Multipurpose Hyper-V Server

[Mr. F]

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but never got around to it.

Build’s Name:
HV1

Operating System/ Storage Platform:
Currently running Windows Server 2012R2 Eval with ~40 days left. I will probably switch to Hyper-V Server after that.

CPU:
i3-4160

Motherboard:
Asrock E3c224-4L

Chassis:
Fractal Define R4

Drives:
1x Samsung 830 256GB SSD (boot)
6x Toshiba DT01ACA300 (RAID6)
1x Toshiba DT01ACA300 (hot backup)

RAM:
14GB DDR3 ECC Unbuffered
3x2GB and 1x8GB - whatever OEM pulls from HP or Lenovo I could find cheap on eBay since I've found that those modules have great compatibility in general.

Add-in Cards:
HP P420/1GB w/SuperCap
6-port Intel Pro/1000 NIC

Power Supply:
Corsair 430 watt

Other Bits:
4x140mm and 1x120mm fans. The Asrock board allows fan speed control on all headers which is great for keeping the system quiet. The Fractal fans are still on the built-in fan controller.

Running Altaro Hyper-V Backup v5 beta in the free 2-vm mode to back up VMs.

Usage Profile:
Part of the array is used for general NAS type storage

The main task of the system is to run Hyper-V virtual machines. Currently it is hosting 2 VMs

• MythTV Backend
• NVR Server for security cameras

Other information…
Until very recently I was running an IBM M5015 controller with RAID6 key for the main array, but that was migrated to the HP P420 once I was confident it was stable.

I will probably move the NAS inside a VM once I switch to the Hyper-V Server OS. The 6-port NIC is also a bit overkill, so I'll probably remove it to keep power usage down.

I also have a second Samsung 830 SSD that I may add in to experiment with the SmartCache feature of the P420, though I'm not sure it would do much for me with the Hyper-V usage profile.

According to a kill a watt it's pulling under 100 watts under normal load.

Update:
Added photos. Removed the 6-port Nic and fastened the supercap in place with velcro while I had the case open.

 

[MiniKnight]

Have any pictures?

Are you using any base Os features of Windows Server?

 

[Mr. F]

Have any pictures?

Are you using any base Os features of Windows Server?

I can take some pictures - I didn't realize anyone would be interested!

I am not using any other roles on Windows Server besides Hyper-V. I'm using a few features, such as Nic Teaming, powershell and Remote Desktop. When I switch to Hyper-V Server I'll need to either set up a domain so the management features work properly from a remote system, or wait for Windows Server 10 to come out since it is supposed to offer better management compatibility in non-AD scenarios.

 

[DolphinsDan]

I'm a geek that likes looking at builds.

 

[lundrog]

I'll take a look at pictures.

Should make it a VMware ESXi host, bah with Hyper-v :0)

 

[TangoWhiskey9]

Should make it a VMware ESXi host

Although you are one of the newest members - and awesome - I think you lean a bit VMware.

Good to have you here!

 

[lundrog]

Although you are one of the newest members - and awesome - I think you lean a bit VMware.

Good to have you here!

LOL, perhaps a little..... about me although it's dated....

vExpert Spotlight: Roger Lund | VMTN Blog - VMware Blogs

 

[Mr. F]

Added some pictures.

I'm pretty happy with my progress on the system thus far. The main thing that's still bothering me is the Noctua fan sitting on top of the PSU - I don't have a great way to mount it currently, but I need it to keep the P420 cool.

 

[azev]

Interesting, I thought HP raid card cannot be used outside HP servers. Do you have to do anything special to make it work on asrock mobo ?

Thanks

 

[lundrog]

make sure you have enough airflow, sometimes a slot fan or card fan will keep temps cooler.

 

[Mr. F]

Interesting, I thought HP raid card cannot be used outside HP servers. Do you have to do anything special to make it work on asrock mobo ?

Thanks

It depends on the system. There are a lot of threads here at STH about people struggling to get them working. The Asrock board works really well with it, although I had to try 2 firmware releases to get the supercap to behave.

make sure you have enough airflow, sometimes a slot fan or card fan will keep temps cooler.

I have 2 big fans in the front grille and the rest are visible in the photos. With the current setup I can open the side and touch the heat sink of the raid card with no discomfort. If you know the P420 and how hot it gets, a touchable heat sink is a good sign! I have plenty of slots free, so if I can find a quiet enough slot cooler that would be nice. I also considered putting that noctua fan on the HDD tower, but couldn't immediately figure out a decent mounting option.