Looking to buy/build a new TrueNas/Proxmox servers

[TechGizmoDude]

Hi LTT,

I'm currently using an old HP desktop to run TrueNas, but I would like to add more storage (only 2 1TB drives right now). At first, I thought about upgrading my current machine, but it became too costly to bother. Now, I'm looking to buy a used rackmount server (preferably not a 1U), and I'd like the machine to be reasonably quiet. On top of TrueNas, I'd like to get into VMs. My plan is to have seperate virtualization and storage servers. What used servers (barebones is fine) would you recommend that are available on ebay? My budget is around $1000 all in.

[Windows7ge]

Rack-mount servers are traditionally not the most quiet but there are resistor mods and scripts you can implement to quiet them down.

 

This is way more power than you will probably need but I really like the expansion capability on the HPE DL380 Gen 9.

 

If you want to build a virtualization server I'd opt for PROXMOX over TrueNAS CORE. I haven't heard any updates that they've moved from using Bhyve. Meanwhile you can do so much more with QEMU/KVM on PROXMOX.

[TechGizmoDude]

4 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

Rack-mount servers are traditionally not the most quiet but there are resistor mods and scripts you can implement to quiet them down.

 

This is way more power than you will probably need but I really like the expansion capability on the HPE DL380 Gen 9.

 

If you want to build a virtualization server I'd opt for PROXMOX over TrueNAS CORE. I haven't heard any updates that they've moved from using Bhyve. Meanwhile you can do so much more with QEMU/KVM on PROXMOX.

The DL380s are probably way overkill for me. Is there something less expensive you recommend? I'd like to be able to have seperate TrueNas and Proxmox boxes.

[Windows7ge]

1 minute ago, TechGizmoDude said:

The DL380s are probably way overkill for me. Is there something less expensive you recommend? I'd like to be able to have seperate TrueNas and Proxmox boxes.

That's the thing. You can pick one up barebones for $240. RAM is going to cost you the same and you don't have to use the highest SKU CPU for the socket. Then you have a lot of growing room for very cheap.

 

PROXMOX uses ZFS. Is it just that you like the TrueNAS WebUI? Generally people build a hypervisor server because they want to consolidate their physical servers. Less noise, less heat, generally cheaper. A File Server for your LAN would be fine ran in a LXC Container. If you're so inclined though you could run TrueNAS in a VM and pass a HBA through to it. (I don't recommend it though)

[blooper98]

10 hours ago, TechGizmoDude said:

Hi LTT,

I'm currently using an old HP desktop to run TrueNas, but I would like to add more storage (only 2 1TB drives right now). At first, I thought about upgrading my current machine, but it became too costly to bother. Now, I'm looking to buy a used rackmount server (preferably not a 1U), and I'd like the machine to be reasonably quiet. On top of TrueNas, I'd like to get into VMs. My plan is to have seperate virtualization and storage servers. What used servers (barebones is fine) would you recommend that are available on ebay? My budget is around $1000 all in.

Have you seen CraftComputings $1000 servers?

 

would go over budget for you but learnlinuxtv did some low power usage servers for TrueNAS & proxmox.. you may be able to find similar parts used

 

 

 

Good luck!

 

[Jameszy]

I used to lean towards getting rack servers.... until i bought a workstation and turned it into a server.. It was cheaper (due to PSU being dead) and the thing is whisper quiet under FULL load.... Hell im sure you can even buy ears for the damn thing to rack it if you need... 1 downside.. no IMPI.. thats it... well.. not super efficient use of space,  but again its not packed full of stuff so the fans dont scream... and when i virtualize my nas, ill get a disk shelf to keep the drives and their heat out of the main enclosure..

 

Personally I'd Run proxmox bare metal, and TrueNAS in a VM.... Depending on your nas's work load you could get away with a "less heavy" solution... TrueNAS has some pretty hefty req's... depending on your needs/hardware you may be better served by open media vault or rockstor...

 

or if your VM needs are light.. you can ditch proxmox and run OMV baremetal and install omv-extras to gain access to LVM and Docker containers

[TechGizmoDude]

Ideally, I would like to run TrueNAS, and an Ubuntu VM inside TrueNAS for a PiHole recursive DNS server. The HPE server would probably be overkill, but it would give me a lot of room to grow. Let me know what you think of this route.

[Electronics Wizardy]

23 minutes ago, TechGizmoDude said:

Ideally, I would like to run TrueNAS, and an Ubuntu VM inside TrueNAS for a PiHole recursive DNS server. The HPE server would probably be overkill, but it would give me a lot of room to grow. Let me know what you think of this route.

Id probalby just run proxmox on all the systems. It uses the sam zfs for storage, and handles vms much better than trunas, so I don't see a reason to use truenashere.

 

Id probalby just get a used desktop. Basically any optiplex with 16-32gb of ram will work fine here, your uses don't need much hardwarwe.

[TechGizmoDude]

Can some explain how I would be able to run TrueNAS in a VM inside Proxmox?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, TechGizmoDude said:

Can some explain how I would be able to run TrueNAS in a VM inside Proxmox?

You can, it would work like any other os in a vm.

 

But id just let proxmox handle storage, and make a little container to make smb/nfs shares.

[Jameszy]

you would run it inside a VM instead of a Container..