Why I Picked UNRAID?

included in Computer

2021-10-12 952 words 5 minutes

Introduction

I have many computers that I can use. I require something to centralize the data so that I do not go guessing where I put that document, picture, video, audio, etc. I know I need a NAS and I know what is a NAS. I went on a hunt for software that I can use for a NAS. I could use Linux and set it up as a NAS. Increasing the storage is not easy. Sure I can use LVM (Logical Volume Management) and then try many filesystems and measure the degree of hardness when resizing the filesystem to a large capacity. Also, I will learn something new like LVM. I figure I would like to have something easy to set up and easy to expand when I need more storage. So you are guessing why I picked unRAID for the software for my NAS.

The Goals for the NAS

The goals are required to be decided on before the hunt for the software. The goals are the following.

Easy to expand storage
Ease of use Management
Does not require a lot of computer resources (CPU, RAM, disk storage, network)

Hunting for NAS software

Searching for NAS software is easy. Picking one is the hardest part. After typing NAS software in a search engine, many software comes up. They are TruNAS, FreeNAS, UNRAID, and OpenMediaVault. Which one should a tech dude choose? 🤓

TruNAS

A proprietary paid NAS software. Its high seller point is that it comes with support for ZFS – a highly rated filesystem as being the “best.” I should not say it is completely proprietary since it is open source and I do not advocate that open source is the best use or the only way to choose if going for a personal setup. ZFS systems requirements rely on options but preferably following rules of thumb when planning on using ZFS. The rules of thumb are as follows.

For every 1 TB of storage capacity, 1 GB of RAM is required for good performance ECC memory is required to take advantage of the CRC that ZFS does to minimize data corruption

Sure, do not need to follow these rules. However, if you want good performance without any problems or penalties, these are good to follow. I have not used ZFS because these rules make using ZFS expensive. I have not used TruNAS, so take the information as a grain of salt.

FreeNAS

A discontinued free version of TruNAS. It seems that TruNAS provided its software for free later. Again I have not used FreeNAS, so take the information as a grain of salt.

UNRAID

This is interesting NAS software created by Limewire. It sets up a proprietary array that includes a parity drive with an option to add another parity drive later on. Manages storing data in JBOD (Just of a bunch of disks) and each drive designated as data drives are formatted using any known filesystems. Also, can have a mixture of filesystems if wanted. Depending on the selection of filesystems and if Limewire goes out of business or does not want to use UNRAID anymore. The data drives can be accessible individually in Linux. How UNRAID manages its array resembles RAID-4.

OpenMediaVault

OpenMediaVault is another software to manage a server. It is basic how it manages a server. It gives an option to use a Debian install or use its image to use it. Like I said for TruNAS and FreeNAS, I have not used OpenMediaVault, so take the information with a grain of salt.

What is a NAS

I had a curiosity about having a NAS or Network Attach Storage. A NAS is a fancy acronym for a file server. I did some research on what NAS is out there. I looked for ready-set-go options like Synlogye, Qnap, and others. I also looked at server software like TruNAS, FreeNAS, and unRAID.

Ready-Set-Go NAS

These NAS are from Synlogy, Qnap, Asustor, and others. These are NAS right out of the box. All they need is storage devices such as hard drives or solid-state drives. These have a way to expand storage which is a plus. The only downside of these is they are proprietary NAS. If they fail or the manufacturer drops support, data may not be retrievable. Of course, this can be minimized by doing backups.

DIY NAS

These NAS types require the user to set up and install the software. I already know how to build a computer, so it is no big deal. These NAS may require stricter hardware requirements which may make the cost of the NAS more expensive than thought. TrueNAS and FreeNAS are NAS software that need ECC memory and a lot of memory depending on file storage capacity. The reason for this is the file system that it uses and file system requirements. ZFS is the default file system for TrueNAS and FreeNAS. ZFS is an excellent file system from what I read, but its hardware requirements will make building a NAS very expensive. Also, there are not a lot of tutorials on successfully increasing file storage capacity with ZFS.

The other option is unRAID. It does not require strict hardware requirements. It can run on computers that I already have. It can easily expand file storage. Looks like this is what I will choose.

System Setup

I have a computer that I do not use and I know that it is reliable and stable. The following are its components.

ASUS B75M-PLUS
Intel i7-3770
Scythe Mugen 5 rev. C
32 GB (4 x 8 GB DDR3-1866)
Fractal Design Define S (mark 1 / No Window)
Noctua Redux 140mm PWM
my own twist of 3D printed hard drive cage 🤓