New SuperMicro build for Virtualised FreeNAS

[bsodmike]

Hi all,

I originally raised this topic (Extending my FreeNAS backup solution, adding a 3rd server?) but here’s quick overview:

• Dell R740xd // current XCP-ng host
• Norco 4U based system as my current Primary FreeNAS host
• SuperMicro system for FreeNAS “backup” (More on this build: Yet another FreeNAS build...help! - #128 by bsodmike)
• 3x 3KVA APC UPSes (1x is a Long-runtime version with external-extendable battery module)

The SuperMicro host has an issue with either one or the ports on the LSI SAS9305-16i HBA card, MiniSaS cabling or the backplane. 8x drives in the top bay have has drives reporting errors for months on end. Not easy to troubleshoot.

So I’ve decided to go for a third SuperMicro 4U which will allow me to virtualise the FreeNAS install. It will also allow me to run other virtual loads either via XCPng or Proxmox

Updates:

• 2x SSDs as a boot mirror (replacing the NVMe drive in the tech spec)
• Mainboard has IPMI + Dual Intel 1GbE RJ45.
• Added Dual 4-port 10G SFP NICs. Intel XL710
• Ordered 3x “LSI Broadcom SAS 9300-8i 8-port 12Gb/s SATA+SAS PCI-Express 3.0 Low Profile Host Bus Adapter” from Amazon (on the way). 2x Cards for the main 24-bay backplane, and another card for 12-drives at the rear backplane (the mainboard sits in a 2U, even though it’s a 4U chassis).

Costs ~US$11,500/- + shipping.

Any suggestions?

[bsodmike]

pew @SgtAwesomesauce @jkay @redocbew (P.S. didn’t want to recover a necro thread, hence the pew pew…)

The reason I’m thinking of taking this approach:

• The current Norco primary is simply a “Desktop mainstream PC” playing server; has no redundant PSU
• the Norco is also the oldest from 2017, most likely the fail.
• With this new hardware I can run it for 6-months as a “primary-clone”
• At the same time I can upgrade from FreeNAS to the latest TrueNAS Core (the Linux variant) and run this virtualised with SR-IOV to share the HBA to the VM.
• Running XCP-ng as the second host, I should be able to move VMs across this and the Dell host.