Help for new configuration

[Marco Bandini]

Hi, i'm new to Proxmox and i need some help.

I am trying to create a new configuration on my server and I have done some research but I have some questions left.

The goal is to run 5-6 vms Windows and Linux.
2x DC, DNS, DHCP (WS2019)
1x File Server without Database (WS2019)
1x Game Server like a file server but possibly faster (a linux distro still to choose from)
1x RustDesk server (Ubuntu Server)
1x Unifi Controller (Ubuntu Server)

The hardware i've got are:
X99-TF HUANANZHI (horrible but cheap)
Intel Xeon E5 2678 V3
2x 32GB DDR4 ECC 2666 (4x32GB in the future)
Intel Network Card 4 port Gbit
M5015 RAID Controller No Acceleration Key
2x 1TB Crucial P3Plus (..PCIe 4 nvme in a PCIe 3 slot, purchase made for a future upgrade)
3x 6TB WD Red Pro 7200rpm
2x 256GB Entherprise Sata SSD from SENEK
2x 256GB Samsung 860Pro

I configured the two Senek SSDs in the raid controller in raid1, and installed proxmox on them.
I will go to use this pool also for the vdisks of the os of some vm.

I configured the nics by web interface:
1 integrated port -> for proxmox ve connection
2 porte network card -> for the connection of the dc, unifi and rust servers
2 network card ports -> for connecting storage servers

From the cli I have created a RAID-0 of the two ssd nvme crucial, since I do not need the redundancy for the data that I am going to put there, setting the compression to lr4 and the ashift to 12.

zpool create -f -o ashift=12 Fast_Storage /dev/nvme0n1p1 /dev/nvme1n1p1
zfs set compression=lz4 Fast_Storage

Now I should create the storage with the 3 6TB disks and I was pleased to somehow use the two samsung ssd. Here I have the first doubt.
I better create a RAIDZ-1 from cli and use 1 ssd as cache.

zpool create -f -o ashift=? Large_Storage raidz1 <HDD1> <HDD2> <HDD3> cache <SSD1>

Or is it better to create a special device with the 2 SSDs too?

zpool create -f -o ashift=? Large_Storage raidz1 <HDD1> <HDD2> <HDD3> special mirror <SSD1> <SSD2>

I'm not even sure what command I should use to create the special device, and the ashift and compression of both.


The last question is about the best way to convert a physical windows server machine with domain controller into a vm on proxmox.

 

[bobmc]

I'm not sure the M5015 is really compatible with ZFS?
AKAIK, it-mode is not an option with these cards, so are you using JBOD mode? Or is everything running off the motherboard sata controllers?

There's a good discussion of zfs caching and options here
https://linuxhint.com/configure-zfs-cache-high-speed-io

 

[Marco Bandini]

I'm not sure the M5015 is really compatible with ZFS?
AKAIK, it-mode is not an option with these cards, so are you using JBOD mode? Or is everything running off the motherboard sata controllers?

There's a good discussion of zfs caching and options here
https://linuxhint.com/configure-zfs-cache-high-speed-io

No, you're right, M5015 is not compatible with ZFS.
Proxmox is the only things run on the M5015, all other disks are on the motherboard sata controllers.

Thanks for the info, now I take a look at the discussion.

 

[Marco Bandini]

Update:
I configured the Large_Storage as a RAIDZ1 of 3 6TB disks and a special mirror device of 2 SSD 250.
I was expecting a total space of about 12.25TB and instead it's 18.25TB wide.

zpool create -f -o ashift=12 Large_Storage raidz1 /dev/sdf /dev/sdg /dev/sdh special mirror /dev/sdd /dev/sde

Can anyone tell me why?

 

[Dunuin]

How did you check the size? The zpool command will show the raw capacity including parity data, so it outputs 18.25 TB. The zfs command will show the raw capacity minus parity data, so it should report 12.25 TB. So if you checked it with zpool list these 18.25 TB would be normal. But zfs list should still report 12.25 TB.

 

[Marco Bandini]

Thank you, I was looking at it under web interface, actually through the

zfs list

command the value is much more plausible.