CentOS - Nov 2017 - low end file server with h/w RAID - recommendations

I'm just about to build a new server and I'm looking for recommendations
on
what hardware to use.  

I'm happy with either a brand name, or building my own, but would like a 
hardware RAID controller to run a pair of disks as RAID1 that is actually 
compatible with and manageable through Linux.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Gary

Hello, what is the purpose of this server?

On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Gary Stainburn <gary at ringways.co.uk>
wrote:
> I'm just about to build a new server and I'm looking for
recommendations
on
> what hardware to use.
>
> I'm happy with either a brand name, or building my own, but would like
a
> hardware RAID controller to run a pair of disks as RAID1 that is actually
> compatible with and manageable through Linux.
>
> Any recommendations would be appreciated.
>
> Gary
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>

Gary Stainburn wrote:
> I'm just about to build a new server and I'm looking for
recommendations on
> what hardware to use.
>
> I'm happy with either a brand name, or building my own, but would like
a
> hardware RAID controller to run a pair of disks as RAID1 that is actually
> compatible with and manageable through Linux.
>
> Any recommendations would be appreciated.
DL380 G7+ or the like, depending on how much data you want to store

DO NOT buy the newer HPE DL20 gen9 or ML10 gen9 servers then (especially if
using CentOS 6.x)

I don't use hardware raid (mdadm for the win!) so cannot speak to that.

DL20, bought it on a stock 'B' sale. Great price. Works well on Windows.
HPE doesn't sell hard drive trays, etc. You pretty much have to buy their
equipment.

You CAN get 3rd party parts (drive trays, etc.) but will nickel and dime you.
Example, try to get an HPE-ODD power to sata power adapter. I haven't been
able to locate one. The one HPE sells, doesn't work on a standard SSD drive.
**NO** standard place inside machine to mount an SSD drive either. **NO**
standard power connectors either. So trying in install a bootable SDD, then raid
your storage drives will be a task. One I gave up on.

THEIR website says the DL20 gen9 it supports CentOS 6.x.... In reality, NO
unless you want the pain of downloading, compiling drivers, etc.
If you don't use THEIR hard drives, they work but you don't get
"LED Support" from the smart array controller. i.e. A drive craps, the
smart array won't lite up the dead drive tray. You have a 50/50 shot at
guessing which one. At least the Smart Array software (in Windows) will tell you
what bay its in.

The DL20 once you get past the crap in setting it up (again, you have to use the
smart provisioning utility to install server 2012 r2 on it; Seriously HPE) but
once up and running, so far no more headaches.

My ML10 gen9 experience is a mix. 

The newer ML10 gen9 experience was worse. First several installs just never ran
right. Unexplained lockup and crashes. Onboard nic never ran right. Now,
it's using a transplanted install of CentOS 6.9, using installed Intel nics
and this setup so far is running pretty well, no issues so far.

On the other hand, I've got an year (maybe two) older ML10 gen9 running
CentOS 6.9. Hasn't given me a day of trouble from day one.

Hopefully some of this helps...

Regards,

Richard


-----Original Message-----
From: CentOS [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of vychytraly .
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2017 8:28 AM
To: CentOS mailing list
Subject: Re: [CentOS] low end file server with h/w RAID - recommendations

Hello, what is the purpose of this server?

On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Gary Stainburn <gary at ringways.co.uk>
wrote:
> I'm just about to build a new server and I'm looking for 
> recommendations
on
> what hardware to use.
>
> I'm happy with either a brand name, or building my own, but would like 
> a hardware RAID controller to run a pair of disks as RAID1 that is 
> actually compatible with and manageable through Linux.
>
> Any recommendations would be appreciated.
>
> Gary
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>
_______________________________________________
CentOS mailing list
CentOS at centos.org
https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

On 11/2/2017 8:04 AM, Gary Stainburn wrote:
> I'm just about to build a new server and I'm looking for
recommendations on
> what hardware to use.
>
> I'm happy with either a brand name, or building my own, but would like
a
> hardware RAID controller to run a pair of disks as RAID1 that is actually
> compatible with and manageable through Linux.
>
> Any recommendations would be appreciated.
If you want raid 5 or 6, then you should get a hardware controller. For 
raid 1, mdadm should work just fine.? I would suggest trying it before 
buying a raid controller.? If it works for you, you save a few hundred 
dollars and you have one less piece of hardware to worry about.

I haven't looked at them in quite a few years, but last time I was in 
the market for a raid controller, Areca controllers were the way to go.

-- 
Bowie

On Thursday 02 November 2017 14:10:25 Bowie Bailey
wrote:
> If you want raid 5 or 6, then you should get a hardware controller. For
> raid 1, mdadm should work just fine.? I would suggest trying it before
> buying a raid controller.? If it works for you, you save a few hundred
> dollars and you have one less piece of hardware to worry about.
>
> I haven't looked at them in quite a few years, but last time I was in
> the market for a raid controller, Areca controllers were the way to go.
I've used MDADM before on previous servers, but have found that this setup 
isn't hot swap. Ultimately if I had to replace a drive it involved a lot of 
effort, especially the first drive.

By using H/W RAID, it's literally just a case of removing the dead drive and
inserting the replacement. I've got a number of IBM and DELL boxes like
this.
it's just a pity they're not compatible with Linux so I can't
monitor or
manage them while the servers are running. The only way I know I have 
problems is by watching the LEDS