Project: Galaxy 3.0

Justintoxicated said:
Interesting, I don't know about a stacker 101, but my T01 has a steel top and bottom also, and you can mount the PS at the top or the bottom...so it was superior to the 810 for me since i went with liquid cooling
Click to expand...



They might have changed all their tops to steel now.
 
The One thing I like about the Stacker 810 over my Stacker T01 is the dual 120mm fans. I know you trade off the BTX option, but I don't even use my case in BTX form, so it would have been perfectly fine.
 
Majin said:
The One thing I like about the Stacker 810 over my Stacker T01 is the dual 120mm fans. I know you trade off the BTX option, but I don't even use my case in BTX form, so it would have been perfectly fine.
Click to expand...


Yeah, to me BTX is kinda at a loss right now, I have my doubts :) And since I'm more of an AMD fan... down with BTX! ;)
 
First off, your setup is super-fantastic. Your my new large-storage hero. I, your humbled follower, am looking at doing something similar to you, without the PC performace (just looking for lots of cheap, reliable space).

I currently have:
CM stacker STC-T01
Antec 540W PSU
WD 40GB system drive
WD 12 x 250GB drives (2.5TB with raid-5)
3ware 9500s-12 PCI RAID controller
agp mboard, agp video, some ram and a gige network card.

I'm looking at building:
CM stacker STC-T01/810 ?
Single ~700W PSU / dual ~400W PSU's ?
WD 80GB system drive
WD 16 x 320GB 16MB drives (4.3TB w/ raid-5)
Areca 1260 PCIe RAID controller
ASUS A8N-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
Corsair 2 x 512 DDR 400
PCI video card

As you can see, i'm not looking to use this as a pc, but rather just a fileserver. Also, trying to keep costs to a minimum. with that said, i was originally going to use the CM 3x4 drive bays, but now i'm thinking about buying the 3x5 ones you used.

questions:

Would you suggest (price and selection wise) to do dual PSU instead? Suggestions on specific PCU's? brands? wattage?
my current server pulls less then 300W, which is way less then i expected. I'm sure the peak is not much more.

I know your not doing raid, but do you have a suggestions on a card. I was thinking of getting the Areca 1260 since it seems to be the best PCIe RAID card out there. I'd rather get another 3ware card (the 9550sx) but i'd have to deal with the extra cost (and hassle) of a PCI-X mboard and mutli-lane setup.

I know you mentioned feeling a bit sketchy on raid security, can you go into more detail on that? Were the controllers you used (and failed) a quality brand? I thought i was pretty safe with raid-5 if a drive goes, but it's all a waste if the card just eats it.

with the supermicro 3x5 bays: I assume the SATA cable plugs into the enclosure so then the drive can be removed easily, is that right? Is hot-swap supported by SATA II or is there something special to get them to work?

what OS are you running on galaxy 3.0?

any suggestions on my setup?
 
sFanky said:
Would you suggest (price and selection wise) to do dual PSU instead? Suggestions on specific PCU's? brands? wattage?
my current server pulls less then 300W, which is way less then i expected. I'm sure the peak is not much more.
Click to expand...

Go with two PSU's, cheaper and gives you more power. I chose one PSU because I've already tried going with two before and I wanted a cleaner look and a top psu this time.

I'd suggest antec for price and pc&p if you demand nothing other than performance. Probably dual 510 PC&P? or dual Antec 500's? Antec also now have modular psus so you can keep it nice and clean and also inexpensive.


I think you would be using more power than that 300watts, did you test it with a killawatt meter? or did you use a calculator? Something is seriously wrong with the online calculators because I know for a fact that it's not accurate with my setups... galaxy 2.5 used 7.5amps continious from the wall... thats a lot of power... and thats when I tested it with 4 less drives.

sFanky said:
I know your not doing raid, but do you have a suggestions on a card. I was thinking of getting the Areca 1260 since it seems to be the best PCIe RAID card out there. I'd rather get another 3ware card (the 9550sx) but i'd have to deal with the extra cost (and hassle) of a PCI-X mboard and mutli-lane setup.
Click to expand...

I'd go with 3Ware. As for your situation, go with another card and see if you can bridge the array controllers so you can have them working together.

sFanky said:
I know you mentioned feeling a bit sketchy on raid security, can you go into more detail on that? Were the controllers you used (and failed) a quality brand? I thought i was pretty safe with raid-5 if a drive goes, but it's all a waste if the card just eats it.
Click to expand...

The controllers I used at the time (was with proliant servers) were the compaq raid array controllers. So they weren't cheap controllers.

I'd say you should be safe but personally I don't trust that amount of data on any solution unless if it was not very highly critical or if it wasn't backed up properly. Keep your important stuff on backup and enjoy single logical arrays ;) You could always do JBOD setup and then you have the security of per disk failure data loss but still have the satisfaction of having one large logical drive. Only problem with JBOD is that its hard to figure out what drive contained what information ;)

sFanky said:
with the supermicro 3x5 bays: I assume the SATA cable plugs into the enclosure so then the drive can be removed easily, is that right? Is hot-swap supported by SATA II or is there something special to get them to work?
Click to expand...

Correct. Nothing is needed to enjoy SATA2 hot swap functionality.

sFanky said:
what OS are you running on galaxy 3.0?
Click to expand...

Windows 2003 Server

sFanky said:
any suggestions on my setup?
Click to expand...

Don't cut corners, you will regret it, get the best you can get and it will help you avoid headaches and upgrading in the future.
 
Ockie said:
I think you would be using more power than that 300watts, did you test it with a killawatt meter? or did you use a calculator? Something is seriously wrong with the online calculators because I know for a fact that it's not accurate with my setups... galaxy 2.5 used 7.5amps continious from the wall... thats a lot of power... and thats when I tested it with 4 less drives.
Click to expand...

My original post was wrong, it's using a CM 450W. It's plugged into a APC 540W UPS. The mgmt software reports the draw on the UPS at ~265-285watts (depending on HD activity). And there's some smaller stuff (cable modem, small switch) on it in addition to the filserver. I dont' know how many amps.



Ockie said:
I'd go with 3Ware. As for your situation, go with another card and see if you can bridge the array controllers so you can have them working together.
Click to expand...

As in another regular PCI controller? you think i should go with 3ware just because i already have one or other reasons? In addition, I say i care about reliability the most, but the performance on the PCIe is alot better than the 3ware PCI card. I could do PCI-X, but as i said, it seems to be alot more expensive both in motherboard and chassis costs. Do you have any experience with a PCI-X setup?

Do you think the performance would be much enhanced if i spanned the raid over another 3ware card?

Ockie said:
Don't cut corners, you will regret it, get the best you can get and it will help you avoid headaches and upgrading in the future.
Click to expand...

I'm trying not too, but less cutting corners = more $.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
 
I'd be more inclined to go with the Areca over the 3ware; it's had far more reviews done of it, it's just Out There more. That's the name I hear most in higher-end sata setups, and all I hear is good things.

As they say, buy it Nice or buy it Twice ;)

 
unhappy_mage said:
I'd be more inclined to go with the Areca over the 3ware; it's had far more reviews done of it, it's just Out There more. That's the name I hear most in higher-end sata setups, and all I hear is good things.

As they say, buy it Nice or buy it Twice ;)

Click to expand...
link to reviews other than gamepc and tweakers?
thanks
 
Tom's (yeah, yuck) (but at least they did a review) is the only other review I know of. I wasn't just speaking about reviews, though - when I see people designing large storage systems, on this forum and others, they're using Areca hardware. IMO it's the golden standard of raid controllers right now.

GamePC's crappy review, and Tweakers, for reference.

BTW, I found a posting that seems to indicate that the LSI Megaraid 300-8x is comparable in performance (although it doesn't do raid 6, and only goes to 8 ports) to the Areca, for significantly less cost, about $420 shipped versus $590 for the Areca.

 
sFanky said:
The Highpoint RocketRAID 2320 is probably the best bang for the buck @ around $250. 8 ports, pci express.
Click to expand...

It's a good bet that if the "quality brand" controllers are more than 2x as much, there's something that's missing from the cheap one. Highpoint used to make software raid controllers exclusively, and it's worth researching if that's still the case. 8 channel raid that has to be CPU processed can eat up a lot of cycles.

I had a highpoint 366 controller on my BP6 dual celeron motherboard... it was the worst controller ever. I ended up downloading a custom bios that removed the controller altogether.

I'm sure a lot has changed since then, but it's funny how bad experiences stick with you.
 
Highpoint makes excellent controllers but to a certain point. 3Ware and those companies have a lot of other features built into their cards which makes them worth so much more. Also, I do not know how the new highpoint cards fared, but in the past they would work great untill you give them a large RAID5 array and thats when they started killing your resources.

Depending on your needs and budget, the highpoint may or may not be for you. If it's going to be used at home or anything personal/non-business, go with highpoint and save that money... however if your going all out and need a critical solution, pay the extra.


Keep in mind, that these SuperMicro controllers I'm using are Highpoint controllers, just rebadged and less than half the price. You can actually see on the PCB the similarities between this and the highpoint... however, with the supermicro controllers they take out the bios and boot rom so you have no raid functionality and you also can't boot from the controllers... however at the price and performance they give... they are awesome cards. These are the controllers i'd HIGHLY recommend to anyone seeking a cheap SATAII solution.
 
Ockie said:
Depending on your needs and budget, the highpoint may or may not be for you. If it's going to be used at home or anything personal/non-business, go with highpoint and save that money... however if your going all out and need a critical solution, pay the extra.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly. If you can't afford the downtime, you can afford a better card.
Ockie said:
Keep in mind, that these SuperMicro controllers I'm using are Highpoint controllers, just rebadged and less than half the price. You can actually see on the PCB the similarities between this and the highpoint... however, with the supermicro controllers they take out the bios and boot rom so you have no raid functionality and you also can't boot from the controllers... however at the price and performance they give... they are awesome cards. These are the controllers i'd HIGHLY recommend to anyone seeking a cheap SATAII solution.
Click to expand...
Really? I thought they were Supermicro originals. Live and learn, I guess. Mine does have a BIOS, though, and I can boot from the drives. AOC-SAT2-MV8, right? I'd also second the recommendation. They're cheap, they're fast, they're good. A triple threat so to speak.

 
Ockie: Did you end up leaving the supermicro 3x5's in the default fan configuration? I ask because i orded some and they pull air in, which makes sense for cooling, but i'm worried about dust. I live in the desert (lots of dust) so i'm thinking of reversing them since i can't fit the CM Stackers filters on the front.

Do you have any sort of filter your using or is it not really a concern?

extra side question: if a HDD fails, will the light on the hot-swap bay light? I noticed there's only cables (from the bays) for the HDD activity, not failure. I have both connections available on my raid controller, but can only use the activity :(
 
sFanky said:
Ockie: Did you end up leaving the supermicro 3x5's in the default fan configuration? I ask because i orded some and they pull air in, which makes sense for cooling, but i'm worried about dust. I live in the desert (lots of dust) so i'm thinking of reversing them since i can't fit the CM Stackers filters on the front.

Do you have any sort of filter your using or is it not really a concern?

extra side question: if a HDD fails, will the light on the hot-swap bay light? I noticed there's only cables (from the bays) for the HDD activity, not failure. I have both connections available on my raid controller, but can only use the activity :(
Click to expand...


I left them as they came, I'm not worried about the dust (well I am, just not making it a big deal)... once and a while I'll go in there and de-dust all my stuff make it all new again. However, just keep your machine off the floor and in a quite place and you should be set. If your really really worried about it, you could always buy pantyhoses and put it over the front of the case... it would look ghetto, but will do the job good. You can get black panyhoses to match :cool:

I've never had a drive fail so I'm not sure how that led system works especially when your controller has a seperate cabling for it. I've always wondered what would happen and suposedly a red led would come on when a drive has failed. I just wish supermicro had some brains sometimes, they could have built the drive actvivity LED system straight into the backplane to avoid those web of cables.
 
Im looking at converting to rackmount and building a fileserver for media dispersment throughout the house. I was wondering if any of you had some suggestions for rackmount cases that are fuctional, asthetically pleasing and not to hard on the wallet. thanks.
 
GAMMA_BLADE said:
Im looking at converting to rackmount and building a fileserver for media dispersment throughout the house. I was wondering if any of you had some suggestions for rackmount cases that are fuctional, asthetically pleasing and not to hard on the wallet. thanks.
Click to expand...


I recommend the Norco DS-610S (I think thats the model), it's a great case and the price isn't bad at all. If you are local to me, I'm selling my one case for $100, it has 6 hotswap sata drive bays, I also have another standard 4U Norco RPC-810 I think is the model for $50.


This is what the sata Norco looks like.

 
Augh, I forgot you were from Michigan! I wish I could afford to buy that Norco SATA one, but alas cash is tight. I might have to stalk you just to see your setup! :D
 
Sorry im based outta New Mexico. Do you have any urls for places i can pick up Norco's for cheep?
 
You can buy them at teh egg:

Linkage

But the cost isn't as good as this. Where you based out of? I am in Kalamazoo and just picked up a huge server replacement job, so I will have fundage soon! :cool:

EDIT: I just noticed the 810 is there also:

Here too!
 
how about some more pictures of galaxy 3.0 inside and out, i wanna see the front of the case also, and the back and the innards
 
brasherman said:
You can buy them at teh egg:

Where you based out of?
Click to expand...

Im in New Mexico. So far i had found the same link you sent me. Know anymore reputable sites that may beat that price?
 
brasherman said:
Augh, I forgot you were from Michigan! I wish I could afford to buy that Norco SATA one, but alas cash is tight. I might have to stalk you just to see your setup! :D
Click to expand...


Come visit us www.michigangamers.com :) You know you want the norcos.. you can do it! :)

videodrone83 said:
how about some more pictures of galaxy 3.0 inside and out, i wanna see the front of the case also, and the back and the innards
Click to expand...


I have pictures of the back, innards, and front, just look around for them, they are on the thread here somewhere.
 
GAMMA_BLADE said:
Im in New Mexico. So far i had found the same link you sent me. Know anymore reputable sites that may beat that price?
Click to expand...


No one else can beat that price.
 
Rumor has it that seagate will be releasing a 750GB Drive and then a 960GB shortly after :cool: Just think of the possibilities :)
 
holy crap...

This system is the first ever to render me completely speechless... Then came the questions :D

First off, how do you afford to build servers like this one? I mean it is absurd to just be casually building a server from "spare parts," all of which combined are tons better than my computer.

Next, how much is Galaxy 3.0 setting you back? I am guessing at least $7000 or so. Crazy.


I will definently be checking up on this monster. I want to see a printscreen of the 10Tb total space :eek:
 
Well computers is what I do, it's my hobby and only one might I add... and I work :) So thats how I afford it.


I didn't build galaxy 3.0 from spare parts, I did however build that littler machine out of spares.

Speaking of which, I still got a AMD 3400+ laying here I need to put into something ;)
 
Ockie said:
Well computers is what I do, it's my hobby and only one might I add... and I work :) So thats how I afford it.


I didn't build galaxy 3.0 from spare parts, I did however build that littler machine out of spares.

Speaking of which, I still got a AMD 3400+ laying here I need to put into something ;)
Click to expand...

If its still not in use I have a box you can put it in :)

Nice machine!
 
Ockie said:
Well computers is what I do, it's my hobby and only one might I add... and I work :) So thats how I afford it.


I didn't build galaxy 3.0 from spare parts, I did however build that littler machine out of spares.

Speaking of which, I still got a AMD 3400+ laying here I need to put into something ;)
Click to expand...

Ockie, I'm looking to do something very similiar to your Galaxy setup. Using the Stacker case just as a storage chassis. I already have a pretty good box as a File server. Anyone out there know of anyone making 5X drive cages with infiniband/Multilane connections? I was planning to use this controller in my host machine...

http://www.usb-ware.com/sonnet-tempo-sata-e4p-esata-pci-express.htm
 
Damn your PC's are amazing. At your job do you work with PC's? Like programming, or networking, something? lol. anyway, amazing, good for you man.
 
Apparently 1TB HD will be coming out this year.. Something for your Galaxy 4.0? :D

Nice rig, I've never used more than 40gb on a single drive EVER... Very nice rig indeed.
 
I've admired your machines for a while now, and you inspired me a year ago to make my own (better) FS. Here is my setup:

Comp specs:
Main Case:
Areca PCIe ARC-1260 raid controller
3ware 9500s-12 raid controller (controlls 250x12 drives in another case)
WD3200KS 320GB x 10 (soon to be 16)
WD800JD 80GB x1 (boot drive)
AMD athlon 64 3000+ (it's just a fileserver for me, so no need for lots of power)
ABIT Kn8 SLI 939 MB
Antec TPII-550 PSU
1g corsair DDR400
VGA diamond (crappy video card, otherwise it wont' boot)
Coolermaster Stacker STC-T01 Case
SuperMicro ATA-150 x 2 (thanks to you, these are the best!)

Other case:
WD 250GB drives x12
Antec TPII-550 PSU (another one for the 12 drives)

So the 3ware card has 12 sata cables coming out of it into the other case (another CM stacker :) and that case doesn't seems fine heat wise (slower drives, less clutter). I did this all so i could save space by having another computer in the 'other' case while using it's HD space for the 12 drives.

Have you found you have any heating issues? what is the normal tempurature your drives are running at?

I recently just moved, and my new appartment has no A/C :( My drives are starting to get close to the max recommending heat recommendation, and i'm getting a bit worried. Any suggestions?

As you can see i'm looking at going to 16 drives (already ordered) and that will certainly not *help* the heat.

anyhow, any input you have would be great, thanks.
 
maybe i missed it, but what is this all fore? that's a butt load of hardware you're using. you do some kinda in house webhosting?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top