Sorry - Another HP Microserver Query - OI or Ubuntu for ZFS as Host?

[Wolfsbane2k]

Hi.

I've got an HP N40L Microserver that for a while has been running OI+NAppit off a USB Flash drive to test it all out, and has been awesome for approx almost a year with a few VM's running on it (Windows HS, Ubuntu, windows 7) (16GB ECC Ram + 4x 3TB WD Red Drives in raidz + an intel NIC). The RaidZ is currently half full.

However, it's done what was expected of it, and died cos it was a crappy flash drive so couldn't handle being running that long.

So, i bit the bullet and bought a 60GB Sandisk Ultra Plus SDD for the OS as i want it to run some low process VM's as well.

I'm torn between the best operating system to use as the Host between Ubuntu LTS and OI with Napp-it. I want the Host to be nothing but the storage medium with no intentional access to the internet except to monitor the data to and from the VM's, so that if the vm gets hosed it's only that bit that dies, not taking the rest of the system with it.

On this basis, i think Ubuntu is more suitable as it's flexible, but that will then mean an Ubuntu guest running on an Ubuntu host,

Current breakdown:
OI:
ZFS File Store
CIFS/SMB Sharer

VM Main tasks:
Windows 7:
Downloading from bittorrent
Adobe Lightroom cache building
Backup Manager for networked PC's

Ubuntu:
DLNA Media Server for PS3/Xbox/Android tablets/PCs
Mail Server
Personal Web Server

WHS :
Play toy for WHS.


Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated,

 

[Wolfsbane2k]

Ps, i've kinda looked at ESXI, but lots of people tell me it's not reliable enough on this HW for passthrough for ZFS - i'm not sure if that's still the case.

 

[iroc409]

What's broke? Is your zpool broke? If it's not, you'll have to take into consideration migrating your data pool to something else with Ubuntu (unless you run ZoL, which I know nothing about). I'd stick with OI if it worked for you, because I'd prefer to keep ZFS. In fact, if it was just your USB stick with ESXi that broke, why not just replace it and cruise?

ETA: Crap, RIF. What are you using for virtual machines now? I've never used ESXi, but if you're using VMWare you might be able to just move your virtual machines directly over (should be able to, from what I use of Player/Serverr). I'd look into using Gea's instructions to make an all-in-one with your zpool serving up the virtual machines for ESXi.

 

[Wolfsbane2k]

What's broke? Is your zpool broke? If it's not, you'll have to take into consideration migrating your data pool to something else with Ubuntu (unless you run ZoL, which I know nothing about). I'd stick with OI if it worked for you, because I'd prefer to keep ZFS. In fact, if it was just your USB stick with ESXi that broke, why not just replace it and cruise?

ETA: Crap, RIF. What are you using for virtual machines now? I've never used ESXi, but if you're using VMWare you might be able to just move your virtual machines directly over (should be able to, from what I use of Player/Serverr). I'd look into using Gea's instructions to make an all-in-one with your zpool serving up the virtual machines for ESXi.

I have no idea if the zpool is shot, I haven't rebuilt the flash drive yet.
I think the flash is dead because it no longer boots to the flash drive, throwing a kernel panic, but the machine boots from a live usb quite happily; I haven't tried to remount the zpool from that yet.

I've not played with esxi at all, so changing to that would probably be as complicated, if not more so than an Ubuntu install.

The existing VMs were on the zpool already, so should be fine

 

[_Gea]

I have no idea if the zpool is shot, I haven't rebuilt the flash drive yet.
I think the flash is dead because it no longer boots to the flash drive, throwing a kernel panic, but the machine boots from a live usb quite happily; I haven't tried to remount the zpool from that yet.

I've not played with esxi at all, so changing to that would probably be as complicated, if not more so than an Ubuntu install.

The existing VMs were on the zpool already, so should be fine

You only need to reinstall ESXi to a new stick, start the ESXi filebrowser and import the old VMs (right click to the .vmx fie and select add to inventory).
You are back online within less than an hour.

 

[Wolfsbane2k]

I'm not running esxi... I'm was running oi as the host.

I understand that to run exsi you need an alternative raid card which I've not done.