Migrating PVE from X10SLH to HP T730 thin client

[inxsible]

I currently have my proxmox installed on a 2U server with 32GB of RAM and a Xeon E3-1220 V3 processor and 1000w redundant psus. I have 11 lightweight LXC containers running and the current server is extremely under utilized. I am also using 6 out of 12 bays as a ZFS replication target from my TrueNAS Core. This is set up as a single RAIDZ2 vdev in the zpool.

I was thinking of migrating my Proxmox server to a HP T730 thin client -- a test bed for the OpnSense firewall - that I have lying around and convert my existing server to a TrueNAS Scale install with 12 HDDs. Then I'd make my current TrueNAS Core install as a backup NAS.

The T730 specs currently are:

• AMD RX-427BB cpu
• 4GB DDR3L RAM
• 32GB SSD (B+M key)
• Realtek RTL ethernet controller
• supports 1 LP PCIe card -- currently Intel i340-T4

I know I will have to upgrade the RAM and the SSD. I am planning to buy 2x8GB of DDR3L RAM because a 16GB single stick seems to be prohibitively expensive currently.

Realtek controllers seem to be problematic when using pfSense or OpnSense which is why I was using an Intel card but I know Debian in general supports Realtek controllers. Is there anything that can go wrong with using the Realtek ethernet with Proxmox considering that I intend to use the PCIe slot for an NVMe adapter?

Finally for the SSD, since the T730 can only support a single m.2 SATA SSD, what additional precautions should I take in terms of wear and tear of the drive?
The unit cannot boot off of PCIe NVMe drives so creating a ZFS mirror is out of the question. So I was thinking maybe I can put in a single or dual NVMe adapter and add an NVMe drive to use as storage of the LXC containers and also for PBS backups. Anything that I should consider in that regard? With the dual expansion card, I might be able to use the current 32GB SSD as the Proxmox boot drive and then a mirror of 2xNVMe 1TB drives for the VM/CT storage and Proxmox backups.

 

[Dunuin]

an NVMe drive to use as storage of the LXC containers and also for PBS backups

Don't store your backups on the same disk as your guests.

With the dual expansion card, I might be able to use the current 32GB SSD as the Proxmox boot drive and then a mirror of 2xNVMe 1TB drives for the VM/CT storage and Proxmox backups.

Those dual M.2 cards are either damn expensive because they got a PCIe multiplexer chip or they are cheap without such a chip but then your mainboard needs to offer PCIe multiplexing and my guess would be that your thin-client isn't offering 4x4 bifurication. So even with a dual M.2 card probably only one of those slots can be used.

Realtek controllers seem to be problematic when using pfSense or OpnSense which is why I was using an Intel card but I know Debian in general supports Realtek controllers. Is there anything that can go wrong with using the Realtek ethernet with Proxmox considering that I intend to use the PCIe slot for an NVMe adapter?

Realteks are in general not great. Neither firmware-support nor features. Especially those "RTL8111/8168/8411" are problematic with PVE8. See for example here: https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/system-hanging-after-upgrade-nic-driver.129366/
But yes, should in general work with a realtec nic if you are willing to spend some time fixing stuff.

 

[inxsible]

Don't store your backups on the same disk as your guests.

Was planning on an external script to also copy the backups to my main NAS and backup NAS.

Those dual M.2 cards are either damn expensive because they got a PCIe multiplexer chip or they are cheap without such a chip but then your mainboard needs to offer PCIe multiplexing and my guess would be that your thin-client isn't offering 4x4 bifurication. So even with a dual M.2 card probably only one of those slots can be used.

That is good to know. PCIe bifurcation is not available on the thin client and I do see some dual expansion cards for around $65 but I think that's too expensive for what I gain overall. The thin client also has a m.2 slot for the WiFi -- I certainly don't need the WiFi and can remove it. Do you know of any adapter that can convert the WiFi m.2 into a storage drive m.2 slot?

Or would you rather advise using just the single m.2 SATA drive as the boot and CT storage and the Intel i340 card as the NIC?

 

[Dunuin]

Was planning on an external script to also copy the backups to my main NAS and backup NAS.

PBS isn't creating backup archives. There is just a datastore that stores everything chopped down as deduplicated chunks. Without the PBS running you can't make any use of your backups. I personally would run the PBS as a VM on the TrueNAS Scale with the datastore on that TrueNAS too as a virtual disk.

The thin client also has a m.2 slot for the WiFi -- I certainly don't need the WiFi and can remove it. Do you know of any adapter that can convert the WiFi m.2 into a storage drive m.2 slot?

They exist but you won't get the full 4 PCIe lanes without a real M key.

 

[inxsible]

Ok. Thanks @Dunuin. I really appreciate it.

Looks like the only decent option is to use it with a single m.2 SATA ssd and keep PBS backups on the NAS or a separate machine.

In that case, I could probably also convert my current desktop (HP Prodesk 600 mini G1 - core i5-4590T, 8GB RAM, Intel i217 NIC, 2.5" SATA drive) into a Proxmox server and use the thin client as the desktop.