Building a Linux Home Server

[Hosky]

Hey all,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this:)

 

I would like to build my own home server which will most likely be running 1-2 websites, a teamspeak server, and be used as a file backup. I have three questions regarding this:

 

Question 1: I need help deciding on the most effective components for my server. I am looking at getting the Corsair 250D mini-itx case and therefore would like a mini-itx motherboard. I am also unsure on which cpu to get. Should I go i3 or Xeon??!?Which is the best suited to my server.

 

Question 2: I am also considering getting EEC RAM, is this worth while?

 

Question 3: I am looking at getting one WD 6TB RED HDD with plans to add more of them in later with Raid. Is this also worth while or should I go with something like two WD 3TB Red HDD? -- My case can only hold 2 SDD's and 2 HDD's.

 

I would like this server to be running pretty much 24/7. As a result, I would like the power consumption to be as low as possible and maybe in the future have the option to upgrade to more storage (more WD Red HDD's).

 

I know this a messy question, if you have any other question please feel free to comment them. Your help is much appreciated, Thank you!

[nik96]

1: u can probably get by with an i3 but i would recommend an xeon

 

2: ecc ram can be expensive, i don't think u need it but there are more knowledgeable members in this forum who will give you a better answer.

 

3: 2 x wd red 3tb in raid 1 will allow hard drive failure. This is better than just 1 drive.

 

If its running 24/7 get a good power supply a gold or platinum rated one.

 

I would recommend get a bigger case that can hold more drives. You would want to keep your file backups on different drives as your websites.

[Hosky]

1: u can probably get by with an i3 but i would recommend an xeon

 

2: ecc ram can be expensive, i don't think u need it but there are more knowledgeable members in this forum who will give you a better answer.

 

3: 2 x wd red 3tb in raid 1 will allow hard drive failure. This is better than just 1 drive.

 

If its running 24/7 get a good power supply a gold or platinum rated one.

 

I would recommend get a bigger case that can hold more drives. You would want to keep your file backups on different drives as your websites.

Some good information in there mate. Thanks. Which Xeon CPU would you recommend??and with what Motherboard?Im really confused with this.

[manikyath]

depending on the load on your website, you could perhaps go even less than an i3.

if power usage is important i'd suggest looking more at that than at effective performance.

 

teamspeak servers are very optimized, using next to no cpu power.

 

as long as the cpu can process a gigabit connection, and the two hard drives, you'll be fine.

 

i'd suggest not going for ECC memory if its just for home usage, its just too expensive.

 

for the hard drives i suggest getting 2 HDDs in raid1. get hard drives of the amount of storage you'll be using.

 

i also strongly suggest keeping the linux install off your raid setup. get a laptop hard drive, or SSD to install the OS on.

 

maybe look at linus's insane compact nas video, that specific case and motherboard seem perfect for this build. even if you only get 2 HDDs now doesnt mean you cant get more later.

[Hosky]

depending on the load on your website, you could perhaps go even less than an i3.

if power usage is important i'd suggest looking more at that than at effective performance.

 

teamspeak servers are very optimized, using next to no cpu power.

 

as long as the cpu can process a gigabit connection, and the two hard drives, you'll be fine.

 

i'd suggest not going for ECC memory if its just for home usage, its just too expensive.

 

for the hard drives i suggest getting 2 HDDs in raid1. get hard drives of the amount of storage you'll be using.

 

i also strongly suggest keeping the linux install off your raid setup. get a laptop hard drive, or SSD to install the OS on.

 

maybe look at linus's insane compact nas video, that specific case and motherboard seem perfect for this build. even if you only get 2 HDDs now doesnt mean you cant get more later.

Some more interesting information. Thank you. I am looking at this video now. I am unsure of what you are referring to when you talk about Linux. Do you not think this is a good OS for this server?

[Captain_WD]

Hey all,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this:)

 

I would like to build my own home server which will most likely be running 1-2 websites, a teamspeak server, and be used as a file backup. I have three questions regarding this:

 

Question 1: I need help deciding on the most effective components for my server. I am looking at getting the Corsair 250D mini-itx case and therefore would like a mini-itx motherboard. I am also unsure on which cpu to get. Should I go i3 or Xeon??!?Which is the best suited to my server.

 

Question 2: I am also considering getting EEC RAM, is this worth while?

 

Question 3: I am looking at getting one WD 6TB RED HDD with plans to add more of them in later with Raid. Is this also worth while or should I go with something like two WD 3TB Red HDD? -- My case can only hold 2 SDD's and 2 HDD's.

 

I would like this server to be running pretty much 24/7. As a result, I would like the power consumption to be as low as possible and maybe in the future have the option to upgrade to more storage (more WD Red HDD's).

 

I know this a messy question, if you have any other question please feel free to comment them. Your help is much appreciated, Thank you!

 

 

Hey Hosky,

 

Regarding the storage, here are my two cents on it:

WD Red are great drives for what you are going for. They are NAS/RAID class drives which makes them ideal for 24/7 running in a server. They are also equipped with Intellipower so power consumption shouldn't be a problem. 

Depending on how much space you would need, I would say RAID1 would be your most appropriate option as it provides you with redundancy in case something happens with one of the drives. 2x3TB is a good option if 3TB are enough for you. If not - get a larger one and then add a second one down the road when your budget allows it.

 

Captain_WD.

[wpirobotbuilder]

Hey all,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this:)

 

I would like to build my own home server which will most likely be running 1-2 websites, a teamspeak server, and be used as a file backup. I have three questions regarding this:

 

Question 1: I need help deciding on the most effective components for my server. I am looking at getting the Corsair 250D mini-itx case and therefore would like a mini-itx motherboard. I am also unsure on which cpu to get. Should I go i3 or Xeon??!?Which is the best suited to my server.

 

Question 2: I am also considering getting EEC RAM, is this worth while?

 

Question 3: I am looking at getting one WD 6TB RED HDD with plans to add more of them in later with Raid. Is this also worth while or should I go with something like two WD 3TB Red HDD? -- My case can only hold 2 SDD's and 2 HDD's.

 

I would like this server to be running pretty much 24/7. As a result, I would like the power consumption to be as low as possible and maybe in the future have the option to upgrade to more storage (more WD Red HDD's).

 

I know this a messy question, if you have any other question please feel free to comment them. Your help is much appreciated, Thank you!

Depending on the website traffic and teamspeak server usage, you might need more than an i3. I think it would be fine, as the file server will use very few CPU cycles. If you wanted (or needed to in the future), you could go with a 4790K or high-end Xeon -- your power consumption would not increase by very much, as all modern CPUs draw very little power at idle.

 

ECC RAM is worthless unless you are doing very serious work. It would also require a more expensive CPU and motherboard, not to mention more expensive memory.

 

How much storage do you realistically need? Two 6TB drives in RAID 1 is about as much storage as you could possibly get in that form factor, but if you won't ever use 6TB then it doesn't make much sense. Buy whatever capacity you will be able to fill up, or buy a case that has more HDD slots if you do need to expand in the future.

 

I would recommend getting a small SSD for your boot drive. 64GB should be plenty.

[Hosky]

Depending on the website traffic and teamspeak server usage, you might need more than an i3. I think it would be fine, as the file server will use very few CPU cycles. If you wanted (or needed to in the future), you could go with a 4790K or high-end Xeon -- your power consumption would not increase by very much, as all modern CPUs draw very little power at idle.

 

ECC RAM is worthless unless you are doing very serious work. It would also require a more expensive CPU and motherboard, not to mention more expensive memory.

 

How much storage do you realistically need? Two 6TB drives in RAID 1 is about as much storage as you could possibly get in that form factor, but if you won't ever use 6TB then it doesn't make much sense. Buy whatever capacity you will be able to fill up, or buy a case that has more HDD slots if you do need to expand in the future.

 

I would recommend getting a small SSD for your boot drive. 64GB should be plenty.

 

 

 

Hey Hosky,

 

Regarding the storage, here are my two cents on it:

WD Red are great drives for what you are going for. They are NAS/RAID class drives which makes them ideal for 24/7 running in a server. They are also equipped with Intellipower so power consumption shouldn't be a problem. 

Depending on how much space you would need, I would say RAID1 would be your most appropriate option as it provides you with redundancy in case something happens with one of the drives. 2x3TB is a good option if 3TB are enough for you. If not - get a larger one and then add a second one down the road when your budget allows it.

 

Captain_WD

Both good suggestions. I probably wont go with EEC ram at the current moment for my servers use, as you said it is probably unnecessary. Raid 1 also sounds like a gret way to go. Thanks for your help guys:)

[manikyath]

Some more interesting information. Thank you. I am looking at this video now. I am unsure of what you are referring to when you talk about Linux. Do you not think this is a good OS for this server?

i am convinced linux is a very good home server OS, but i would keep data drives just data, nothing more. your server might also get a bit snappier if you get an SSD, or a 7200RPM laptop HDD to run the OS off.

 

i had my fair share of experience running programs from a 5400RPM drive to tell you its worth getting an extra drive. this could also allow you to run the websites off a faster hard drive, meaning they load faster for the end user as well.

 

to hook into the thread: 64GB SSD should be fine. maybe also consider getting a cheap laptop HDD as a "programs" disk.

 

a small illustration:

 

- 2.5inch bay

-- boot SSD, contains your linux install

-- 7200rpm programs disk for things too big to put on the main SSD

 

- 3.5inch bay

-- 2x 6TB WD red for data storage, dont run programs off this, it'll be rather slow.

[Hosky]

i am convinced linux is a very good home server OS, but i would keep data drives just data, nothing more. your server might also get a bit snappier if you get an SSD, or a 7200RPM laptop HDD to run the OS off.

 

i had my fair share of experience running programs from a 5400RPM drive to tell you its worth getting an extra drive. this could also allow you to run the websites off a faster hard drive, meaning they load faster for the end user as well.

 

to hook into the thread: 64GB SSD should be fine. maybe also consider getting a cheap laptop HDD as a "programs" disk.

 

a small illustration:

 

- 2.5inch bay

-- boot SSD, contains your linux install

-- 7200rpm programs disk for things too big to put on the main SSD

 

- 3.5inch bay

-- 2x 6TB WD red for data storage, dont run programs off this, it'll be rather slow.

This sounds good man. What do you mean by a "programs disk"??

[Captain_WD]

This sounds good man. What do you mean by a "programs disk"??

 

The second drive in the 2.5" bay would hold all third party programs that you would be using for sharing, streaming, and keeping your work going.

 

Captain_WD.

[manikyath]

This sounds good man. What do you mean by a "programs disk"??

since pretty much the entire thread is suggesting you to get a 64GB SSD, you wont have *that* much storage on your boot drive. so if you ever happen to run something on it that requires a *tad* more hard drive space, you have some extra here. this also allows you to keep potentially hard drive filling software off your boot disk. (i've seen game serverlogs get up to 27GB after the software took a dump and started spewing out errors all night long)

 

basicly, its like a lot of store built computers these days come with a "C:\" station and a "D:\" station.

[Hosky]

since pretty much the entire thread is suggesting you to get a 64GB SSD, you wont have *that* much storage on your boot drive. so if you ever happen to run something on it that requires a *tad* more hard drive space, you have some extra here. this also allows you to keep potentially hard drive filling software off your boot disk. (i've seen game serverlogs get up to 27GB after the software took a dump and started spewing out errors all night long)

 

basicly, its like a lot of store built computers these days come with a "C:\" station and a "D:\" station.

 

 

 

The second drive in the 2.5" bay would hold all third party programs that you would be using for sharing, streaming, and keeping your work going.

 

Captain_WD.

 

Ok, so is this what you guys mean sorry?

 

Two WD Red 3TB (Holds all the server data/files)

Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB SSD (The boot drive)

 

And do you mean another SDD with server programs?

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I jsut want to ensure I understand.

[Captain_WD]

Ok, so is this what you guys mean sorry?

 

Two WD Red 3TB (Holds all the server data/files)

Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB SSD (The boot drive)

 

And do you mean another SDD with server programs?

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I jsut want to ensure I understand.

 

 

Indeed. If 3TB is enough space for you, the HDD setup looks great. 128GB SSD for boot drive could even omit the need for a second 2.5" drive, depends on what and how many other server programs you plan to put in there. But in general, yes.

 

Captain_WD.

[Hosky]

 

Indeed. If 3TB is enough space for you, the HDD setup looks great. 128GB SSD for boot drive could even omit the need for a second 2.5" drive, depends on what and how many other server programs you plan to put in there. But in general, yes.

 

Captain_WD.

 

Sweet, Thanks friend.

[paprikman]

Xeon is not necessary for such home server, but if u can afford it - would be great.

It's also better to get 3 TB instead of 5 (as mentioned before) and save money for a future update/'rainy day'.

As for power consumption - it depends. But if u're running a 24\7 game server or something, it will be quite noticeable.

 

P.S. Also mind to configure your firewall and iptables because of ddos attack risks.

[Hosky]

Xeon is not necessary for such home server, but if u can afford it - would be great.

It's also better to get 3 TB instead of 5 (as mentioned before) and save money for a future update/'rainy day'.

As for power consumption - it depends. But if u're running a 24\7 game server or something, it will be quite noticeable.

 

P.S. Also mind to configure your firewall and iptables because of ddos attack risks.

Some good ideas. I will look into the firewall too. Thanks mate:)

[manikyath]

Ok, so is this what you guys mean sorry?

 

Two WD Red 3TB (Holds all the server data/files)

Samsung 850 Pro Series 128GB SSD (The boot drive)

 

And do you mean another SDD with server programs?

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I jsut want to ensure I understand.

the idea is you have 4 drives:

 

64 or 128GB SSD you install linux on. this contains your root (ext4), and the swap area.

cheap laptop HDD formatted for linux (ext4) to put any large programs on. (think gameservers, perhaps your webpages, teamspeak server if you want to allow file uploads.)

2x 3TB WD RED in raid 1, formatted in your filesystem of choice. (ext4, NTFS, ...)

 

the reason you want big programs off that main SSD is because *if* they suddenly decide to eat lots of extra space (for example someone uploads a large file to teamspeak) you could fill up your root partition and then you're done playing.

[rtpb5642]

Zeon, Unless ur hosting for clients dont bother with ECC, lower capacity HDDS have less problems, go for 2 3TB

 

As for the OS, i use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 on my home server with webmin installed for management of SSH, FTP etc.

[Hosky]

the idea is you have 4 drives:

 

64 or 128GB SSD you install linux on. this contains your root (ext4), and the swap area.

cheap laptop HDD formatted for linux (ext4) to put any large programs on. (think gameservers, perhaps your webpages, teamspeak server if you want to allow file uploads.)

2x 3TB WD RED in raid 1, formatted in your filesystem of choice. (ext4, NTFS, ...)

 

the reason you want big programs off that main SSD is because *if* they suddenly decide to eat lots of extra space (for example someone uploads a large file to teamspeak) you could fill up your root partition and then you're done playing.

 

 

Zeon, Unless ur hosting for clients dont bother with ECC, lower capacity HDDS have less problems, go for 2 3TB

 

As for the OS, i use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 on my home server with webmin installed for management of SSH, FTP etc.

Okay, I'll look into getting another sdd for programs. Thanks for the Red hat recommendation, that should help alot rtpb5642:)

 

Thanks for your help guys!