The [H]ard Forum Storage Showoff Thread - Post your 10TB+ systems

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18 TB
18 TB

Norco RPC-4020
Coolermaster Silent Pro M 600W (600 Watt) TN6M50
Asus P5Q-EM DO
Core 2 duo E7400 @ 2.8GHz
4 GB
HighPoint RocketRAID 2340
Samsung Spinpoint F1 (GDH01U3) 20 x
Back-UPS RS 1200 LCD using Apcupsd
Linux Debian Lenny 64 bit with backported 2.6.28 kernel.
XFS

The system is used to store arbitrary content. It was build just for the fun of it.

norco05.jpg


The system consists of a 'massive' 20 disk RAID 6 array, providing 18 TB of disk space. Since the array is greater than 16 TB, manny file systems like EXT3 or EXT4 cannot be used (yet), so XFS is used.

The array is build on Linux software RAID. The driver for the Rocket RAID card is only for allowing Linux to recognise the card. Al the RAID-stuff is done by Linux.

Read performance: 1.2 GB/s
Write performance: 350 MB/s.

norco04.jpg


The system holds two 2.5" disks that form a RAID 1 mirror as OS-drive.

By default, the system is switched on only when I need it, using wake-on-lan. The system uses around 200 watt idle, so 24/7 is not really an option.

Since staggered spinup gives problems with the Spinpoints, all disks spinup at once giving a temporary load of 450 watt according to the UPS.

It was great fun to build. Especially funny is the read performance, outperforming manny hardware-based RAID solutions. Write-performance and random IO is a different matter probably. The 1,2 GB/s is due to some hardware limitation of the motherboard or something, since 20 disks should be able to achieve 1,8 GB/s. Before I build the RAID 6, I configured a RAID 0, however, It would not pass the 1,2 GB/s.

I added a fan to the RAID controller since the heatsink gets very hot.

Anyway, who cares, performance is enough and gigabit is only 100 MB/s.
 
Every time I see a Norco case i get pissed off, why the hell is there no European supplier for them? from what I gather the damn things are cheaper than what I have to pay for 2x 5in3 bays!
 
Similarly why are European 5in3's almost double the price of the exact same ones in the US.
Also if anyone want to sell me 6 of them (in black) PM me.
(I'm asking a guy on 2cpu if he'll source them, but if he can't I'll put a WTB)

I'm hoping my build will feature in this thread as soon as my motherboard arrives, hopefullythis weekend.
 
Arrr, the later Norco with the blue leds... Mine has red. Booo!

Can you european shoppers get them via like ebay or direct from norco???
 
shiping prices make this option unusable
for me it would be extra 150-300$ per case
 
Started replacing the 1.5 with 2 TB's

Currently:
1x 1.5TB Barracuda 11 as buffer
8x 1.5TB Barracuda 11 in raid 5
8x 2TB Caviar Greens in raid 5

29.5TB raw space in a Lian-Li PC-A77. I bet that puts me somewhere on the "Most Storage in One Chassis" list :)

DVRzbhek.jpg
Mh8Epj2Z.jpg
 
One thing I do miss moving from a basic desktop case to a rackmount is the lack of 120mm fans, that is a definite plus by sticking with a desktop design. :)
 
asgards said:
shiping prices make this option unusable
for me it would be extra 150-300$ per case
Click to expand...

I paid 400 euro's for the Norco case including shipping and customs. That is still the cheapest solution if you want a 20 bay case with hotswap.

Go figure, 5in3 does 100 euros at least here in europe. 4x of those = 400 euro. And then you still got nothing.

I ordered it through Norco themselves and payed through paypal and shipped to the Netherlands. Maybe the first Norco in Holland..? ;)
 
I couldn't justify the price difference difference on a hot swap case vs fixed mount since, in all reality, I'll never be pulling the drives where I can't have a little downtime. Saved $300 on the case that I can use to buy another 4.5TB worth of storage :p
 
Yeorwned said:
I couldn't justify the price difference difference on a hot swap case vs fixed mount since, in all reality, I'll never be pulling the drives where I can't have a little downtime. Saved $300 on the case that I can use to buy another 4.5TB worth of storage :p
Click to expand...

If you can put 20 disks in a case that in total costs no more than 100$ or so than that will probably interesting to many in this thread. Coolermaster stacker?

If I just consider how much the total system cost me, the case wasn't such a big deal.
 
The stacker is out of production, and they're not responding to my emails about it..

I'd be happy to buy a 4020 if I needed a new box today, no problems, but I already have my upgrade path ready (swap out the drives in the 3.7TB box with 1.5TB drives)
 
Well if your in UK Xcase also has the Norco 3u 16bay Rackmount
 
i'd also like a stacker case

shame it seems to have been discontinued

were there two versions of the stacker case? it seems there is one with a psu at the bottom and a second with a psu top and bottom. are these versions of the same?
 
Asposium said:
i'd also like a stacker case

shame it seems to have been discontinued

were there two versions of the stacker case? it seems there is one with a psu at the bottom and a second with a psu top and bottom. are these versions of the same?
Click to expand...
Yes, there were two models. The 810 and the 830. They are quite different from each other.
 
According to my UPS (APC) my Norco is pulling 130 Watt when idle, without the 20 Spinpoint F1's spinning down to sleep/idle. Considering this setup, I think this is a rather nice figure. What are others doing?
 
120 and 80 on idle for my two :)
40-70 after spindowns

and smth like 240+ for quad boxes
 
Looks like I have some heat on my tail. lol I've cut quite a bit back since last because I've upgraded all to 2tb drives and consolidated to confirm to my storage requirements rather than having needless space extra.
 
`Q` said:
According to my UPS (APC) my Norco is pulling 130 Watt when idle, without the 20 Spinpoint F1's spinning down to sleep/idle. Considering this setup, I think this is a rather nice figure. What are others doing?
Click to expand...

I also connected a watt meter to my ups. By itself, the UPS does 30 watt. However, the whole machine and UPS combined does 220 watt idle. No that is not european volts. However, why this big difference is beyond me. Someone's lying.
 
`Q` said:
Norco RPC-4020
Coolermaster Silent Pro M 600W (600 Watt) TN6M50
Asus P5Q-EM DO
Core 2 duo E7400 @ 2.8GHz
4 GB
HighPoint RocketRAID 2340
Samsung Spinpoint F1 (GDH01U3) 20 x
Back-UPS RS 1200 LCD using Apcupsd
Linux Debian Lenny 64 bit with backported 2.6.28 kernel.
XFS
Click to expand...

Looking here: http://www.samsung.com/global/busin...61&subtype=63&model_cd=249&tab=spec&ppmi=1155

HD103UJ ??

Read/Write (typical) 8.4 W
Idle (typical) 6.7 W

6.7x20=134 watts idle

Not 'green', but not bad. My 1tb WD EACS's idle at 2.8w.

Look up all your components and thier wattage ranges. Don't forget about counting up all your fans as well.
 
I use the HD103UJ in my NAS setup, which I'm ashamed to say my NAS is not large enough to post but w/e. Those are great drives, run nice and cool and have decent thoroughput; enough to get 100Mb/s speeds over my network;).
 
[LYL]Homer;1034411266 said:
Looking here: http://www.samsung.com/global/busin...61&subtype=63&model_cd=249&tab=spec&ppmi=1155

HD103UJ ??

Read/Write (typical) 8.4 W
Idle (typical) 6.7 W

6.7x20=134 watts idle

Not 'green', but not bad. My 1tb WD EACS's idle at 2.8w.

Look up all your components and thier wattage ranges. Don't forget about counting up all your fans as well.
Click to expand...

Well, not exact, but 134 for the disks, 50 for the system, 30 for the ups and voilla, I get abot 210 / 220 watt,


Airflow and Norco 4020:

By default, I think that the two rear exhaust fans, combined with the PSU are not able to keep up with the 5x 8 cm fans in the middle.

Therefore, i ordered those:

http://members.multiweb.nl/nan1/img/titanslotfan.jpg

One is also cooling my Highpoint card. The other big one is just for getting heat out of the case and to create airflow inside the case. I'm not sure yet but I think see slight lower disk temperatures.
 
I too added slot fans, three to be exact.

Two 80mm PCI slot fans and one Lian Li 120mm exhaust which sits over the PCI slots.
 
guys,we can only post 10Tb+ servers on ths thread?or if we add a 4TB home server we can post too?.
 
pbls said:
guys,we can only post 10Tb+ servers on ths thread?or if we add a 4TB home server we can post too?.
Click to expand...

Plug in 2tb external drives until you hit 10gb.


Or maybe start a new 'Show off your HP/Acer WHS box' ?
 
[LYL]Homer;1034423791 said:
Plug in 2tb external drives until you hit 10gb.


Or maybe start a new 'Show off your HP/Acer WHS box' ?
Click to expand...

Will not count - only applicable if the 10TB+ is in a single housing/unit/case
 
pbls said:
guys,we can only post 10Tb+ servers on ths thread?or if we add a 4TB home server we can post too?.
Click to expand...
you can post whatever you want, but I only maintain rankings for 10TB+ systems
 
thebeephaha said:
I too added slot fans, three to be exact.

Two 80mm PCI slot fans and one Lian Li 120mm exhaust which sits over the PCI slots.
Click to expand...

I surely see a big decrease in temperatures. Several disks would touch 45 C on a hot summer day. Now they barely touch 39 C.

Code: 
-- 35 -- | -- 32 --
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 30 |
| 35 | 37 | 34 | 34 |
| 35 | 38 | 37 | 34 |
| 37 | 36 | 39 | 34 |
| 36 | 38 | 38 | 36 |

The Norco case is definitely flawed in this respect. It does need more fans to take out the heat.
 
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I think the easiest solution is the one i took: remove the mid panel with the 5 fans and replace it with 3 silent 140mm fans sitting next to each other. Fill the 3-4cm gap between the fans with something like the foam-on-a-tape that is used to seal windows, in order to drastically improve air circulation. Finally replace the 2 80mm fans with silent ones. I get 36-37C on a hot summer day (30C room temperature) on the Barracuda LP's (5900rpm), and 40C on the 7200rpm Seagates (all my drives are 1.5TB)
 
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