Home server - HP Proliant Microserver - Software and setup - OS on USB stick?

4

I've just purchased a HP ProLiant Microserver for home use. I want to set up with web server, samba shares, the usual stuff. My question is really about system setup.

It has an internal USB socket so I've attempted to install a copy of Fedora 14 onto it. I turned off X/Gnome, but it still ran like a pig.

I've now put the OS on one of the internal disks (250Gb, 7200rpm), but I was wondering if there was a way to utilise the internal USB to give me better power-saving allowing the hard drives to be shut down when not in use.

How would you set this server up? I'd rather not go to the extra cost of an SSD right now, but if that's the best way then so be it.

Lloyd Watkin

Posted 2011-03-19T14:29:54.110

Reputation: 186

Answers

2

It is possible to install the OS to USB, I have a miniserver from a subnotebook configured in this way, and runs perfectly since more than 2 years. USB's speed is not as much as SATA/SAS, so maybe it would be a better solution to replace the 3.5" internal hard drives to 2.5" HDDs. It's the same power, but better speed. You can setup hdd spin down with hdparm -B command. Generally I don't use it, because it reduces HDD lifetime, and a 2.5" HDD power consumption is less than 2W (in my tests) What cause problem in the setup ?

Glendyr

Posted 2011-03-19T14:29:54.110

Reputation: 155

There was no problem in the setup, everything ran fine, it was just very slow, especially with concurrent reading/writing. – Lloyd Watkin – 2011-03-21T14:57:53.847

"replace the 3.5" internal hard drives to 2.5" HDDs. It's the same power, but better speed." - smaller mechanical drives are generally slower due to miniaturisation complexities. – Andy – 2011-03-21T15:00:10.227

I mean better speed than USB based solution. Internal 2.5" hard drives on native SATA interface produces much better performance than USB attached 3.5" ones in my experience. – Glendyr – 2011-03-21T16:50:21.320

0

Try to use FreeNAS. I use this OS on USB flash. So I have keep all HDD is only for NAS. =)

daruz

Posted 2011-03-19T14:29:54.110

Reputation: 1

Asked: 2011-03-19T14:29:54.110

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Active: 2012-03-09T09:15:54.153