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    New 1U build with pics - what install?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
    14 Posts 8 Posters 2.0k Views
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    • P Offline
      PiBa
      last edited by

      Full-install is the best way going forward, nanobsd wont be available anymore when 2.4 becomes available.
      Also full install, if wanted, can be configured to use memory disks for /var to reduce writes from logs&leases. And the biggest ssd issues used to come from first generation ssd's afaik..

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      • H Offline
        hardingnick
        last edited by

        Thanks PiBA,

        I was wondering if there was a way i could configure it so that it does a bulk write to the disk over a period of time rather than hundreds of small ones?

        Hopefully it runs without any hickups. All parts are brand new so hoping they will last.

        Going to put windows 7 on it first just to use some familiar testing tools, as i want to assess the cooling on this unit when under full load (not that it should ever reach those kind of levels)

        Didn't realise they were dropping Nanobsd.

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        • K Offline
          kpa
          last edited by

          Don't worry about SSD write counts unless you're doing some very heavy web caching with Squid or another proxy. PfSense should turn on TRIM for you and if it doesn't it's easy to turn on after the initial install. Your set up is slightly overkill imo with the RAID1 setup for the disks and if it's done with the motherboard's built-in SoftRAID it can be problematic for pfSense in case a disk really dies on you, the GMIRROR RAID1 system in FreeBSD and pfSense is much better and recommended if you really want RAID1. With the 60GB disks you have I would use only about 80% of them and leave the rest as unpartitioned, this will help TRIM to have some unused space to play with.

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          • jahonixJ Offline
            jahonix
            last edited by

            The MB doesn't seem to be ideal for a 1U install as far as airflow is concerned.
            The two blower fans push air where the RAM bars block it and the CPU heatsink does not have a front-back venting direction but left-right. And the fan is blowing top-bottom, which in a 1U case is … sub optimal.
            You will want front-back ventilation everywhere.

            What's the deal with your concerns about write cycles of your SSDs if other components are stressed with unnecessary heat (I don't say excessice, though).

            Generated noise from strange air flow would be a factor for me as well.

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            • Q Offline
              q54e3w
              last edited by

              Id also be wary of those flexible PCI risers, Ive seen them introduce errors before - although when they do work, they work well enough.

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              • dotdashD Offline
                dotdash
                last edited by

                Are you trying to use the built-in motherboard raid? If so, try resetting the drives to stand alone and setting up the mirror in the pfsense installer.

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                • H Offline
                  hardingnick
                  last edited by

                  Hi dotdash,

                  Yes I'm trying to set up raid1 within the bios, how would I go about doing this with the installer?

                  Best regards,

                  Nick Harding.

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                  • dotdashD Offline
                    dotdash
                    last edited by

                    @hardingnick:

                    Yes I'm trying to set up raid1 within the bios, how would I go about doing this with the installer?

                    Just delete the raid volume, sometime there is an option to reset the disks to non-raid from the BIOS raid utility.
                    Then install pfSense with two separate disks- the installer will give you the option to create a mirror. You have to use the advanced, not quick install option.

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                    • johnpozJ Online
                      johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                      last edited by

                      how much did it cost?

                      An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                      If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                      Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                      SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

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                      • H Offline
                        hardingnick
                        last edited by

                        Hi johnpoz, probs approaching 500 all in but its a great build. slightly on the noisy side as most 1U's are but loaded it up with lots of heavy traffic, and its basically still at idle, which is fantastic!

                        In the end i did wipe the hardware raid and go with the pfsense mirror, worked first time, very impressed.

                        Will be putting it live tonight so will keep you all updated, all settings are in place just waiting for the network to quieten down so i can make the switch, hope it goes nice and smoothly.

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