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My Rackmount Server


Christopher (Drashna)

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To get this started apparently:

 

My server was kind of piecemeal constructed.

 

 

I recently purchased a 42U HP Rack from a local company (via Craigslist), for super cheap ($50, so literally couldn't pass it up)

 

Sophos UTM (Home): 

Case: Antec ISK 110 VESA case,

Mobo (SoC): ASRock RACK J1900D2Y

RAM: 4GB of non-ECC RAM

OS Drive: Samsung 850 Pro 120GB SSD 

 

 

Storage Server:

Case: SuperMicro 847E26-R1K28LPB

OS: Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials

CPU: AMD FX-8120  Intel Xeon E3 1245v3 (link)

MoBo: ASRock 990FX Extreme3  Supermicro MBD-X10SAT-O (link)

RAM: 2x8GB Crucial ECC

GFX: nVidia geForce 9400  Intel HD 4600 (on processor GFX)

PSU: Built in, 2x redundant power supplies (1280W 80+ Gold) 

OS Drive: Crucial MX200 256GB SSD

Storage Pool: 146TB:  4x 4TB (Seagate NAS ST4000VN000) + 8x 4TB (WD40EFRX) + 12x 8TB Seagate Archive (ST8000AS0002), 2x 8TB Seagate  Barracudas (ST8000DM004), 2x 128GB OCZ Vertex 4s

Misc Storage: 500GB, used for temp files (downloads)

HDD Controller card: IBM ServeRAID M1015, cross flashed to "IR Mode" (RAID options, used to pass through disks only), plus an Intel SAS Expander card 

USB: 2TB Seagate Backup Plus for Server Backup (system drive, and system files) using a WD Green EARS 

 

 

NVR (Network Video Record, aka IP camera box) via BlueIris:

Case: Norco ITX-S4 

OS: Windows 10

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130T

MoBo: ASRock Rack E3C226D2I 

RAM: 2x8GB G.Skill 

GFX: ASPEED 2300

PSU: 450W 1U 

OS Drive: 128GB SSD, Crucial M550

Storage Pool: 2x4TB Toshiba HDD

 

HyperV VM Lab:

Case: Supermicro SYS-6016T-NTF (1U case) 

OS: HyperV Server 2012R2

CPU: Intel Xeon 5560  (x2, hyperthreading disabled)

MoBo: Supermicro X8DTU 

RAM: 64GBs (8x8GB) Hynix Registered ECC (DDR3-1333)

GFX: ASPEED 2300

PSU: 560W 1U 

OS Drive: 160GB HDD 

Storage: 500GB Crucial MX200 SSD, using Data Deduplication for VMs

 

 

Emby Server: 

Case: Unknown (1U case) 

OS: Windows 10 Pro x64

CPU: Dual Intel Xeon x5660's (hardware fairy swung by)

MoBo: Supermicro X8DTi 

RAM: 20GB (5x4GB) Samsung Registered ECC

GFX: Matrox (Onboard)

PSU: 560W 1U 

OS Drive: 64GB SSD,

Storage: 128GB  (cache, metadata, transcoding temp) 

 

 

Netgear GS724T Smart Switch

24 port, Gigabit, Managed Switch (one port is burned out already, but it was used). 

 

 

Dell 17" keyboard and monitor tray (used, damaged, propped up). 

 

Images here: http://imgur.com/a/WRhZf

 

 

8zIjiOu.jpg

Here is my network hardware.  Not a great image, but that's the 24 port, managed switch, a punchout block, waaay too long cables, cable modem and Sophos UTM box.

 

D2ipgDU.jpg

Misc drawers and unused spares. 

 

uCBdIWA.jpg

 

And my servers. HyperV system in the 1U, and my storage server in the 4U. And the Cyberpower UPS at the bottom. 

 

What you don't see is the NVR box, as it's been having issues, and I've been troubleshooting those issues. 

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What rack is that? Been looking for a nice short 4 post rack for my gear

Bissquitt,

It's a custom built rack out of 3/4 plywood and audio equipment Raxxess rails. If you want the specs I could look for them but it was made to house my APC UPS being the deepest and enough room below for cables and a less deep top shelf to help with airflow. Additionally I mounted caster wheels to roll it in and out of my office closet.

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My CURRENT setup:

 

Norco RPC-4220
Supermicro X7SPA-H-D525 Mobo
D525 (1.80Ghz) CPU
4GB Mushkin SO-DIMM DDR3 1333
Corsair TX650 PSU
LSI SAS 9201-16i
60GB OCZ Vertex2 SSD for OS
5x 3TB Barracuda XT (ST3300651AS)

6x 3TB WD Red (WD30EFRX-68A)
1x 2TB Landing Drive for Torrents

 

I'll either be upgrading to building a new server in the next two weeks...  Can't wait! :)

 

IMAG0596_zps8daec265.jpg

server_zpsfvstu9a2.jpg

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My CURRENT setup:

 

Norco RPC-4220

Supermicro X7SPA-H-D525 Mobo

D525 (1.80Ghz) CPU

4GB Mushkin SO-DIMM DDR3 1333

Corsair TX650 PSU

LSI SAS 9201-16i

60GB OCZ Vertex2 SSD for OS

5x 3TB Barracuda XT (ST3300651AS)

6x 3TB WD Red (WD30EFRX-68A)

1x 2TB Landing Drive for Torrents

 

I'll either be upgrading to building a new server in the next two weeks...  Can't wait! :)

 

 

 

Well, very nice either way!

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So far I have:

 

Supermicro X10SLH-F-O

Xeon E3-1276v3

16GB Crucial UDIMM (Another 16GB will be here on Friday)

LSI SAS 9207-8i

120GB OCZ Vertex3 SSD for OS

2x 5TB Toshiba (PH3500U-1|72)

 

I'll use that to upgrade my existing setup.

 

If my boss buys my existing server, I'll pick up a Norco 4224, and probably 4x 8TB Seagate Archive Drives

 

serverparts_zps82zjjhsr.jpg

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Nice compact build. I am also trying to keep a small box, I would post some pictures later.

 

One question : what kind of disk events were logs? Because on my build I get 1 disk event 153 each time I reboot. I wonder if it is hardware relate or maybe Windows side or DriverPool side.

 

I don't recall the Event IDs, but they were not only logged once at startup.

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I'm too embarrassed to post the details of my current backup server (2012R2 Essentials), so I've decided to do it "propper".  I have just purchased a 42U Rack and hence I'm keen on moving to a rack-mounted case, but a couple of Q:

 

1) Cases - Norco Vs Silverston Vs Supermicro : I'm happy with any case with between 16 and 24 drive bays.  I hear that the Norco is loud, cuts fingers, dosn't rack mount well but is cheap and great for modders.  Supermicro is better but twice the price.  I can also get the SilverStone  which is priced between the two, looks good with 80mm fans but I can find no reviews on it.  I'm thinking the SilverStone at this stage but ????

 

2) Ports Ports Ports:  I have no interest in any form of RAID and just want plain SATA ports at the lowest cost per port (without sacrificing reliability.... but you should see what I have working just fine at present!).  I can get the M1115 for the equiv of US$100 here in Oz.  I already have a M1015 in my main server and would flash them to IT Mode as I've done with this one.  Considering the price of the M1115 and that my Mobo already has 8 sata ports, would I be better:

- just getting 2 x M1115, or

- 1 x M1115 and ???? SAS Expander (pls recommend), or

- ??? 4 x SAS PCI card (pls recommend), or

- something else

 

Thanks

Nathan

 

FYI - I'll post some before/after pics. 

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Don't be. I probably have the worst rack here, out of anyone.  It's an Ikea Lack Coffee Table (well, two of them). And everything is sitting in that. 

 

So, it's ugly as heck. :)

 

  1. I have a Norco RPC 4220 (4U, 20 bay), a 2U Norco (RPC-230 I think) and a 1U SuperMicro system.  I have to say, that I like the SuperMicro best. Better build quality, better drive trays, and better construction overall.  
    However, iStarUSA, Chenbro and Rackmountable also have cases.  (rackmountable cases are ... ugly ... just completely ugly).

    Oh, and I'll attest to the "cuts fingers" thing about the norco's.  Every single time I open the case, I end up nicking myself somehow.
     
  2. That's the question isn't it. :)
    Personally, I'd recommend well, any LSI based card, and an expander. 
    I have one of these: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/raid/raid-controller-res2sv240.html
    And it's worked out very well. The card doesn't need to be plugged into PCIe, but it needs either a molex connector or PCIe for power (but not both).  
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Check this out for ugly (both in looks and components)

- Lian Li Case with 6HDD bays + a 5 in 3 Drive Enclosure.  Using Mobo SATA ports and cheap $20 PCI 1.5Gbps sata cards

- HotBay 8 Bay drive enclosure connected by USB 3

- Ghetto UPS (it actually provides UPS for my PC and Comms main equipment in the house not this backup server)

 

2nd Pic is all this same gear relocated into my Rack.  The plan is to replace the Lian LI and Hotbay cases with a rackmount one (as well as "better" SATA cards - but oddly this setup has just worked!).

 

Thanks for the link to that SAS Expander but it is 3-4x the price of a second M1115... or am I missing something?

 

Nathan

post-2289-0-88213800-1452992815_thumb.jpg

post-2289-0-05083100-1452992818_thumb.jpg

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Couple of Q on how these cases work in general:

 

- Depth:  My Rack is only 770mm from door to door.  If the Norco 4220 is 650mm that only leaves 120mm for the cables on the back and the Handles on the front.  How much extra width does the handles make to the 650mm as I can not find this measurement?

 

- Cables:  I take it you use these "SFF-8087 to SFF-8087 SAS Cables" to go from a M1115 to the Backplane.  If I also want to use the SATA ports on my Mobo, in additioin I then use a "4 x Sata to SFF-8087 (Reverse breakout) cable"  - Eg I could use 2 x M1115 + 4 x Mobo Sata => 20 Drive bays.  My thinking is I'd use the 2 x M1115 to handle the Pool of 16 Drives, + my mobo SATA ports for the 2xOS drives as I currently do.

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Well, that's not bad at all, either the old or new storage location. 

 

As for the handles, these add about an inch to each side (25mm give or take), And are meant to be fastened to the vertical rails, I believe. Also, if your rack support it, you'd really want to use rails with the system, so you can slide it out to do maintenance. And that should absolutely solve any issues with spacing. 

 

 

As for the expander, yeah, they're about the same price as or more than the cards. however, with a single SAS cable to the expander, you get 5 connectors. So that's 20 drives without the need for another card. But this is a matter of preference, really.  Though, the ebay prices seem to have jumped.... So, again, it's really a matter of preference. 

 

 

As for the cables, yeah, you may be able to do that. Though, I personally had some issues with the reverse breakout cables on my norco box. Not sure why, didn't bother to troubleshoot.

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Thanks - Just ordered:

1 x Norco RPC-4220 

2 x Norco 0.5M Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) to 4xSATA (Reverse Breakout)

5 x Norco 0.5M Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) to Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) Multilane SAS Cable

1 x Norco 26" Sliding Rail Kit - 3 Section, Ball Bearing, Supports from 2U to 5U chassis

1 x Norco SA-2100 Rack Mounting Screw & Nut - 20pcs

2 x M1115

 

 

Lets see how it goes (got extra cables as..... you need extra cables!)

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Thanks - Just ordered:

1 x Norco RPC-4220 

2 x Norco 0.5M Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) to 4xSATA (Reverse Breakout)

5 x Norco 0.5M Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) to Mini-SAS(SFF-8087) Multilane SAS Cable

1 x Norco 26" Sliding Rail Kit - 3 Section, Ball Bearing, Supports from 2U to 5U chassis

1 x Norco SA-2100 Rack Mounting Screw & Nut - 20pcs

2 x M1115

 

 

Lets see how it goes (got extra cables as..... you need extra cables!)

Awesome!

 

let us know how it goes, and definitely post pictures once you've finished setting it up.

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I've got all the gear minus the M1115.  After reading all the threads about issues with the 4220 and Rail Kits - I was happy to find it was not too hard to get it into the rack and thankfully it all fits (had to re-config the rack post spacings however).  Once I get the the M1115 I'll need to install all the bits into the case..

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OK, so it lives!  My observations were:

 

Norco 4220: I was spoilt using Lian-Li cases in comparison to the 4220 which is much more "agricultural"

- The Norco Mini SAS cables are too short to reach all corners of the case.  If they were 0.6m instead of 0.5m it would be ideal.  I can just "stretch" them to fit between the M1115 ports and the back plane but the tension on a couple of these would keep the Goldern Gate Bridge up

- The cable holes in the Fan backplane are oddly positioned (offset) from backplane connectors.  It's best to take out two of the fans to get them in and even then I keep disconnecting some of the Molex connectors trying to get the Fans back in.

- The PS connector has no quick snap slots (if fact nothing on this case is screw-less)

- Plenty of Room to work on the board and using SAS really keeps cable mgt easy.

- No Cut fingers

- No issue with the rail kit mounting and fitting to the rack (my 800mm depth rack is the bear minimum)

 

Other Stuff:  Like all things, the physical swap does not take that long and off course it fired up just fine... but stuff did not work "right" out of the box:

- The Mini-SAS to 4 x Sata (Reverse Breakout) cables work! ... though it took me a bit to work out what drives were my OS, OS Backup and which SATA controller mapped to which Physical Drive bay.

- I could not get the 2nd M1115 card to be recognised in Windows Device Manager and it was taking ages to trouble shoot, so between boots I started googling for SAS Expanders (and cursing Chris).  Anyway, after uselessly playing with settings, a BIOS Update fixed it. 

- So the Top Row is driven by the Mobo, and the other 4 Rows from the 2 x M1115.  I also still have 4 x spare sata ports for other uses if needed.

- A nice solid 110MBs (GB sized files) / 70MBs (MB sized files) connection between my two PC Pools, which is pretty good.  Looking forward to seeing how it goes once MS/Intel fix the teaming issue on Win10.

 

I've got it all in the rack and doing a DrivePool conversion (from Drivebender).  I need a few bits for the rack then I'll post a pic of it mounted.

 

Thanks

Nathan

post-2289-0-65681900-1453334077_thumb.jpg

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Looks like I've broken the Server 2012 R2 Essentials Dashboard (no users, no devices) and it is Slow to open.  Getting the following errors:

- Users and Devices are empty
- From the Dashboard I see that Windows Server Essentials Management Service (WseMgmtSvc) is not running
- If I try to start it from Services, I get "Windows could not start the Windows Server Essentials Management Service service on Local Computer.  Error 1067:  The process terminated unexpectedly"
 
After a bit of googling, so far I've tried in order without luck:
- Replacing DevicesInfo.xml with DevicesInfo.bak
- Running "sfc /scannow" (fixed a bunch of stuff, rebooted)
- Tried changing SATA ports that the OS/Backup Drive is using on the Mobo (I'd read that changed drive enumeration from different controllers can cause the issue).
 
Anyway.... any (non destructive) suggestions?
Thanks
Nathan
 
PS - I'd normally post on WeGotServered but I figured Christopher will pick it up here and there is already all the background.
 
Edit : Got a bit further.  If I Turn off Server Backup by Default  then the dashboard will show my user, devices and their backups (and WseMgmtSvc will start).  I then tried formatting and removing the WS2012R2 Backup disk vol, the removed the Server Disable Backup registry key, and WseMgmtSvc then will error out again.  Tested that I can back up from a Client and open prior backups.  The only thing I can not do at present is backup the server drive itself.
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Well, for the dashboard stuff ..... make sure all the WSE services are running on the service. Especially the "management" service. If it's not, see if the "Block level backup service" is running or not.  If not .... try running "wbadmin delete catalog" on the server (from an admin command prompt), and then re-setup the server backup. 

 

And to make a point here.. I have to do this every f****ing time I add a disk, as the M1015 card I have enumerates the disks before the built in Intel controller .... and it causes this issue. 

It's annoying, frustrating, and because Microsoft "cannot reproduce it", I get ignored. Despite the fact that I can reproduce this issue AT WILL. 

 

And very nice looking, overall.

And sorry to hear the SAS cables are ... basically too short. I have nice long cables, Too long, in fact. But better to be too long than too short. 

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Thanks - as I thought from my reading regarding the drive enumeration, but just wanted to check that the "wbadmin delete catalog" soln did not also remove the Client PC backups, only the server's OS backup.  

 

Ran the cmd, removed the Server Disable Backup registry key I'd added, restarted WseMgmtSvc, and my opened the dashboard.... all is good (Users and Devices are all there) and WseMgmtSvc does not crash!  Now re setup the Server OS backup and have kicked it off....but really you have to do this every-time and new HDD is added!  Why is this stuff so hard...

 

Edit - I also had to Run Event Viewer and clear log Applications and Services\Microsoft\Windows\Backup\Operational as the old (now non existent backups) were still being shown in the Dashboard.

 

 

 

But better to be too long than too short.

No doubt about it! - Nice double entendre by the way!

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The command only affects the local computer, It doesn't mess with the backup at all. But you do need to re-setup the backups after running the command.

 

And yes, it's something that should be simple and easy to identify and fix. And I've even offered to give remote access to my server just to show them the issue... so I can just get it fixed. 

 

The other option is to disable the server backup functionality in the dashboard, and just use the "wbadmin" command line tool and the task scheduler to manually setup backups.  It's crude and shouldn't be required, but it works.

 

 

As for the backups, IIRC, it pulls the info from the backup drive, so you will still see the old backups in the history.

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Everyone here has nice setups, I feel like I'm the only one running a ghetto one.

 

Case: NZXT H440 Mid Tower Case Matte Black

Mobo: ASRock ATX DDR3 1333 LGA 1150 Motherboards Z97 EXTREME6

Cpu: Intel Celeron G1820 Processor 2.7GHz

Ram: G.Skill Ripjaws Series F3-12800 4GB

Psu: EVGA 500 W1 80+, 500W

OS: Windows Server 2012 R2

OS_HDD: 120GB Samsung 850 EVO (Rapid Mode Disabled)

DP_Storage: 6x WD RED NAS Drives

 

I do not suggest that case.

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Well, you got to start off somewhere. :)

 

If it makes you feel better, I started off with an Apevia QPack case with a 3-4 drive backplane, and a .... a DDR2 based system. 

 

 

As for ghetto, I'm using an Ikea Lack Rack, located in my closet. So, that may make you feel better, at least a bit.

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Hi,

 

Well i have been busy tinkering updated from my highpoint 2072 to LSI 9207 4i4e for no particular reason other than i got it at a steal of a price. I also got rid of my 2x  studio 4u case's and custom built my own out of  old cases I had spare also installed silent fans in all my hardware so well its silent and very cool drive temps are a steady 28C to 30C under load I updated my main Spec build here so show all the changes.

 

 

Lee

 

post-21-0-14041900-1454867824_thumb.jpg

 

 

Edit (by Drashna)

http://community.covecube.com/index.php?/topic/5-my-rackmount-server/&do=findComment&comment=108

Edited by Christopher (Drashna)
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Well decided to post also my setup,
It’s not as cool as the setups I’ve seen here.
But still it's a nice quiet system
 

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Pearl Black (3x 140mm Fractal Silent Series R2 fans)

OS: Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials

CPU:  Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 (stock cooler)

MoBoSupermicro X10SL7-F (Flashed LSI 2308 to IT-mode)

RAM: 2x8GB Crucial ECC (Crucial CT102472BD160B)

PSU:  Seasonic Platinum Series 860 Watt

OS DriveSAMSUNG SSD 830 Series 60 GB

Storage Pool: 14,6TB:  2x 4TB (WD40EFRX) + 5x 2TB (SAMSUNG HD204UI) (1 of the drive isn't added to the pool because of recalibration retries SMART error)

Misc Storage: 250 GB (VB0250EAVER) - used for temp files (downloads, RAR, PAR2, etc)

USB: 1 TB WDC WD10TMVV-11BG7S0 for Server Backup (system drive, and system files)

 

All hardware except the Hard drives I bought are second hand.

The Case was hardly used,

The Motherboard that I bought together with the RAM was only a few months old the guy bought it for a new build and never came to the parts to finish it.

The PSU was a refurbished model direct from Seasonic the guy bought another one when he sended his PSU away for exchange/repair.

The CPU was a left over sale from a store used but in perfect condition.

 

I actually wanted to buy another case the Ri-vier 2U 12bay chassis (RVS2-06A) (this case seems to have only a depth of 550mm),

But it's hard to get so I decided temporary to get another case,

The easy build of this case and the big fans (140mm) make it a really nice silent unit,

So I think I’m keeping this case for now.

 

I need to re-install the OS because I got some weird issues with WSE 2012R2,

Black screen when I try to RDP in to it (sometimes I need to try 3-4 times before I’m able to get in to it)

When rebooting the server the service "Server for NFS" is hanging in start pending,

And I need to manually resume it to make it work again.

What also results in to other issues?

So I’m thinking of getting myself a new OS hard drive (this way I’m able to still have a running system in no time if I need to re-install it several times or still setting it up) so I can re-install the OS also using UEFI this time (if I can make it work from a USB install).

(I used to have WSE2012R2 running on a HP MicroServer N54L without any issues so I find it kind of weird I’m having issues now with a system that's much faster).

Edited by aws1971 (TRaSH)
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Well decided to post also my setup,
It’s not as cool as the setups I’ve seen here.
But still it's a nice quiet system

 

Every setup is awesome! :)

 

And it's a very nice setup, overall.

 

 

As for the blank screen, I've see that issue before (not on my system, but others reported). It may be a network issue, so messing with the network settings may be a good idea. (such as turning off any feature on the adapter with "checksum" or "offload" in the name)

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