Craig, I'm sure the other home file server users will comment on your gear and any possible benefit of a L2ARC or separate log device...
Use the default checksum which is fletcher4, I fixed the tuning guide reference, skip dedup for now. Keep things as simple as possible.
Thanks, Cindy On 09/07/10 14:58, Craig Stevenson wrote:
I am working on a home file server. After reading a wide range of blogs and forums, I have a few questions that are still not clear to me.... 1. Is there a benefit in having quad core CPU (e.g. Athlon II X4 vs X2)? All of the web blogs seem to suggest using lower-wattage dual core CPUs. But; with the recent advent of dedup, SHA256 checksum, etc., I am now wondering if opensolaris is better served with quad core. 2. For checksum on ZFS datasets, is there value in using Fletcher4 or SHA256 instead of just using the default (which Evil Tuning Guide says is Fletcher2, others say it is Fletcher4)? And, should I consider using different checksums for different ZFS datasets (e.g. irreplaceable documents and digital photos vs. backups from other machines). I think the answer was that for ZFS volumes, the checksum is only to detect an error and not for reconstructing data and so the default was fine. {Also, can you confirm the default is now Flectcher 4?} 3. Should I consider using dedup if my server has only 8Gb of RAM? Or, will that not be enough to hold the DDT? In which case, should I add L2ARC / ZIL or am I better to just skip using dedup on a home file server? Thanks, Craig ---------------- My config: [u]Use:[/u] Home File Server supporting PC and Mac machines -- audio/video files, home directories (documents & photos), and backup images. Will not run any other services. [u]Objective:[/u] adequate performance for home use; maximize protection for documents and photos; minimize administrative upkeep. [u]Configuration:[/u] OpenSolaris B134 AMD X2 260 / Asus MA4785TD-V EVO 8Gb ECC RAM (Crucial CT25672BA1339) Intel EXPI9301CT NIC LSI SAS9211-8i Boot Disk: WD Scorpio Black 250Gb (2-way mirror) Media Pool: WD Caviar Blue 640Gb (2-way mirror) Mass Storage (File & Backup) Pool: WD Carviar Blue 640Gb (9 disk Raid-Z3)
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