xXDeltaXx

1 minute ago, LIGISTX said:

So you want these drives to “live in” the windows VM? Or do you want them to be attached via a network share? If you want them to live “inside” windows, pass them through to windows. If you want them to be networked, pass them to truenas, then you can either present them as SMB shares, or if you want that windows VM to have much faster access (but out that VM to have access), you can use iSCSI. If you don’t know at that is, look it up, this may be helpful.

 

Sounds like only a portion of the 8 NVMe drives you want for windows. If so, you should pass all of this to truenas, and use iSCSI to allow windows block level access to a certain amount of space, and then share the rest via SMB network shares. Also…. You really, really do not need Plex or anything remotely like Plex to live on SSD, none the less NVMe. You are paying a massive price premium for 0 benefit. 
 

Hopefully this is helpful and helps you start looking in the right directions. 

I'm going to be having the Solidworks guy come out and do a 'supported' install of the PDM environment - so that means I can have the full support structure as I go. . . from that point of view, my current Windows Server setup has the main OS drive and a dedicated pair of 2tb HDDs for the actual PDM vault. I'd like to replicate that as closely as possible as I know it works. The 2x 1TB NVME drives with Proxmox and the Server VM (100GB at present) will be great for the OS, so it's just creating that 'D-drive'

From your suggestion I think it is sounding like setting all 8x 2TB NVMEs drives up to all pass through to TrueNAS and then look at setting up 2TB of that via iSCSI for the Drive is the way to go.

Thanks

10 hours ago, LIGISTX said:

I agree, and this is how I do it. I pass my drives through to TrueNAS via PCIe passthrough, for my HBA. 
 

But what exactly do you want to do? You can skin this cat via letting TrueNAS handle all storage, and could use iSCSI to present that to the windows machine, or you can let Proxmox handle it, and pass datasets (I believe you pad through datasets, zvols? I am actually not sure, never done it) through to VM’s. I think you need to figure out what you want your architecture to look like, both options, while technically different and which will require different management, are both totally valid options. 

That's kind of where the learning / noob aspect comes into it. I know the general end result, but the way to get there is based off the best knowledge I have at that point in time.

I've got 2x1TB NVME drives to use as the main Prox mox / VM drives.

I've got an additional 8x 2TB NVME drives to have as fast storage for the Windows Server storage (2TB to match my current setup), and the rest to use as fast storage for TrueNAS/Plex/whatever gets added as I continue to build out.
There will be a few HDDs added either via an HBA or the motherboard SATA ports - just for mass storage and backups.

P1 is to replace my current Windows Server 2016 build with a Windows Server 2022 VM. This will be used for Solidworks PDM, with that Active Directory, and possibly some other Windows bits and bobs. (This then frees up that box to be rebuild as a backup server to back up the new one.

P2 is to add better network storage and proper back ups for my connected PCs / Laptops.

P3 is to add other features like Plex, maybe a Steam cache... once the main fucntions are there, then I can start looking around at other fun things / things to learn.

As I understood it / understand it, Proxmox is the 'better' hypervisor and TrueNAS Scale is 'better' for storage... hence using both.

The logic for passing through the first set of drives to TrueNAS was based on initially creating the ZFS in proxmox and then TrueNAS highlighting that it had no drive SMART info. Researching more suggested individually passing them through as bare metal as 'better' for TrueNAS to handle them properly in a TrueNAS ZFS pool.
(I'm off to work, add more / another post when I'm back)

Hi,
Bit of a noob on Proxmox / VMs… I’ve been following a few tutorials and am trying to work out the best way to organise the storage between VMs on a server…
It’s a Proxmox install across 2x 1TB NVME drives
I have a TrueNAS Scale VM which is intended to be for mass storage, backups, etc.
I have a Windows Server 2022 VM which will be mainly for Solidworks PDM, but also Active Directory and maybe a few other bits and bobs.
There will likely be other VMs for plex, maybe a couple of other things(?)
The VMs have their install on the Proxmox drives, and I am wondering how best to divide up / pass through the other storage.

Currently I have 4x 2TB NVME that I have tried creating as a ZFS in Proxmox and passing through to TrueNAS - it registered, but TrueNAS couldn’t get drive information, so I have redone by passing through as PCI Devices, and they register and can be Pooled just fine.

My current Windows server has 2x 2TB HDDs for the storage drives, so I only need about that on this new server.

I have another 4x 2TB NVME drives which are ready to setup, and a few temporary large SATA drives for bulk storage in TrueNAS (to be replaced in a little bit).

For TrueNAS, do I just continue to pass through the drives as a PCI Device and handle within the VM?

For Windows Server, do I do the same using Storage Spaces… or create a ZFS in Proxmox. . . or create something in TrueNAS and then somehow pass that over…?

Or is it all wrong and there’s a more elegant way for it all

Beautifully said @gremlicious XD

Some of Dell's websites are brilliant, refers to a discontinued product, which then suggest another discontinued one lol.

The Precision 5550 looks to have a top spec of an i7-10850H (2.70 GHz to 5.10 GHz).

So, not sure if I'm aiming too high for a faster processor base clock in a laptop, Dell just being crap, or really just need to stick desktop.

My Solidworks supplier has the Dell 5550 as an 'allrounder' with anything high end as 'enquire'.

The local Inventor supplier has the Dell 5550 and 7550... with slower base clocks and better GPUs.

1 hour ago, brob said:

 

Without  knowing the laptop specs I couldn't say. Certainly Inventor does better with higher performance cores. 

Well, I asked for the specs of the current laptop and only got the CPU... an i7-8750H (@2.2). So, no wonder it's slow as hell. Also has a similar NVMe drive and a lesser Quadro P2000.

Not really a comparable spec. Especially as Inventor likes fast cores, rather than multiple cores.

So a proposed laptop with a 2.7GHz base isn't going to cut it

Inventor specs are really suggesting a base of 3.3GHz with more than 32GB of RAM.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Inventor-2021.html

The current desktops are Dell Precision 3620's with an i7-7700K (@4.2), with 32GB of RAM, a Toshiba 512GB NVMe drive, and a Quadro P4000. So, that's the base line...

I'm going to make a wild stab at the i7-7700K's base line being 4.2GHz and the laptops frequently running around the 3.5GHz as being a contibutary factor to their crappiness.

Budget (including currency): unknown (as cheap as they can get away with)

Country: UK

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Autodesk Inventor (large models / assemblies), AutoCAD, possibly Ansys

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): likely use a 1440p main screen.

We have had our current desktop PCs for a few years now, and work are finally looking to upgrade... they always aim below minimum spec, and we have to fight to get anything half decent. This year, they are looking at laptops as the 'preferred option'.

One or two of the engineers currently have laptops which are about in line with the desktops, both the laptops and desktops struggle to run 2000+ part Inventor assemblies, but the laptops feel more sluggish than the desktops (presumably not maintaining the clock speed) - so I'm really worried about being stuck with a POS for the next 3 to 5 years.

Current suggestion looks to be a Dell 5550: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/workstations/mobile-precision-5550/spd/precision-15-5550-laptop/n001p5550emea_vi

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

5 hours ago, FakeKGB said:

<Linus bangs fist on table> "Why?!"
How do you get to be a cybersecurity official without ever using a computer?

He's got a great record - never been hacked... difficult to get hacked when not using a computer.

Had a Nice site meeting yesterday...

This little 120hz 1920x1080 screen has served me well… last week when my computer woke from sleep, this monitor did not.
The monitor was still detected by the computer, and still gives a beep when plugged in to power, but no signs of life on the buttons - so I can’t turn it on.

I’ve been able to find a driver board that looks to be a suitable replacement (getting it outside of the US is a different challenge), but I have noticed a pile of insulation from two of the cables. . . (the individual conductors are now touching as the insulation is falling off)

Does anyone have any idea as to what these cables are called / where I could try to source some from? Or, is this monitor destined for the large ewaste skip in the sky. . .(?) (They are different, one has circa 41 pins, and the other has circa 50 - if my eyes are right)

As I've just been through this, I figured that I'd share / see if anyone else is in a similar situation (wasn't sure if this should be in Perhipherals or just in General).

I've just reinstalled Windows and was looking for software / Drivers for this old RAT7. There's nothing on the Mad Catz website for such an old product, and after a bit of searching, there seems to be some questionable downloads out there that I didn't want to try.

It turns out that the recovery drive from a dead SSD still had the .exe files for the drivers and software - installed, seems to work fine.

I have no recollection as to whether I got them from their site or found something elsewhere (packaging?)... but if someone wants to suggest a good place to upload / share, then I can (135MB).

@AlexTheGreatish don't give in to his negativity... you just need more TECs. If one was overwhelmed, then go for 2 or even 4.
Picture something like a copper plate on the CPU with heatpipes rising to the sky with 4 TECs attached, each with individual water blocks and some overkill water cooling.

If you're going to spend his money, build it big, build it beautiful

I've got a Q9450, an Abit IP35 Pro XE, and an 8800GTX sitting watching to see where you go and what you do with this series...

I got the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit a few years ago primarily based on the reviews and features from this channel - a great bit of kit.

I ended up damaging the tips of the 'reverse tweezers' (the nylon doesn't stand up well to heat). The WAN show a couple of weeks ago reminded me that iFixit has a good warranty, so I sent them an e-mail...

They were able to track down my original order number (which I had forgot) and sent out some replacement tips which just arrived today... All in all, pretty good service.

Oh, and for that added thumbs up, included was a little bag of Haribo sweets...

Catching up on the videos, but I can say that some things will run on some really old equipment...
I had SolidWorks 2013 to 2014 / 2015 running on an OC'd Intel Q9450 @ 3.6GHz, Abit IP35 Pro XE, Gigabyte GTX470, 8GB (4x 2GB) Geil Back Dragon. That ran the software fine and would allow for some complex models, not thousands of parts, but multiple hundreds. That's not to say that it wasn't a bit slow at times (rebuilds and renders), but as a starting point, it's not too bad. (excluding limitations in the software requirements).

On the other hand, I'm searching for a new motherboard to get more RAM into my current system, as I'm hitting the max 16GB limit I have. My current system is a 4790K (stock), Impact VII (hence the 16GB limit), and a Quadro K4200. That is more than capable (bar the RAM) of running a multiple thousand part assembly in Solidworks 2018 and running  AutoCAD at the same time.

7 minutes ago, Aelar_Nailo said:

Saw this video, hope it happens. Running two generic NAS, didn't even specify the raid configuration of the storage upgrade? He needs the linus touch.

Linus touch... he doesn't need that... (so many choices of him dropping things to pick just one)

On 28/04/2017 at 10:21 AM, Tech Warrior said:

Try the manual from the Thecus Windows website (wss.thecus.com)  http://ftp2.thecus.com/~thecus/wss/iso/WSSE_QIG_20160415.pdf

I've been following this one: http://ftp.thecus.com/wss/iso/WSSE_GettingStartGuide_EN_v1.2-2.pdf (with a little more detail).

But it doesn't got in to the detail I was after, also it's out of date, as the menus don't tally up with what I'm seeing on the actual server...

The setup is a Thecus home server on 2012 R2. The storage will be 4x 4TB drives in a form of RAID 1+0.

I need to use Windows / Windows server for the applications (Solidworks PDM / possibly Autodesk Vault). As the Thecus came with 2012 R2, I figure that I'll just stick with that...

I've been able to set up the RAID and put some things on it previously, but I couldn't get the server setup side of it correct, so I wiped it and started a fresh... As I'm starting to set it up again, I'm looking for guidance to make sure I do it correctly / tell me what good looks like... :-/

I'm not intending to be working at the server, just have it store all of the data, and have one or two programs running.

Hi @Jarno. primarily, I'm checking that I am configuring the server correctly to run on the network without causing any issues / conflicts.

It's my first server config, so I'm trying to work out what to turn on / off... So, the roles and features and or anything else I should be looking into...

For me, the first stage is making sure that the server isn't going to create issues with the rest of my network. Then install the software I need to get up and running... Finally, start moving my data across and getting the backups from other machines setup.

I guess that this could go in the Network section...

I've got no real experience with Windows Server, but I've had to / chose to implement one for some professional software which is Windows based. I'm now trying to work out the best way to integrate it to my network (what services for it to control, and what for it not to). Also, to work out the best general configuration - I've been doing some reading, but I'm not really up to speed.

I have a PFSense Firewall, this Windows Server (2012 R2), and a Synology NAS.

The plan is to use the Windows Server for running specific network applications, general home storage, and backups for the connected PCs. The smaller Synology NAS will be used to hold less frequent backups of the Windows Server.

The PFSense Firewall has 2 independent LANs; The first is connected to the switch with all of my internal hardware, the server, and the NAS. The second is connected to a secondary switch used to provide a second, separated network for other devices that I don't want to have access to the rest of my network. Because of the second connection, I presume that I should leave the firewall to look after local IPs...

Any ideas, tips and tricks? - I'm happy to read more articles, but I need pointing to ones I can understand / are up to date (the one for my home server is a little out of date, so not as helpful as it could be).

Symantec, or something like Avast...? - I've not seen Avast in a business environment (personally), but I'm more au fait with it...

The server is installed, updated and has the RAM increased to 16GB... 2 of the 5 drives have arrived, with the other 3 due soon.

However, I hadn't realised that the Server 2012 OS was not compatible with the std array of Antivirus programs that I know and use... So, is there something that is recommended? - I have seen some comments about being able to get Microsoft Security Essentials installed via a work around, but I'm not 100% sure that it is the best way to go. IT at work suggested Symantec; but I'm not sure...