10Gb, SAS, Low budget?

[colinb]

Looking to implement a "deep freeze" server at home, backing up NAS, and storing rarely accessed replaceable data on a disk shelf.

What are my options for cheap CPU/Mobo combinations with at least 1x SAS3 external port (8088?) and 1x 10Gb SFP+ port (built in or via PCIe card are equally fine). Low power desirable, but not essential as it's not going to be powered up all that often.

Options I have considered, both relying on PCIe:
1) A520 mATX motherboard with 4600G
2) m720q with m.2 to PCIe riser/cable

Thoughts, options, and opinions actively sought!

 

[Sean Ho]

Do you have a spare case+PSU available? How many bays are you thinking of? Is noise an issue?

 

[colinb]

No case or PSU available, 48V DC is available (LiFePO4 battery bank). Don't care re bays - have a 24 bay disk shelf that will be primary storage. Noise not an issue at all.

 

[Sean Ho]

then SFF or uSFF/TMM may be cost-effective. If space is not at a premium, you have more options with SFF. Could use the x16 for an HBA, and the x1 for a 10GbE NIC (very slightly throttled by the slot). Just watch the cooling, may need an extra fan in there.

 

[mattventura]

Hmm, not familiar with anything that has an external SAS port built into the motherboard, but you can get something with onboard internal SAS and use a converter bracket to turn those into external ports.

You can also get something like the X10SDV series which will give you the CPU+MB+10GbE (with low power consumption), and has a PCIe slot for a SAS controller. Some of the mATX models also have built-in SAS, but those are significantly harder to find at good price, and it's only SAS2.

Does it absolutely have to be SAS3? Or would 2x SAS2 ports work fine? Whether it's onboard or a card, the jump up to SAS3 will add a bit of cost.

 

[colinb]

Could use the x16 for an HBA, and the x1 for a 10GbE NIC (very slightly throttled by the slot)

Are there comparably cheap options that would avoid the throttling, do you think?

 

[colinb]

Hmm, not familiar with anything that has an external SAS port built into the motherboard, but you can get something with onboard internal SAS and use a converter bracket to turn those into external ports.

That would work. Also OCuLink to SAS is feasible from my perspective

You can also get something like the X10SDV series which will give you the CPU+MB+10GbE (with low power consumption), and has a PCIe slot for a SAS controller.

Sounds pretty good to me; will take a look at the series and see what I can find used

Does it absolutely have to be SAS3? Or would 2x SAS2 ports work fine? Whether it's onboard or a card, the jump up to SAS3 will add a bit of cost.

To be honest, no, SAS2 is fine. And now I think about it, the whole disk shelf is SAS2 and likely to stay that way until SAS3 gets significantly more available and cheaper used.

 

[drdepasquale]

There are many great Supermicro boards that have onboard 10 Gigabit Ethernet and SAS that could be had for under $200. The downside is the boards are typically EATX or larger which would make it more expensive to buy a larger chassis. If you would like to kept the board small former factor, try to use a board with onboard 10 Gigabit Ethernet and use a PCIe SAS controller. I have never seen any motherboards with external facing SAS ports.

 

[UhClem]

[Somewhat off-the-wall, but] External SAS (ie, 8088<=>8088) can go 10 meters. I'm considering this for a (mostly cold) shelf in the basement. SAS2 single-linked gets you 2x 10Gbe.

 

[Sean Ho]

Do you have a rough budget in mind? Our suggestions have been kind of all over the place without that constraint. An old Haswell SFF Optiplex plus 9211 HBA and SFN7002 NIC could be under $100 in the US. An X10SDV plus RAM, SAS3 HBA, case, and PSU would be close to $600.

 

[colinb]

Do you have a rough budget in mind?

That would have been helpful to include, sorry all! A timely reminder that "cheap" depends 100% on frame of reference! In this particular frame, it means "as low as feasible, i.e. more in the direction of an old Haswell Optiplex etc."

That in mind, currently leaning towards a Thinkcenter M700 i5-6400 plus 9211 HBA and SFN7002 NIC or similar here in the UK.

 

[Sean Ho]

Sure, the m700 SFF has one x16 and two x1, all PCIe 3.0 I think. No onboard m.2, unfortunately.

 

[colinb]

Update for anyone else in future:
Snagged a Dell Optiplex 5040 SFF (i3-6100) for £50, and have added both a SolarFlare SFP+ dual NIC, and a Dell 12DNW SAS2 HBA. All in all <£100.

HBA is in the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, NIC in the PCIEe 3.0 x4 slot.

Plan is to combine this with the disk shelf for deep freeze storage. A Raspberry Pi Pico will spend most of its life in a doomant state, waking up once a week to initiate two servomotors to turn on the shelf, wait a few minutes, then turn on the Dell, which will then run some form of backup/sync job before shutting down, sending signal to Pico, which then uses the servos to turn off the disk shelf. Will make a new build thread when I get around to assembling this Frankenstein's monster!