Checklist for New unRaid Gamer/Nas/Ripping/PlexStreaming

[lordoxide]

I have decided to take the parts from my gamer PC and my unRaid and combine them into a single box to do it all (thanks to the help of  people on this forum). Here are my plans and parts (have and ordered) please let know if I am missing anything. I've done a bunch of research to try and make sure the MSI x79a-gd45 plus and i7-4820k will both work with unraid and have IOMMU support, it seems so but we will see. I know this is a lot to read through, but if anyone is willing to take the time and make sure I am not missing something or missing some important steps, this is all brand new to me, and I really don't want to make a mistake that costs me my current array. Eventually I hope this turns in to a good guide for anyone else trying to accomplish the same thing I am.

 

Expected new combined build

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Case: Thermaltake Armor with 2x ICY DOCK 5in3 (unRaid)

Cooling: Corsair Hydro H100i (gamer)

CPU: i7-4820k (gamer)

MB: MSI x79a-gd45 plus (gamer)

RAM: 16 GB DDR (gamer) + maybe 4 GB DDR (unRaid)

SAS Controller: Supermicro AOC-SASLP-MV8 (unRaid)

Video: Nvidia Geforce 770GTX (gamer)

Power:  SeaSonic X-1250 (gamer)

PC storage: 256 GB SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC256D (gamer)

Drive Array: 3x 2 TB, 2x 1 TB, 500 GB, 320 GB (unRaid, 6.8 TB usable)

Parity Drive: 2 TB (unRaid)

Unused Drives: 480 GB SanDisk Ultra II SSD

UnRaid: Pro 6.16

Flash: 1 GB San Disk Cruzer

 

Ordered Parts

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SanDisk Cruzer Fit CZ33 32GB

2x Seagate 3TB Babarracuda 7200 64MB Cache (ST3000DM001)

LG Super Multi Blue Internal SATA 16x Blu-ray Disc Rewrite (WH16NS40)

2x TP-LINK TL-PA8010P KIT AV1200 (total of 4)

 

My Planned steps:

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Building the new unRaid

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1.) Setup new 32G SanDisk Cruzer with my additional unRaid pro key (keeping the existing 1GB with its own key just in case)

2.) Screenshot the drive assignments to use after rebuild to bring up the array

3.) Extract my current windows 10 CD key, if this key does not work, I will either call to activate after VM build, or install 8.1 with my original full key (we will see how this all goes)

4.) Windows8.1/10 ISO's and both keys copied to array, and the 32G SanDisk Cruzer just in case

5.) Boot gamer to BIOS, make sure Intel Virt Tech and VT-d are enabled

6.) Boot gamer as it stands from new flash, make sure it boots and that HVM and IOMMU are both enabled before tearing it down.

7.) Tear down both PCs, clean all of the parts (this is a pain)

8.) Find a way to mount the Corsair H100i in the Thermaltake Armor case without losing my two ICY DOCK 5in3

• If this does not work, I don't think I will be able to get everything in my gamer Antec 902, so I might be buying a new case. I am not sure which way to go, I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there, but if anyone knows of a case that can fit 2 (if not 3) ICY DOCK 5in3, and a H100i, please let me know. I am trying to stay away from server/rackmount cases, since i will be using this under my desk still.
  

9.) Install MB, CPU, RAM, PS, GPU, BRDrive into ThermalTake Armor (docks should already be installed with existing HDD, just not hooked up yet)

10.) Install new 480 GB SSD onto motherboard SATA 1 (one of only 2 onboard 6GB sata ports)

11.) Plugin new flash drive, boot, set all SATA to AHCI reboot

12.) Boot unRaid, validate functionality, register key. Shutdown PC

13.) Install Supermicro SAS controller, and connect breakout cables to ICY DOCK backplanes

14.) Boot PC, recreate array using screenshot with layout from before (pay special attention  to parity drive.

15.) Bring array online and validate.

 

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Get Windows Running and expand cache pool

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-- These steps are based on a single assumption by me, that I haven't be able to validate on the forums or web. I am assuming if I start with a 480 GB SSD cache drive, then load it up, and later once everything is working, I come back and add my old 256 GB SSD as a 2nd drive in the cache pool, I will be able to format it, and it will then make the cache pool have 256 GB total accessible, setup the mirroring and most importantly, not kill the data on the existing cache drive. If that is not the case, I will do this entire section and written to validate windows works, then add the 2nd drive, and redo it all again on the pool. If anyone know the answer for this, I would love to know.

-- I am also not sure if you need a second video card to get a single VM running or not, in the instruction video below for 2 gaming machines, they used 3 video cards.

-- Do these steps from another PC on the network after finding your running dashboard

1.) Create cache drive on new 480 GB SSD (my previous server did not have a cache drive). Single Drive btrfs Raid 1 should have 240 GB usable

*.) To prep I am following this guide (even though I am only making a single gaming VM): http://lime-technology.com/unraid-featured-on-linustechtips/

2.) Create ISO share, use cache disk: no, export: yes, security public --  For storing needed ISOs

3.) Create vdisks shares, use cache disk: only, enable copy-on-write: no, export: yes, security public -- For the boot drive of the windows VM

4.) Create docker share, use cache disk: only, enable copy-on-write: no, export: yes, security public -- This will be used to run docker instances for plex and probably the ripping solution

5.) I will be using my own already existing shares for mass storage, no ArrayVisks needs to be created in my case.

6.) Copy windows 8.1/10 ISO's to the /mnt/user/ISOs

7.) Settings->VM Manager, enable: yes, ISO Library Share: /mnt/user/ISOs, network bridge: br0 (I am not sure since I am using only 1 VM, if I need the network bridge change or not)

8.) VMs->Add VM, give it a name, description, AutoStart: yes, OS: windows 8.1, Template Settings Advanced View (from basic), assign cores: 0-5, Initial Memory: 12800, OS Install: /mnt/user/ISOs/windows10.ISO

8.2) Follow the video to get the correct virtIO drivers, Primary vDisk location: /mnt/user/vdisks, Primary vdisk size: 200 (leaving 40-56 GB for standard cache writes)

8.3) Set Graphics card to GTX 770, Set Sound to "correct device", select USB devices, click start

9.) Once windows setup loads, when asked where to install, click Load Driver, Browse, virtio-win-0.1.1/viostor/w8.1/amd64, install to new 200 GB drive

10.) Once windows is installed, go to device manager, look for any missing drivers in the virtio share.

11.) Validate windows, do NOT activate yet

12.) Power down windows and unraid, install old 256 GB SSD, boot up unraid, head to the web dashboard, shutdown windows VM once its fully booted. Format and add the 256 GB to the cache pool

13.) See notes above** boot back up windows and I really hope this all works!!!!!

 

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Setup plex and direct BluRay ripping with MakeMKV

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-- I've only ran plex as a plugin in unRaid, I have not messed with unRaid's docker implementation yet at all but here are my theoretic steps

-- If worse comes to worse, I can always just run plex as a unRaid plugin, and rip from the windows VM

1.) Create a docker container, install plex, configure it and boom

2.) Create a docker container for makeMKV, make sure BRdrive is shared, figure out how to use it, have it store directly to Array if leftover cache pool space cannot accomodate a bluray rip

 

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Convert all previous array disks to XFS

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There are lots of guides on this, unless I am misunderstanding something basically I will:

1.) take one of the new 3 TB drives I purchased and add it as a new parity drive.

2.) rebuild parity on new 3 TB drive

3.) take the drives in order of biggest to smallest

4.) format the biggest disk with XFS, starting with the old parity drive

5.) copy largest reseirFS disk to disk (never using a user share) to the newly formated XFS drive

6.) Rinse and repeat Until all the drives have been completed.

 

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Network changes

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One of the major problems I will face with this whole build is that my unRaid server in the basement is getting retired, and sadly this is where my wireless AC router is. When setup in the basement, I never had to worry about the connection speed between the router and the server since they were hardwired gigabit, but now without having a cat5 drop added to my office upstairs (which would be very difficult/costly),Even attempting to run an unRaid server connected wirelessly is in my opinion a horrible option and seems like it would be very difficult to accomplish anyways . So in order to combat this rather than add a wireless bridge up here and still count on AC for router-to-router backbone, I have purchased two packs of two TP-LINK TL-PA8010P AV1200 PowerLine adapters, to see if they will work in my house. I was planning on buying these kits anyways since I really wanted to give a better connection to each of the gaming systems we use to run the plex client (since neither has wireless AC), but before having someone come to my house and add a new network drop, I figured I would try out the connection speed between each of the devices and see if this actually suffices. I don't expect to get gigabit speed, but if I could pull 80-90 MB/s I think I would be OK.

 

...more coming including status of the actual work as it progresses...

 

Thanks again guys for any help with this project in advance

[lordoxide]

Holding for status updates as the piece arrive and the build begins!

[lordoxide]

Holding for conclusion and pro's/con's

[darock999]

How's the build going? I have been watching for updates as I am wanting to do nearly the exact same use case as you.

[Ampyrus]

Also looking for a feedback or how good you are rightnow.

 

Please.