Zfs Pool Storage

[Enquiries]

I am currently using an intel nuc running proxmox, I am using it for several VM and services including my Plex server. My current storage is a 12 TB external hard drive connected to the NUC by USB. I was looking into expanding my storage to five 18 TB hard drives on raidz1. I need advice on what would be the best hardware/software for me. One of the options I am looking into is using the zfs pool in proxmox while connecting the drives using some sort of DAS like the Sabrent drive bay, the other option I am looking into is using truenas, whether it be using a USB connecting DAS or some other dedicated hardware (need advice on the hardware). I would prefer to buy the hardware in phases but I understand it is difficult to expand the zfs pool, so advice on that would be appreciated. I can get the 5 hard drives for around $1500 so I would like to get any other hardware I need for about $500.

[ed]

Expanding your storage capacity with five 18 TB hard drives on raidz1 is a great idea. Here are some options to consider based on your preferences and budget:

Option 1: Proxmox with ZFS pool and Sabrent drive bay

If you prefer to stick with Proxmox, you can use ZFS as your file system and create a ZFS pool with the five 18 TB hard drives using a DAS like the Sabrent drive bay. This will allow you to use the same hardware that you are already familiar with and avoid the need to migrate your existing VMs and services to a new platform.

To create a ZFS pool in Proxmox, you can use the "zpool" command-line utility. Here's an example command to create a raidz1 pool with five 18 TB drives:


zpool create poolname raidz1 /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd /dev/sde /dev/sdf
Replace "poolname" with the name you want to give to your ZFS pool, and "/dev/sdX" with the device names of your hard drives.

Option 2: TrueNAS with dedicated hardware

If you prefer to use a dedicated storage platform, TrueNAS is an excellent choice. TrueNAS is based on the FreeBSD operating system and uses ZFS as its file system, which is well-suited for data storage and protection.

To use TrueNAS with your five 18 TB hard drives, you can either connect them via USB or invest in a dedicated hardware solution such as a NAS enclosure. A NAS enclosure will provide more flexibility and scalability, as you can easily add more hard drives as needed.

There are several NAS enclosures to choose from, but one popular option is the Synology DS920+. This enclosure supports up to four 3.5-inch hard drives and two M.2 NVMe SSDs for caching, which can improve performance. It also has a user-friendly web interface for managing your storage and data.

Option 3: Hardware RAID card with ZFS pool

Another option to consider is using a hardware RAID card to create a RAID array with your five 18 TB hard drives, and then using ZFS as the file system to manage the RAID array. This approach will offload the RAID processing to the hardware RAID card, which can improve performance.

To use a hardware RAID card with Proxmox or TrueNAS, you'll need to make sure the card is compatible with the operating system and that you have the necessary drivers installed. You'll also need to configure the RAID array using the card's software or firmware, and then create a ZFS pool on top of the RAID array.

One popular hardware RAID card is the LSI SAS 9207-8i, which supports up to eight SAS/SATA hard drives and has good compatibility with both Proxmox and TrueNAS.