Unraid build: a few questions

[triberraar]

Hello,

 

I am planning to build an unraid server for media purposes. After looking around in various threads and on the wiki, i would like to make sure this is a decent build.

So i have some part laying around that i would like to use. I am pretty sure that they are all compatible, but it never hurts to ask:

• Ram: 2 x corsair XMS2 DHX 1024MB (the official part number is: cm2x1024-6400c4dhx, but it is not listed anymore
  
• HDD: Samsung EcoGreen F2 EG HD154UI (1.5TB)
  
• HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS (500GB)
  

 

The parts i will need to buy to make a complete setup are:

• Case: Antec Three Hundred
  
• CPU: AMD Sempron 140
  
• Mobo: Asus M4A78L-M
  
• PSU: Corsair Builder CX500
  
• HDD: 3 x 2TB drives (2 for data and 1 for parity)
  
• USB stick: Kingston DataTraveler G3 4GB
  
• USB header thing: StarTech.com 2 Port USB Motherboard Header Adapter
  

 

As you can see this build heavily resembles the budget build and many of the builds on this forum. If there are any incompatibilities, please let me know. I am also planning to add HDD's while i go, when i need them.

 

I'll use this server mainly for streaming media (including HD).The 500 GB disk i still have, i would like to use as a cache drive, or is this a bad idea? I would also run a torrent client amongst others on my HTPC, but use this server as the temporary folder and storage. I think this is possible or do i need to run it on the server itself (taking into account the network). Normally the torrent client only runs during off times, when nobody is using the network).

 

Also after seeing some of the build here and remembering my horrible cable management usually. I want to make an effort this time to do it right. I especially like the idea of having different color SATA cables for the type of drives. I do have some problems finding non red/orange SATA cables. I know about monoprice, but i live in europe, the shipping and import taxes are a bit much. So if anyone know an european (preferably belgian) store that sells SATA cables of different colors, please share.

 

Thanks for any input, it is much appreciated.

[Rajahal]

Looks like a nice build, I see no red flags.  The USB header is optional, but always a good idea to help protect the flash drive.  If you have trouble finding color coded SATA cables, you could always just ID your red/orange cables with colored tape.  Many people also print out labels and affix them to the rear of the drives (near where the SATA/Power ports are).  Or you can do what I used to and write directly on the drives with a sharpie...if you tilt your head at just the right angle you can read em

[jortan]

This should answer any questions you might have (or hadn't thought of yet) about the cache drive feature:

 

http://www.lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=FAQ#Cache_Drive

 

[Rajahal]

Oh, right, I forgot to comment on the cache drive.  If you plan on downloading torrents directly to your server, then I highly recommend that you use your 500 GB drive as a cache drive.  If you don't, then your data and parity disks will be active a lot more often than normal as your server will have way more writes than most do.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just be aware that your server will use more power and produce more heat than you might expect.  With a cache drive, only that drive would have to keep spinning while you are downloading (in fact, you may want to disable the spin down timer for that drive).  The rest of the disks would only be involved once per night when all the non-active files (i.e. the completed downloads) are moved into the parity protected array.  The data disks would also need to spin up to seed files.

 

I also highly recommend that you stick with green drives as they are fast enough for torrents but you'll save power and heat in the long run.

[triberraar]

First of all, thanks for the answers. somehow i missed that wiki about the cache drive.

 

Something in your reply did make me question something new. I ll explain with the scenario I have in mind.

During the night the torrent client does its work, creating finished and unfinished (temporary) files on the cache drive. During the morning, when the unraid server is not in use and the torrent client isn't running anymore, the mover scripts moves files into the array, taking care of the parity and the lot. Now my question is, can I customise the move script (with very very little linux knowledge, but google as my friend), so that it moves the completed files into the array and leaves the unfinshed ones on the cache drive, so that when the torrent client starts again, it doesn't have to spin up the array. The unfinished and finished files will be in different places.

I believe this will keep acces to the array itself and spinning of the drives to a minimum and will make good use of the cache drive. The way i understood it, is that the move script moves all files that aren't locked into the array, this would include the unfinished part files.

 

Another question is that i saw that the new version supports advanced drives. This would include the samsung f4, though it has some disappearing data issues. But i read there is a new firmware that fixes that.

 

Also is this the right setup steps, the 1.5 tb drive i want to add as cache still has some data on it:

1) install drives

2) preclear drives

3) add drives to array (no parity drive)

4) makes shares

5) copy data from internal and external drives

6) preclear the 1.5tb internal drive

7) add the 1.5tb drive as a cache disk

have fun with the system

 

 

ps: excuses for posting in the wrong forum.

[kizer]

I'm not 100% sure but I do remember reading some where if you place a period in front of a directory I believe the mover script will not move it. For instance.

.in_progress

 

Then have whatever your doing move the completed to a folder without the .

 

I use Utorrent on my windows machine and I know it moves files when they are complete to any folder you pick, but I don't use torrents on my unRAID machine.

[Rajahal]

What kizer said is correct, however, you cannot create a folder beginning with a period in Windows, only in Linux.

 

I was under the assumption that your torrent client was to run 24/7.  If this were the case, then it would work without any intervention.  Any file that was active (such as incomplete files that are being downloaded) would be ignored by the mover script.  Only inactive files (such as complete files which are no longer seeding) would be moved.  I suppose there's the potential for issues with incomplete files that aren't actively downloading being moved, and complete files that are seeding being skipped.  I would suggest just trying it out for a while and see if it really is such a problem.  I figure the few exceptions that come up won't be a big deal.

 

The Samsung F4 is supported, but I personally will continue avoiding them when possible.  The firmware fix has the same number as the stock firmware, so after applying the fix you will have no way of knowing if it actually worked or not.  I don't care to take those kind of chances when there are other, better options.

 

Your steps are correct.  The only bit I'll add is that I highly recommend that you use TeraCopy for the data transfers and enable the 'verify' mode.  This will run CRC checks on the data to make sure that it transferred without corruption.  Only after seeing these CRC checks complete without errors would I feel confident in preclearing the 1.5 TB drive.

[triberraar]

Thanks for the answers.

 

Just a little come back on the incomplete files. They would be moved to the array when the client is off. But if they are changed when the client is back on, what happens then. I can imagine two possiblities, 1 being the file in the array is read and changed in the array, 2 being that the file in the array is read and written onto the cache disk and later with the move script they would be in sync again. This question holds up for a word (or any other file aswell). What happens if i save a file to unraid with a cache disk and a few days later (after it has been moved from the cache disk to the array) i change it?

 

I guess i ll make a nice hardware order at the end of the month and start building. I will let you know as i go.

[Rajahal]

The file will be changed in the array itself.  unRAID will never move a file out of the parity protected array and onto the cache drive unless you explicitly tell it to.

[lionelhutz]

Do you rename and sort your completed files? If so, then stick with using a directory like ".torrents" on the cache disk and sorting the files out to the user shares when they are completed. As posted, you can't create the directory with Windows, but you can still access it.

 

I recall BitTorrent moving the completed files to a new location except the files had only completed downloading, not seeding too. Not real useful for only moving completed (downloaded and seeded) files to the array.

 

You need to look at Usenet with Sickbeard and SaBnzbd.

 

Peter

[sacretagent]

just make a folder on the cache drive with a dot at the front ... for example ".torrents"

the mover script will not move the contents...

and there is a script in the unmenu package manager that also excludes it from logging this folde in the syslog when the mover passes over it ... saves you a ton on a syslog entries...

with sabnzbd i let him save everything in a protected folder like this and when he is ready with it i let him unrar to a downloaded folder on the protected array

works perfectly... utorrent / rtorrent can do same .. i assume other torrent clients can do too ...

[triberraar]

I ll have a look at the way with making a folder with a dot. I always wondered why you can't do it yourself in windows, but enough programs can (like eclipse and svn). Must be some trick to it.

[triberraar]

if i would like to use add on, well i am sure i want to use unmenu. But if i would end up using SaBnzbd and sickbeard (and who know what else) is my config still adequate. I am not used to building these "low powered" systems (well a couple of years ago a single core 2.7 wasn't that low powered), or would you suggest me to upgrade to something else?