January 24, 201115 yr Hi... After much reading on the forum and the wiki, today I finally ordered the hardware for my first Unraid build. It should arrive on thursday, but I decided to open this thread now, to sort some questions and show my build progress. The hardware I ordered is: - Case: ANTEC PC Twelve Hundred - Motherboard: ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO - CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition - 3,2 GHz - Socket AM3 - Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 2 x 2 GB DDR3-1600 PC3-12800 CL9 - CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 Plus - PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TXEU - 650 W - USB Flash Memory: HP USB V165 - 4 GB - Hard Disks: 3x WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Green - 2 TB - 64 MB - SATA (WD20EARS) - Ethernet Switch: CISCO Switch Small Business Unmanaged 8 ports 10/100/1000 Mbps SG 100D-08 (SD2008T) - Ethernet Cables: BELKIN (CNP6LS0aed1M) Cat6 So this is the hardware. Can't wait for it all to arrive! Hope I did the right choices. As for Unraid, because I ordered EARS drives, I'm thinking about running the 4.7 Beta1. As for questions, right now, I'm just wondering how to preclear my drives. I will be using the preclear script, but my server wil run without monitor or keyboard. What is the best way to pre-clear the drives? My pc is a Macbook pro, running OSX 10.6.5, Also, what is the best way to configure the user shares? Look forward to hear from you. Regarsd!
January 24, 201115 yr You can run the preclears via terminal pretty easy. Just open up a window on your Mac and run the script. As well you will need an additional window for each drive you preclear. Just keep in mind that you must keep the window open until it finishes or you can install the screen app, which will allow you to, but most will just either add a monitor or keep a second machine on running the terminal window. I've personally done it both ways since I normally have a second PC in my office on for one reason or another. http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Configuration_Tutorial#Preclear_Hard_Drives Shares honestly really depend on you. You can do it various ways. http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Configuration_Tutorial#Create_User_Shares
January 24, 201115 yr Author Thank you kizer for the links! Really aprecciate it! The telnet option with the screen addon seems like a great option. Will look into that once I have my box up and running. Another question. Since I will not use my Unraid box on all the time, but I will use it mainly as a media server, so when I'm not adding files to it or streaming content, the box will be off. I will not leave it running 24/7 if I will only use it for a couple of hours a day. With that in mind, what is the best and safest way to shutdown the server? Cheers!
January 24, 201115 yr Thank you kizer for the links! Really aprecciate it! The telnet option with the screen addon seems like a great option. Will look into that once I have my box up and running. Another question. Since I will not use my Unraid box on all the time, but I will use it mainly as a media server, so when I'm not adding files to it or streaming content, the box will be off. I will not leave it running 24/7 if I will only use it for a couple of hours a day. With that in mind, what is the best and safest way to shutdown the server? Cheers! Use the unRAID WebGUI and stop the array and then hit the shutdown button. This will only work if you do not have any addon's running at the time. If you do have addon's running then you will need to stop them first and then shut the server down. There is an addon available through unMenu (the PowerDown package) that will attempt to stop every addon before stopping the array and shutting down the server. Once installed all you need to do is press the power button on the front of the case and it will do its thing.
January 24, 201115 yr Author As far as extras go, I was only thinking of installing/using Unmenu, Preclear_sw and screen. To shutdown with the power button, I will have to set it up on the bios, right? Anyone have the optimal bios settings for the Asus M4A785TD-V EVO to run Unraid? Cheers!
January 24, 201115 yr Another I would recommend is cache_dirs Makes looking through your files a bit smoother when your drives are not spun up. Meaning it caches your drive listings in ram so when you access your unRAID server looking for something it doesn't seem to stall aka delay.
January 25, 201115 yr Author cache_dirs looks good! I'll try that. In regard to the build, I just have a doubt about adding the drives. I will be adding 3 2tb EARS drives. Since the drives will be new, I will add them without jumpers and run the Unraid 4.7. With that in mind, what will be the best way to add the drives? Just use the preclear_disk with preclear_disk.sh -A /dev/sda and then just format them in Unraid Web GUI and add them? Is that the best way? Or because they are advance format drives, do they need other process? Also, using the screen option, can I preclear the 3 drives at the same time? Will be a lot faster? Cheers!
January 25, 201115 yr That's pretty much the process. Preclear Assign to the array Format will take place Parity build will take place Start copying data Jumpered or not the only real difference is how you run preclear and yes you should preclear always and when you add it to the array it will format no matter what kind of drive or size it is. Many of done multiple pre_clears at the same time because they want to have access to their setup a bit faster and some want to add an additional layer of beating up their system a bit. I've done 3 easily. If I recall I've seen some say they've done 6 at the same time.
January 26, 201115 yr Author Hardware is on it's way. Today I picked up a UPS with 1000va. It will power the Unraid Box and switch. Hope to avoid any data corruption if power fails or surges happen. As for the box, today I was reading that the 555 BE can be unlock with the board I ordered to become a Phenom II x4. Is it worth it for Unraid? Will operations on the server be faster with 4 cores instead of 2? I know Unraid now uses multi-core processing, so, would there be gains in performance? Cheers!
January 29, 201115 yr Author Hi, Just an update on my build. My hardware arrived in the mail. Everything is accounted for. Missing is just the UPS I already purchased locally. Here's all the good stuff: Going to star assembling the box. I'll keep the thread updated. Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr Wow its like Christmas at your house. I love seeing all those boxes stacked up like that.
January 30, 201115 yr Author Wow its like Christmas at your house. I love seeing all those boxes stacked up like that. YEAH, I pretty much look like a kid on a candy store! I´ve started putting it together. Some more pictures to come. Anyway, I was reading the initial configuration on the wiki. After I assemble all the hardware, I will use screen to preclear the 3 drives at the same time. That should take about 24 to 28 hours. After that, I will add the drives to the array and format it. From what I read, after adding all the drives, including the parity drive, the system will perform an initial parity sync that can take about 10 or so hours. Can I only start putting data on the array after that initial parity sync? Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr I believe you can put data on it even while the parity sync is going on, but the copy will be really slow. I would just wait for the sync to complete and then copy the data.
January 30, 201115 yr Author I believe you can put data on it even while the parity sync is going on, but the copy will be really slow. I would just wait for the sync to complete and then copy the data. Yes, probably better. Will do that. The hardware is pretty much assembled at the moment. Just gonna go into the cable management section... That's going to be though... ANyway, I'll add some pictures later, and after preclearing the disks, I'll add the preclear log here to ensure everything is ok. Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr Author So, my head doesn't stop... The Antec twelve hundred comes with 3 drive cages which take 3 hdd each. Those cages look quite good, because they have 120mm fans that can be regulated for speed and the HDD don't stay too close to each others which allows for some good airflow. But that solution doesn't take a lot of drives on such a big case, so for future expansion, some 5in3's would be ideal... But I'm afraid that because the 5in3's come with a smaller fan, has a backboard with the interface and the HDD's are so more closer together, the temps will be a lot higher. Is this scenario to be expected? As for 5in3's, I was considering the X-case ones: Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr you have a link for these x case 5 in 3's? hope they are cheaper and maybe easier available here in asia
January 30, 201115 yr Author you have a link for these x case 5 in 3's? hope they are cheaper and maybe easier available here in asia Sure, here's the link: http://www.xcase.co.uk/hotswap-stoarge-kit-p/hddkit-xx-500.htm Don't know about availability in Asia, but in Europe, they are cheaper than the Icydock ones, and look rather good. Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr That reminds me a lot of the Norco http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133030&Tpk=ss-500 Look at the rear pictures.
January 30, 201115 yr Author That reminds me a lot of the Norco http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816133030&Tpk=ss-500 Look at the rear pictures. You're right. I believe X-case is a rebrand of Norco for Europe. Which is quite good, as Norco is tested with Unraid. My only two concerns: - Temperatures of the drives in the 5in3's? - And how to take off the lips of the antec on the 5 1/4 bays to fit the 5in3's. I wouldn't like to mutilate the case too much... Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr Rajahal from what I read a while ago is buying one so we can see what he posts up soon. I personally don't have a need for 5n3, but I'd like to consider the 4n3 so I could get the use of the easy to remove from the outside opposed to taking my entire cage out to install/remove a drive.
January 30, 201115 yr Yep, I just bought one of the Norco/X-case 5-in-3s. It should be arriving this week sometime. I plan on writing up a full review comparing it to the Supermicro and IcyDock 5-in-3s. Stay tuned!
January 30, 201115 yr Author Finish assembling and configuring Unraid. The box is currently preclearing the 3 WD20EARS with screen. Great little addon! So, here are some pics of the build: The motherboard waiting for the goods! Here is the processor in place. From what I read, this CPU can probably be unlocked to a Phenon II x4. Don't know if I'll try that. Would Unraid be faster with a x4? Memory in place. Really liked the feeling of these Corsair memories! Cool heat shields too... Next step... Massive CoolerMaster cooler in place. Motherboard and Psu on the case. Hdd's in place... A few psu cables routed. Still some cables to tidy up... All cables in place for the first boot up and configuration. Will clean cables some more when I add more drives, PCIe controller and Drive cages. Server running with bios already configured and Unraid running. Great board to configure! So, the box is running. Configured the bios. Disabled everything not needed for Unraid, booted from USB and Unraid is running. Installed Unmenu, Screen, Preclear and Clean Powerdown. Currently I'm running the preclear. When it finishes I'll post the results. Thank you for helping me make this happen! Cheers!
January 30, 201115 yr Author Yep, I just bought one of the Norco/X-case 5-in-3s. It should be arriving this week sometime. I plan on writing up a full review comparing it to the Supermicro and IcyDock 5-in-3s. Stay tuned! I'll sure stay! One of my next steps will be some drive cages with front swap. Cheers!
February 1, 201115 yr Author So far so good. The Unraid box precleared all 3 WD20EARS with Screen. I just loved telnet and Screen to preclear the drives. Worked like a charm. Many thanks to all and the wiki! So, I think the preclear went very smooth, but since I'm no expert, I've attached the preclear results. If you guys can take a look and give me some feedback, It would ease my mind alot. Anyway, I'm now running the initial parity sync. No major errors or issues so far. Loving the hardware combo. Hope everything continues to run smoothly... Will keep this updated. Regards. preclear_results.txt
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