com with Google Checkout

 

Motherboard Capabilities:

[*]4 Onboard Serial ATA II (300MB/s) Ports - Recognized by unRAID

<snip>

 

I went for this MOBO but inadvertently bought the P5LD2 SE R2.0, I only have 1 Sata HDD of my 3 (connected to SATA1-3) detected.  That 1 is listed as "/dev/hdb (hdb1) PATA:ST3500461AS".  Did you have any initial problems getting the satas on the Mobo visible?  Are there any BIOS settings you can share than may help?  If you can help, I've posted a thread about my problem Here, thanks.

 

Also, I bought the 5 into 3 caddy & case you went for, but I had to do some surgery to the case to get the caddy in.  Does the US variant if the case fit the caddy straight off?  or Did you have to do some bending/modification to the internal 5.25" bays?

 

Thanks,

 

Mark.

[TheMaster]

Mark:

 

The motherboard I specified uses a controller whose SATA ports were immediately visable to unRAID.  Suggest you check the SATA controller used on the model you purchased and check for compatability with UNRAID.  I know the options are listed on the lime-technology site if you search.  I believe there are two specific controllers supported, one is the Intel ICH5 (?) and I cannot recall the other.

 

Regarding the 5 in 3 module, Yes - I did have to bend the sheetmetal tabs back that would support individual 5-1/4" devices in a normal configuration.

 

 

[coppit]

I built a server that uses an Asus P5PE-VM. My performance numbers aren't as good as the ones cited here. I think the problems might be related to PCI versus PCI-e. I heard that a gigabit NIC can saturate PCI, resulting in a little better than 1/2 of full network performance. This would certainly coincide with what I'm seeing. So maybe the moral is get a m/b with PCI-e?

[dennisy]

Not sure what these numbers mean.  I put together a temporary unRaid using s MSI K8NGM2-FID with a Athlon 3800x2 and 1 gig (Patriot Signature Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel) memory, with 3 Segate 500g SATAII drives to replace a failed P4P800 system.  Using DUMeter I hit 48Mb UL max and sustained 46-48Mb DL.

[Billped]

By themselves, those numbers don't mean much as you could just be measuring the speed of the cache.

 

 

Bill

 

[dennisy]

TheMaster-

I'm curious how well you like the IcyDock 5-in-3.  I've been going back and forth between that one and the

AMS DS-3151 http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817332011 

and can't decide which one I want.  I'm kind leaning towards the AMS because when looking at the pictures of the extra trays for both units on newegg, the AMS trays look like they would be a bit more stable compared to the IcyDock.  AMS looks like support on 3 sides whereas the IcyDock are simply rails with a center support.

 

Extra trays:

IcyDock http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817994042

AMS http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817999007

 

Have you had any problem with the rails slipping when inserting or removing trays?  The only concern I have on the AMS unit is I'm wondering if the individual power buttons for each of the drives needs to be pushed to apply power to each of the drives whenever the server is powered up.

 

 

Thanks

Dennis

[TheMaster]

I personally like the aesthetics of the Icy Dock.  They are solidly constructed.  My only issue with it was the fact that on my particular case there are support tabs in the sheetmetal which the drives would normally rest on.  These had to be bent out of the way for the 5 in 3 unit to fit into the case.  Of course, the AMS unit would have the same issue based on the images.

[WeeboTech]

Another point to consider, some of the icy docks have compatible external cases, so if need be, you can remove a drive from the cage and put it in a single external case.

[dennisy]

Thanks for the replies.  Now you have me leaning back towards the ICY Docks.  (Saying they are secure turned me back).  The first time I built up my unRaid, back at 2.x, I bought 3 additional 4in3 modules for my stacker case.  Saved some money but what a pain to change drives.  Now that I need to replace the P4P800 MB, I figure I buy the backplane solution.