New server!

[C4PPY]

Build’s Name: CAPSERV1
Operating System/ Storage Platform: ESXI 5.1
CPU: Intel Xeon 1240v2
Motherboard: ASUS P8B-E/4L
Chassis: Cooler Master CM Force 500
Drives: 2x ST4000DM000; 4x WD20EZRX; 1 or 2 SSD's (Not decided on models yet)
RAM: Starting on 24GB Kingston DDR3 (Planing on upgrading to 32GB)
Add-in Cards: Adaptec 5805
Power Supply: Corsair HX650
Other Bits: Maybe going to install a small PCI-e Graphicscard and use passthrough to a XBMC VM

Usage Profile: Storage, DC, ESXI host, Game servers, HTPC VM

I have been using a HP Microserver NL36 for some years now, been very happy for it, but its time for an upgrade. Planning on buying one more box like this one and make a dedicated storage server and then use this one as pure ESXI host and connecting them with infiniband for raw speed!

What do you guys think of my plans?

 

[sotech]

Have you read up on how easy/hard it is to pass through PCI-E video cards to VMs with ESXi? Do you have the parts for the above already? I ask as if you don't, it may well be worth waiting a very short period of time and picking up the now-released Haswell parts rather than IVB.

 

[C4PPY]

Yeah, this is my third ESXI host build, but thanks for the headsup. I got almost all of the hardware at home, waiting on the motherboard and CPU, i got a sweet deal on them an therefor not going Haswell - payed 80$ for the board.

 

[sotech]

Good deal. Well worth it then!

How are you going to arrange the storage?

 

[C4PPY]

Havent decieded yet, thinking of a small array of maybe 2x 2TB for raid 1 for documents and importen stuff, then having maybe a raid 0 with the 4TB's for media storage (have ripped all blurays and dvds in the house) then maybe using one 2TB as datastorage for ESXI (maybe using a small 2bay nas as NFS datastorage for VM's). Considering selling the rest of the 2TB's (found 2 more when a clean out the office) and getting 1 or 2 more 4TBs.

 

[C4PPY]

Update: Ordered a ASUS ASMB5-iKVM to the motherboard !

The rest of the hardware should come tomorrow ( Looking forward to some building and tweaking )

 

[C4PPY]

Update: Got all the stuff today, should be assembled today .

 

[C4PPY]

Got it all assembled, but motherbaord was dead! No post, tried diffrent CPU, RAM and PSU.
- So i build a little Freenas box to host my data.

 

[hagak]

Before you declare that board dead, have you tried booting it without the PCI-e addon cards?

I have a SuperMicro board that had a builtin LSI 2308 controller, I also had an addon LSI 2308 controller card. With the card installed the system would not even POST. Turns out the issue was a conflict between the onboard firmware and the addon, was able to solve it by disabling the onboard firmware (note the addon firmware handles the builtin so the builtin still functions). Firmware is probably not the right term here, it is more like a Management application for the SAS controller.

 

[C4PPY]

Thanks for the heads-up.

But yes, there where no addon cards installed, I tried to replace/remove everything in my trobleshooting.