My new file server-pics

[Maxxarcade]

Here are some pics of my new server, built from Ebay parts, and 8x 320GB hard drives from Newegg.

Asus TR-DLS motherboard
Dual P3 1266 CPU's
2GB ECC PC133 RAM
3Ware 7500-8 64 bit ATA RAID card
Intel Pro/1000 64 bit LAN card
2x WD 320GB
6x Seagate 7200.10 series 320GB
NASLite 2.06 (until Openfiler gets easier to use)
Codegen 4U-500 Rackmount case
Zippy/Emacs 400W server PSU

Now once the array is done initializing, I'll get to play with it. I'm not expecting it to be super fast though.

It was a bitch running all the cables. I would have used SATA drives, but I already had 3 of the PATA ones, so I just bought 6 more. SATA RAID cards also cost a lot more, and I needed to build this on a serious budget.

[shadow]

Re: My new file server-pics

Hmm looks nice, lots of storage too!

It would have been nice to have SCSI hard drives with a nice RAID card, however that would cost a fortune if you were going to buy them brand new! Another nice thing about SCSI 320 (or any other parallel based SCSI, not the new SAS) is that 7 or 8 hard drives can be connected to one channel. Pretty crazy stuff.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: My new file server-pics

I would have loved to have SCSI, but I built this whole system for less than $800 total... 8 320GB SCSI drives alone would have been tons more

[Topcat]

Re: My new file server-pics

Very nice setup. For 1.6TB of storage space, what will be on that!? I sense a DVD pirate!

[stretch0069]

Re: My new file server-pics

....or someone who is maybe tired of swapping out dvds and getting them scratched....?????

[Maxxarcade]

Re: My new file server-pics

....or someone who is maybe tired of swapping out dvds and getting them scratched....?????

Correct. I have about 75 DVD's so far, and my whole home theater is based on a PC, so all my movies are stored on the server. This allows me to pick movies from a menu, without getting up to change discs. Also keeps my discs in pristine condition. I don't like using compression, so each movie takes about 7-9GB of space.

[gdement]

Re: My new file server-pics

Did all those drives arrive in working condition? What are the odds?

[Maxxarcade]

Re: My new file server-pics

So far, yes they all work. I probably should have bought a lottery ticket last night

My desktop pc has been running Rsync all night backing up about 500GB of data to the server, and the overheat alarm kept waking me up. Apparently the I/O workout is heating up the chipset a bit. Funny thing is, the server is staying cool.

I wish Openfiler wasn't such a mess, since NASLite only supports one CPU, and can't tell me anything about the RAID status.

Also, I put a video on Youtube of the server. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLC1mEihB30

[dood]

Re: My new file server-pics

Hope you don't cook those drives, stuffed in there like that. If you had to buy the 6 drives that are in the second array, I def. would've gone with SATA for ease of cabling. Would improve airflow in that beast as well...