Pixel — a FreeNAS build log
Pixel is a FreeNAS-based, always-on network attached storage (NAS) device.
Parts list:
- CPU: Intel Xeon X3–1231v3 [$206 Jet]
- Motherboard: Super Micro X10SLL-F [$140 Newegg]
- RAM: Crucial 4x4GB (CT2KIT102472BD160B) [$97 Amazon]
- Case: Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout [$100 Newegg]
- Power supply: Seasonic SSR-550RM (G-550) [$70 Newegg]
- Hard drives: 4x WD Red 4TB 3.5" (5400 rpm) [$150 Amazon]
- Boot-up drive: SanDisk Ultra Fit 64GB (USB 3.0) [$17 Amazon]
After putting together the hardware, the next step was to configure the software. I installed FreeNAS 9.10 directly to my USB3 flash drive by:
- Create a virtual machine (either VirtualBox or VMware)
- Mount the FreeNAS ISO as a CD/DVD drive
- Plug the USB3 drive into my computer
- Go into the USB settings of the virtual machine and select/mount the USB drive
- Boot up the virtual machine, and follow the on-screen installation instructions
- Make sure to choose the USB drive as the installation destination
- Wait for the install to finish… and you’re done!
After plugging the USB drive into the new NAS machine, I powered the thing up and held my breath. After a long wait, the NAS machine showed up on my router with an IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.107). Typing that IP address into my browser took me to the web interface of the NAS, and the rest of the software setup can be finished using the official instructions posted on the FreeNAS website. (Note, if instructions link is broken or pointing to an excessively old version, Google “booting into freenas” and choose the search result from the official website, e.g., freenas.org.)
Other mental notes and ramblings: [warning: wall of text]
I spent a very long time choosing the case for my NAS system. Originally, I wanted to get a mini-ITX case because the tiny form factor would make transporting my NAS very easy. In addition, a smaller form factor would allow me to hide my NAS in inconspicuous places, since ideally the NAS should be minimally disturbed.
However, right off the bat, my hopes for a mini-ITX case were dashed when the Super Micro motherboard I chose to use for this build ended up being a micro-ATX configuration. (The reason for a micro-ATX board was to have 4 RAM slots, compared to the 2 RAM slots found in mini-ITX boards.) Amongst the micro-ATX cases, many of them could not support 6 hard drives. Even though my current setup only uses 4 hard drives, the motherboard can support up to 6 and I wanted to have the option of adding more hard drives in the future.
Once you move into the mid- and full-sized towers (capable of housing a micro-ATX board as well have frequently having 6–8 hard drive bays), the options and features really open up. Many cases feature high air flow for minimizing the temperatures on your components, some focus on minimizing noise instead, and others are built for looks. For the NAS build, I boiled by choices down to the Fractal Design Node 804 and the Fractal Design Define R5 Blackout. (BTW, while I did consider all of the premium case brands such as Corsair, NZXT, and Cooler Master, the final two cases just happened to both be from Fractal Design.) Ultimately, I chose to pursue a quiet-build instead of a high-airflow build, and thus the Define R5 Blackout won. Since the CPU load on the NAS will be small, and there is no discrete GPU card, the heat load in the NAS will be very low and there was no need for a high-airflow case.
(Further footnote: I chose the Define R5 Blackout edition over the regular Define R5 edition because the Blackout was a newer model, and not because the interior was “all blacked out.” Looks were not a priority in this build. While the Define R5 and Define R5 Blackout are supposed to be the same except for color, I went with the Blackout edition just in case dimensions and hole cut-outs were slightly optimized in the newer edition.)
I did not get a wireless adapter for the NAS because I was not sure which AC1900 adapter had good Unix drivers. (In fact, I’m not sure any AC1900 adapters have good Unix drivers as of Apr 30, 2016, but I could be wrong.)
I chose the Super Micro motherboard for two reason: (1) it seems to be the most recommended motherboard for FreeNAS and (2) I wanted ECC RAM. While some consumer-grade motherboards do support ECC RAM, I knew that all server-grade motherboards definitely supported ECC RAM. Rather than doing additional research to determine which ASUS or Gigabyte motherboard supported ECC, I opted to buy a server-grade-only brand (i.e., Super Micro).
For the hard drives, while a recent Backblaze blog post seemed to indicate that HGST (no longer manufactured) and Seagate hard drives gave the best reliability, I still chose Western Digital Red drives for my NAS because (1) the Backblaze report had an extremely small sample size of WD drives and (2) because I am most familiar and comfortable with the WD brand. In addition, because of the RAIDZ2 configuration, I will have plenty of redundancy and warning when the drives fail.
For the power supply, while a 450W power supply was the most optimal choice, I ended up buying a 550W power supply simply because it was cheaper at the time of purchase (due to some promo code). I couldn’t pass up the cost-benefit of paying less for more, even though at idle the 550W power supply might be operating outside of its optimal range.
Research references and resources:
Difference between Super Micro X10 motherboards
