First Server Build. Need an os suggestion.

[kujinke]

This is what I have right now:

MOBO: Supermicro x9dr3-f
CPU'S: Dual Xeon E5-2630L
COOLING: Dual Noctua u12dx i4
Memory: 64GB - 8x8GB HYNIX 1333MHZ 1.35V
Add in Card 1: Dell intel i350 quad gigabit port.
Add in Card 2: Dell h700 1Gb + BBU.
SSDs: Two samsung evo 120gb

Managed to fit it all inside a corsair carbide 540r with aome modding.

Next im willing to buy 8× wd 4tb green, and another 6 samsung evo ssds and an extra h700 to make a raid with the 8 ssds for os purpose.

Now I really want to go with esxi since i want a couple of vms to do some tasks such as connecting to my home cameras and record etc..
but would it be wise to passthrough the dell h700 with hdds to a freenas os? Or windows server 2008 r2 ?

For backups I was thinking to use veeam and backup the ssds datastore(VMS) into a 2TB HDD each week.

I Really dont know what configuration would be best to max the storage performance which is very important for me.

What do you think?

 

[Chuckleb]

Usually when people talk pass through to ESX, the best answer seems to be Gea's NAPP-IT solution. I have heard many good things about it. For that, it is almost better to do an HBA for passthrough and run it in the ZFS.

 

[canta]

I disagree running file server or nas or identical under baremetal.

Mucho troubleshooting when shi$ happens.

This is just me to run directly not on baremetal

 

[Chuckleb]

If he wants to run esxi on the same hardware as in his request, then the bare metal route doesn't work. He'd have to use a different hypervisor.

 

[kujinke]

If he wants to run esxi on the same hardware as in his request, then the bare metal route doesn't work. He'd have to use a different hypervisor.

Clearly, but the question still stands.. maybe id be better with windows, performance wise.., but if I go with esx is it gonna be that much of a difference?

 

[Chuckleb]

Some folks around here are playing with HyperV instead of ESX, which could be nice. You get the advantage of the link bonding that's native in SMB 3 I think it is. I don't use that route so I'm not as familiar. That could be a good option and you as well.

Regarding performance, if the only tasks that you have are to access the storage from the VMs that are running on the machine, I don't know if you will see much difference in any configuration. I'll have to let others chime in. You may start to saturate your H700 card with the 8xSSDs in an ideal read situation, so that'll be a limiting factor soon.