DIY clone build, based on pfSense's C2758 1U.
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Yes, the Supermicro box I posted is the same one as in the pfSense store. The prices I gave are approximate for (2) 4GB ECC DDR3 SODIMMs & an 80GB Intel DC S3500 SSD.
Thanks, main list of parts to be assessed & then bought, is below:
(1)
Any special reason why one might prefer the SSD-DC-S3500 series over anything else at roughly the same price-point ATM?
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/solid-state-drives/solid-state-drives-dc-s3500-series.html
Deals with WA etc better perhaps?
The two models I list below are more consumer geared IIRC, so perhaps the fw/controller is more optimised for diff. sort of I/O.A)
Evo range still looks pretty decent, but no idea how all these SSD's compare lately:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OBRE5UE/B)
I may have access to an ExtremeII SSD (240GB) that's barely been used:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7006/sandisk-extreme-ii-review-480gb
Doesn't seem to be on Amazon any more, replaced by 480GB revision:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00COF7E3K
AFAICT, the ExtremeII range has been superseded by the ExtremePro range:
http://www.sandisk.com/products/ssd/sata/(2)
Also RAM; apart from ECC, the right mem. bandwidth, & whether or not to get 4 or 8GB modules.
Any other characteristics & makes/models I should look out for, or does one not need to be too picky?
This looks okay, but I probably only need 4GB modules (x2), at least for now, not sure:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUYOGRM(3)
Looking at the no's, the 5018A-FTN4's 200w PSU is plenty decent, but is there better after-market ones worthwhile considering?
(power-efficiency & 24/7 consumption are also really important for this build)
Nvm, after having read through this article (esp. the conclusion), + ~several posts from here onwards;
It def. sounds good enough, I doubt the small improvements gained with an alt. PSU, would be worth the extra expense/time?!(4)
I may also need a few more Gbit ports, 10Gbe I think is overkill from this device to my switch.
So any recommendations there are greatly appreciated too…
Actually probably not needed, 5018A-FTN4 already has 4x Gbit ports…
If need more, will just buy a dedicated 4-8port Gbit+ eth switch, or use the PCIE 2.0 x8 slot for something like this.Any other final components you think may be of use, please advise…
Thanks again.
Peripheral Components:
(i.e. non-core components/parts)Might get one of these, too…
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FYNSUA -
Those cruzer fits (16GB) are what I use in pairs for FreeNAS boot.
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Might want to look at this article. You may run into issues with the supermicro MB.
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Might want to look at this article. You may run into issues with the supermicro MB.
I'm afraid that's not a motherboard issue, but a FreeBSD issue. It's not the only motherboard affected, and it's easily fixable in the OS.
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(1)
Any special reason why one might prefer the SSD-DC-S3500 series over anything else at roughly the same price-point ATM?
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/solid-state-drives/solid-state-drives-dc-s3500-series.html
Deals with WA etc better perhaps?
The two models I list below are more consumer geared IIRC, so perhaps the fw/controller is more optimised for diff. sort of I/O.A)
Evo range still looks pretty decent, but no idea how all these SSD's compare lately:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OBRE5UE/B)
I may have access to an ExtremeII SSD (240GB) that's barely been used:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7006/sandisk-extreme-ii-review-480gb
Doesn't seem to be on Amazon any more, replaced by 480GB revision:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00COF7E3K
AFAICT, the ExtremeII range has been superseded by the ExtremePro range:
http://www.sandisk.com/products/ssd/sata/(2)
Also RAM; apart from ECC, the right mem. bandwidth, & whether or not to get 4 or 8GB modules.
Any other characteristics & makes/models I should look out for, or does one not need to be too picky?
This looks okay, but I probably only need 4GB modules (x2), at least for now, not sure:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUYOGRMTo answer some of my own outstanding queries…
It clearly makes sense to go for the Extreme_II over the 3500...
The 3500 is worse in most respects when compared to the SSD 730, & even the 730 doesn't perform quite as well as the Extreme_II "overall".
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/838?vs=1141
Compared to an Evo ~240GB it may be a different matter, but as I already have the Extreme_II I'm sticking with it, tis more than good enough.Ditto for the RAM, it's on the recommended list & is about as good as it gets for the type needed, + the vast majority of reviews are very +ve.
I was firmly set on 2x8, but I may yet go back to 2x4, it depends on the total cost of this entire project (this build is just a small part of that).Later, I'll update on a whole bunch of other stuff...
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It clearly makes sense to go for the Extreme_II over the 3500…
The 3500 is worse in most respects when compared to the SSD 730, & even the 730 doesn't perform quite as well as the Extreme_II "overall".
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/838?vs=1141
Compared to an Evo ~240GB it may be a different matter, but as I already have the Extreme_II I'm sticking with it, tis more than good enough.Raw throughput and quoted IOPS on a consumer drive are not factors in a SSD purchase for a server. The DC S3500 is an (entry) enterprise drive and has power loss protection, consistent performance under multi-user workloads, and a higher endurance rating. The first is extremely important for any server, the latter two can have a big impact if you're using something like Squid.
http://www.storagereview.com/intel_ssd_dc_s3500_enterprise_review
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Yes, the last 2 I know, not hugely significant in my situation, the 1st point I'd forgotten about though.
It's definitely worth some consideration… Thanks for your input... -
Yes, I was just going to mention that. The power loss protection on the s3500 makes it a far better drive IMHO, epsecially for use in a pfSense box where drive thoughput is not often a factor.
I am running some older Intel drives for that reason.Steve
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Hope I'm not joining the conersation too late. I built my own c2558 supermicro based pfsense box for about $400.
Build details are here –> http://www.reddit.com/r/PFSENSE/comments/2gpckc/pfsense_aesni_accelerated_ipsec_in_22/cklb8at
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Will you be using disk intensive packages? If not, you could simply use NanoBSD from a USB stick or CF card (via a SATA-CF adapter) and it's gonna outlast any SSD or HDD ever…
That's how I'm deploying two C2758s now. -
The DC S3500 is an (entry) enterprise drive and has power loss protection,<snip>The first is extremely important for any server,</snip>
So consumer grade SSD's like the Extreme_II definitely don't have something like this? I've just started looking but so far I see nothing.
What about the Intel X25-V's? I have 3x 40GB units from ~4yrs back which are barely used…
N.B.
I'll have a UPS rigged-up alongside or inside the 19" rack I'm installing, it's mainly to protect this build & my NAS (+ several other less important things).Hope I'm not joining the conersation too late. I built my own c2558 supermicro based pfsense box for about $400.
Looking at those posts, it was a bit more than $400USD… :)
Thanks, but I'm only interested in a C2758 build, I haven't researched pricing carefully yet.
Best price so far (from Amazon) inc. shipping to my country is ~715USD.
That's for the 2x8GB RAM (which I may drop to 2x4GB) & doesn't include a SSD.
Not decided what I'll do WRT SSD, may use one of the models I already own.Will you be using disk intensive packages?
Quite open to what I'll be doing, I have some fixed stuff, but I don't necessarily want to be locked down to that.
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Most consumer-grade SSDs do not have any kind of power-loss protection, or it's limited (likely guarantees no corruption, but potentially loses data in flight). I think the exception was the Intel 320.
You can use whatever you want in your system, just be aware of the possible consequences. Reinstalling pfSense isn't hard, I've got the Auto Config Backup, and I run CARP, so I really don't care on my machines at work. My system at home, on the other hand, uses a better SSD.
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Think I'll just stick with the Sandisk then…
Esp. since I'll have a UPS for protection against sudden power-loss, & as you say it's not overly hard to get back up & running.Thanks mate!
I run some Intel 320s for that reason though in reality I almost certainly don't need the extra protection offered.
As Jason says re-installing is not hard if you have a backup config file which you will, right? ;)Of course…
Cheers.
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I run some Intel 320s for that reason though in reality I almost certainly don't need the extra protection offered.
As Jason says re-installing is not hard if you have a backup config file which you will, right? ;)Steve
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Very near to "pulling the trigger", just a few more things to knock over (from a sep. but related project) & then I see this:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9185/intel-xeon-d-review-performance-per-watt-server-soc-champion
Hmmm…. ;D
This could really be right, here are some benchmarks Xeon E312xxv3, Xeon E5, Xeon D1540.
http://www.servethehome.com/intel-xeon-d-1540-performance-comparison/But at these days, today I mean nothing beats a Intel Xeon E3-12xxv3 / 4 cores / 3,0 GHz
and related to the power consuming you should even also get an eye on what you need!
Saving power is a fine thing, but if I really need horsepower for 1GBit/s and 100 MBit/s VPN it is more secondary.'d really love to get this, but @1399 it's just too pricey
Supermicro C2758 Server for 850 €
8 GB DDR3 ECC RAM ~120 €
mSATA ~120 €
shipping cost ~50 €
= total 1140 € or $1.273but without any support and the system must be also installed and tuned by yours!
So why it is too high pricey?Intel Xeon D-1540 Broadwell 14 nm will be around ~900 € - 1000 € but for the board only!
- case and PSU
- mSATA/SSD
- cpu cooler
- RAM
= ~1300 € and no power saving but much more power!
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Thanks for your input,
I'm still more interested in the DIY route using the parts I've already decided on, or the other platform I linked recently.
Vastly cheaper once once does the currency conversion & includes shipping costs…
Sure that doesn't include support but I'm fine with that, we've already had that discussion in great detail previously.
The alt. platform (Xeon_D) I referenced most recently is very unlikely at this stage, I'll finalise my decision on that later.I need to know a tonne of practical/real-world examples of what I can do with the Xeon_D that I can't with the C2758.
That'll help me decide if I want to bother with it. If you can offer some examples -that'd be much appreciated.*
If none of them of them are compelling (once I understand them all), then I'm best-off going with the weaker but less power-hungry C2758.
If at least one of them is compelling, then I'll have to decide if it's compelling enough to justify the extra power consumption & cost.Cheers.
*do note that I have plans for a separate NAS build, which I intend to be much more powerful than this build -
do note that I have plans for a separate NAS build, which I intend to be much more powerful than this build
Why? The Xeon D platform is able to handle 128 GB ECC RAM instead of the Xeon E3 with 32 GB and USB 3.0 is also
given to realize FreeNAS on an USB Stick and Backup the NAS with an external USB 3.0 RDX drive, and this also very
fast! A Xeon E3-1231v3 is for ~200 € and a sufficient Board is for ~250 € enough to take all load from a full featured
pfSense 2.2.3 as I see it right.Supermicro D1540 Board
Supermicro FreeNAS
DGS1510-20 - 10 GBit/s Switch -
Because I want an "appliance" like situation there*, I'll likely be buying a QNAP.
One of the the very pricey RU's they have available for SMB+…So given that, would you suggest I go back to C2758 for my fw/gw/router build?
*at least initially
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So given that, would you suggest I go back to C2758 for my fw/gw/router build?
Not so easy to answer!
For highly usage, Power usage or users, many installed and running packets like snort, squid & squid guard
the C2758 would be wonderful enough but only on top strange VPN connections compared with urgent needed
high throughput I would go by an Xeon E3.I'll likely be buying a QNAP
Ok for sure if the Supermicro Board and miniITX case is not sufficient enough it would be a hint
or if the 4 drive bays are not enough no problem. But,- Supermicro D-1540 Board has a PCIe slot for an real RAID Controller
- 2 x USB 3.0 for USB & fast Backup options
- up to 128 GB of ECC RAM
- 8 Cores and 16 HT cores
- able to insert a DVD/BlueRay Player/Burner
This is all not given at QNAP and the real SMB+ NAS devices are not cheap, but not offering those options to you!
I don´t want to say do this or this, sleep about and think about, only you would be able to know what you really
want to do and what you really urgent need! A complete C2758 Platform from Supermicro is here in Germany where
I am able to buy a- C2758 board for ~350 €
- a miniITX case for ~90 €
- RAM 8 GB ECC 120 €
- SATADOM 64 GB for ~70 €
This is all for 630 €! And you will buy a D-1540 Board only for something around ~900 € - 1000 €!
So I really thing it is overkill, or I did not understand your needs, this is also able.
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Yeah I think I'll stick with the C2758 on the fw/gw/router build, Xeon's overkill when I'll already have another powerful CPU (not Xeon OOTB IIRC -but easily upgraded) in my NAS appliance.
I don't have time to go into detail about all of my projects (plus it's off-topic here), just know that I have several "on the boil"; a dedicated NAS appliance, a dedicated HEPC/PVR build etc.
The latter's mostly done a few yrs back, just some minor upgrades to do…
Thanks for the input, BR/Night.
