Adding and making available a disk array

[adam23450]

Is it possible in freenason to add a disk array and then make it available as a samba share? I'm asking because I'm about to run out of space and I would like to buy such a disk array. I'd like to know how it looks from a technical point of view.

 

[jgreco]

No, do not buy a disk array. A disk array typically has a RAID controller and this introduces all sorts of complications, most of which are bad.

You can buy a shelf, instead, which is just an external enclosure for disks that attaches to your system via an SAS cable. Inside the external enclosure you will have an SAS expander. Your disks are attached to the expander and the expander is attached to your HBA.

Please read the following and after that, if you have more questions, ask.

https://www.ixsystems.com/community...-sas-sy-a-primer-on-basic-sas-and-sata.26145/

 

[adam23450]

I have a regular motherboard that has SATA inputs I do not have SAS connectors. For example, I would like to buy the HP STORAGEWORKS D2600.

 

[HoneyBadger]

You will need to purchase an HBA with external SFF-8088 connectors. Ensure that you purchase an "HBA" and not a "RAID Controller" - the card claiming support for "JBOD" is not sufficient. Look for something with an LSI chipset, or an OEM variant; I have used the Dell PERC H200E successfully.

 

[adam23450]

Okay. From the hardware side, I think I know what it looks like. What's it like on the program side? No. How to connect and share the share as a SAMBA share? What if I want to add another matrix. I'm gonna be able to extend this share to another matrix? Suppose I have a disk array with a total capacity of 48 TB. And this share I want to share. After some time, the place will be over and I will buy another array with a total capacity of 48 TB. I would like such matrices to join together to form a 96TB share. Is it doable or do I think something's wrong? Of course the share of samba made available from freenas.

 

[jgreco]

Please read the SAS sticky I previously linked to.

When you hook up more drives via an HBA and SAS, they basically just appear and look like directly attached drives.

 

[adam23450]

Am I to understand that if I connect the array via iSCSI then I will be able to add a new pool and then make it available as SAMBA share?

 

[jgreco]

Am I to understand that if I connect the array via iSCSI then I will be able to add a new pool and then make it available as SAMBA share?

No. You need to attach disks to FreeNAS directly. FreeNAS is happy to serve out the space as iSCSI to other clients.

 

[adam23450]

No. You need to attach disks to FreeNAS directly. FreeNAS is happy to serve out the space as iSCSI to other clients.

I don't know if you understand me, but I want it to work like this (paint drawing). Is it at all realistic for it to work?

 

[jgreco]

I don't know if you understand me, but I want it to work like this (paint drawing). Is it at all realistic for it to work?

I understand you perfectly. The answer is: "No." Rewind back up to Post #2. Buy a SAS disk shelf. Make sure it does not have a RAID controller and is *just* a disk shelf. It is expected that this would have a SAS expander in it, an expander is not a RAID controller. Attach the disk shelf (or shelves) to your NAS using external SAS.

So in your picture, replace "disk array" with "disk shelf" and replace "optical fiber" with "external SAS" and that of course works just fine.

 

[adam23450]

I understand you perfectly. The answer is: "No." Rewind back up to Post #2. Buy a SAS disk shelf. Make sure it does not have a RAID controller and is *just* a disk shelf. It is expected that this would have a SAS expander in it, an expander is not a RAID controller. Attach the disk shelf (or shelves) to your NAS using external SAS.

So in your picture, replace "disk array" with "disk shelf" and replace "optical fiber" with "external SAS" and that of course works just fine.

I understand everything now. Thank you for your help <3

 

[adam23450]

Which external SAS card do you recommend?

 

[jgreco]

Which external SAS card do you recommend?

There is nothing wrong with what @HoneyBadger suggested in Post #4. It is an older card, available for under $30 on eBay.

It is also possible to use a normal internal HBA and use an internal-to-external plate, such as this eBay example. You then use a short internal cable to hook the plate up to the HBA. The main downside of this is that you are reducing your available SAS maximum cable length, and it is a bit hacky.

Please do make sure that whatever card you get, that you do get an LSI HBA.

 

[adam23450]

There is nothing wrong with what @HoneyBadger suggested in Post #4. It is an older card, available for under $30 on eBay.

It is also possible to use a normal internal HBA and use an internal-to-external plate, such as this eBay example. You then use a short internal cable to hook the plate up to the HBA. The main downside of this is that you are reducing your available SAS maximum cable length, and it is a bit hacky.

Please do make sure that whatever card you get, that you do get an LSI HBA.

Thanks again for your clarification and help :)

 

[aceniz]

Thanks again for your clarification and help :)

Did you get yourself sorted with setting up a disk shelf? I've just successfully setup an EMC disk shelf with a Dell H200E card, all 25 disks showing up too

 

[Davvo]

Did you get yourself sorted with setting up a disk shelf? I've just successfully setup an EMC disk shelf with a Dell H200E card, all 25 disks showing up too

I mean, the thread is 3 years old.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I mean, the thread is 3 years old.

Personally I prefer when members continue an older thread so the previous information remains relevant, however @adam23450 hasn't been here in over a year. (@aceniz : click his name)

 

[aceniz]

Personally I prefer when members continue an older thread so the previous information remains relevant, however @adam23450 hasn't been here in over a year. (@aceniz : click his name)

No Worries, thought I'd just offer the help of how I did it. He's prob long forgot this forum by now lol I do need some other help myself so Just gonna hunt before I ask about it...long story short, its about a 25 disk array and pool/vdev types i should use

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

No Worries, thought I'd just offer the help of how I did it. He's prob long forgot this forum by now lol I do need some other help myself so Just gonna hunt before I ask about it...long story short, its about a 25 disk array and pool/vdev types i should use

Yeah, throw 'em all in a 25-wide Z1 vdev and you'll be fine.

 

[Arwen]

Yeah, throw 'em all in a 25-wide Z1 vdev and you'll be fine.

I don't need any stinking redundancy, I use 25 disk STRIPES!

No Worries, thought I'd just offer the help of how I did it. He's prob long forgot this forum by now lol I do need some other help myself so Just gonna hunt before I ask about it...long story short, its about a 25 disk array and pool/vdev types i should use

In all seriousness, 25 disks have some options;

• 2 x 12 disk RAID-Z2 vDevs, plus 1 warm or hot spare, (or other use)
• 1 x 12 disk RAID-Z2 vDev, plus 1 x 13 disk RAID-Z2
• 2 x 8 disk RAID-Z2 vDevs, plus 1 x 9 disk RAID-Z2

Their are other options, (like RAID-Z3), depending on preferred redundancy and total storage desired. For example, those options have this amount of redundancy & usable data disks;

• 5 disks used for redundancy & spare, 20 disks for data
• 4 disks used for redundancy, 21 disks for data
• 6 disks used for redundancy, 19 disks for data

Each has their own benefits and limitations. Wider vDevs, like 11 disks or wider, tend to start being a bit slower than narrower vDevs for smaller & medium sized files. More vDevs tend to have better IOPS when compared to pools made up of fewer vDevs.


What pool configuration you should use is highly dependent on what you want.