Build’s Name: Zeus V2
Operating System/ Storage Platform: Windows Server 2012 R2
CPU/Motherboard : Supermicro X10SL7-F
Chassis: U-NAS NSC-810A
Drives: Crucial MX300 750GB, Intel 3500 200 GB, WD Red 8TB x 4 (
RAM: 32 GB
Add-in Cards: None
Usage Profile: Primary Home Media/AD/DNS Server
Ramblings :
My Home Lab has always been a bunch of tower servers/workstations with every machine performing every task. When I needed resources, I just used what was available. It was completely random. So when I moved into this house with an unfinished basement, I ensured that all rooms were wired (Still kicking myself in the A$$ for not going with CAT7 or at least CAT 6a) and the cable plant ended in a nook in my basement.
The initial setup had all the cables direct wired into a switch in a half rack. (Had a Control 4 Integrator set it up along with everything else he did) He left me with a nice clean cable plant neatly feeding into an open half rack and cleanly connected to a switch.
Then Over the past 3 years changes, changes, changes, and the result was a rat’s nest of cables and a bunch of rackmount and tower servers.
Over the new Year I decided to clean it up, patched everything on to a wall mount patch panel and moved all the “Home” Equipment on to the wall with it’s own UPS with just one cable connecting from the Main Switch to the rack which had everything else.
I have been looking at this case for a long time but whenever I was ready to buy, it was OOS. Then one fine day I saw the case in stock and just hit buy (Still regret the impulse a little). Figured that this case will perfectly fit my wall mount shelf and decided to make my home network self-contained and fully separate my lab.
I have always named my home servers after Greek mythological beings and had retired the old Zeus sometime back. So Zeus V2.
OK enough Ramblings
Impressions :
Finally : Here’s what all of you would be interested in. Pics
Here's pics over the course of the build.
Here's the wall panel where the server will be placed.
Operating System/ Storage Platform: Windows Server 2012 R2
CPU/Motherboard : Supermicro X10SL7-F
Chassis: U-NAS NSC-810A
Drives: Crucial MX300 750GB, Intel 3500 200 GB, WD Red 8TB x 4 (
RAM: 32 GB
Add-in Cards: None
Usage Profile: Primary Home Media/AD/DNS Server
Ramblings :
My Home Lab has always been a bunch of tower servers/workstations with every machine performing every task. When I needed resources, I just used what was available. It was completely random. So when I moved into this house with an unfinished basement, I ensured that all rooms were wired (Still kicking myself in the A$$ for not going with CAT7 or at least CAT 6a) and the cable plant ended in a nook in my basement.
The initial setup had all the cables direct wired into a switch in a half rack. (Had a Control 4 Integrator set it up along with everything else he did) He left me with a nice clean cable plant neatly feeding into an open half rack and cleanly connected to a switch.
Then Over the past 3 years changes, changes, changes, and the result was a rat’s nest of cables and a bunch of rackmount and tower servers.
Over the new Year I decided to clean it up, patched everything on to a wall mount patch panel and moved all the “Home” Equipment on to the wall with it’s own UPS with just one cable connecting from the Main Switch to the rack which had everything else.
I have been looking at this case for a long time but whenever I was ready to buy, it was OOS. Then one fine day I saw the case in stock and just hit buy (Still regret the impulse a little). Figured that this case will perfectly fit my wall mount shelf and decided to make my home network self-contained and fully separate my lab.
I have always named my home servers after Greek mythological beings and had retired the old Zeus sometime back. So Zeus V2.
OK enough Ramblings
Impressions :
- I absolutely hated building in this case. Though the end result was pleasing enough
- I have tonnes of nicks and scrapes due to the sharp edges in this case.
- The cables in the case are too short. The front panel connectos do not reach the end of the mobo. That may be due to my motherboard choice though.
- Micro ATX mother board does not slide into the case easily. I had to completely dismantle the case to get the motherboard inside.
- The area behind the backplane and between the fans is the place where you can hide some cables but since that is directly in the path of the airflow from HDDs –-> FANS, you have to be careful not to obstruct the airflow.
- Did not connect the side USB-3, USB-2 and Audio cables.
- Used a PCIE holder to attach a second SSD
- The included SATA cables are nice thin ones that help in cable management.
- Only 1 2.5 HDD can be attached to the side above the PSU.
- This server will primarily be a file server and will maybe have to support transcoding 1 plex stream for when I’m travelling.
- So decided to go with a low power Xeon and chose the motherboard based on it having a built in LSI controller in the event I decided to use ZFS or unraid both of which I’m testing right now.
- Got a modular seasonic PSU so that I can crimp custom cables to have clean cable management. But didn’t realize I had run out of some terminals and had to do with some COTS cables to finish the build. Also I got my hand stuck in a door and wasn’t entirely up to building a full set of custom cables.
Finally : Here’s what all of you would be interested in. Pics
Here's pics over the course of the build.
Here's the wall panel where the server will be placed.
