Help with server pick

[mstringham-kt]

We have been a long term TrueNas enterprise customer but we need to build out a Core system for use in our datacenter. I am struggling to find good hardware that meets the below criteria. If anyone has built something I would love to hear feedback.

12-24 bays (flexible)
Rack mount
10Gbe
Lights out mangement (ipmi/idrac/ilo)

Thanks in advance for any input you may have.

 

[Ericloewe]

It should be pretty straightforward. Pick a size (2U or 4U) and pick a Supermicro Storage SuperServer that meets your requirements. 10 GbE is pretty much the baseline these days, for new hardware. And when it isn't, NICs are plentiful.

If such a thing is viable for you, there are plenty of good deals in the used hardware market.

 

[mstringham-kt]

Thanks for your response. With a supermicro do I need to worry about what HBA or drive controller is in it? Or will any of the superstorage boxes work?

 

[Ericloewe]

Supermicro typically has very similar models with HBAs or RAID controllers. You'll naturally want the HBA version, which is cheaper, too.
The expectation is that all LSI HBAs that they ship will work, but the newer stuff might be more finicky. Consider asking your Supermicro distributor to swap out an SAS38xx-based controller for an SAS3008-based one.

For example, the SSG-540P:
With an HBA: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/system/Storage/4U/SSG-540P-E1CTR36L
With a RAID controller: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/system/Storage/4U/SSG-540P-E1CTR36H

The motherboard is the same, so they're literally the same thing apart from a different standard PCIe SAS controller.

 

[VR46]

If you're looking for used hardware, these are what's on my list:

HP DL380 G8/G9
Dell R720/R730, R720xd/R730xd

Anything Supermicro seems to cost more on Ebay for some reason.

 

[Ericloewe]

When it comes to the Dell stuff, and especially the HP stuff, you need to be careful with the configurations you buy. There are many options, and not all of them make sense for a NAS unit.