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Merge 2 servers into 1 Pool?

RobRob
edited April 2012 in DrivePool
Hi,

I just finished filling 2 servers I have and during this process I started wondering if it is possible to "merge" the 2 servers into 1 server and create one large pool. Both servers consist of 18 drives and have only 1 sata connection left on each server.

Is something like this technically possible? Maybe connecting one server to the other using e-sata? Turning one server into one large external disc. And would DP be able to handle this?
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Comments

  • ShaneShane
    Resident Guru
    The bad news: you can't simply join two motherboards via sata, it doesn't work that way.

    The good news: you can turn the second server into a case full of additional discs for your first server.

    The fine print: you'll need to spend some money on one or more port multiplier devices. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_multiplier

    The gist is that you run your (e)sata cable(s) from the first server's motherboard/cards to the port multiplier(s), and then run the (e)sata cables from the port multiplier(s) to the second server's drives. You can also, if you want, get a special cable that slaves the second server's PSU to the first server, so that it powers up/down when the first server does. The motherboard in the second server is no longer used.

    Port multipliers are available as cards and hubs; which you choose will depend on your personal preferences (and how much of a visual "frankenbox" you intend to create :p)
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  • ShaneShane
    edited April 2012 Resident Guru
    EDIT: I worded this really badly. Bad guru, no cookie! See my later post instead.

    Keep in mind that a port multiplier only multiplies the number of ports, not the performance - that gets divided instead (by the number of drives you attach).

    You could also do this via USB instead of SATA, but your performance is going to suck even worse.

    Other alternatives can mitigate the performance problems, but would cost far, far more than simply buying a dedicated NAS solution.
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  • ShaneShane
    Resident Guru
    Hmm. You'll also have to check that your motherboard/cards support having a port multiplier attached; not all do.
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  • griffogriffo
    Member
    An alternative is to setup one server using it as an iSCSI target and have the other connect using an iSCSI Initiator.
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  • ShaneShane
    Resident Guru
    Hi griffo, that looks interesting. For those of us less technically-inclined (or simply time-challenged), can you recommend any quick-and-dirty guides to setting up such a connection?
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  • RobRob
    Member
    Yeah, I have found some pictures during my Google quest from a guy who basically handcrafted some HDD holds and had a huge tentacle like creature residing in his attic space now. Performance is an issue, especially when moving data (took me days to move everything to DP).

    Looking at the amount of time and effort I will be better of to keep things as they are for now and maybe swap the small 1TB drives with 3TB drives when they come down in price a bit. But I will look around and see what the hardware will set me back.
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  • ShaneShane
    edited April 2012 Resident Guru
    In the light of morning after what must've been some badly needed sleep, I've realised I worded the port multiplier effect on performance VERY badly: Performance *of individual ports* would be *consumed* (not divided) by the *total throughput* (not number) of attached drives *in use on that port*.

    Does that make sense? And furthermore, even a SATA1 link is 1.5Gbps; if a port and attached multiplier are both SATA2, the drives on that multiplier have 3Gbps of capacity to play with.

    So optimising the placement of the port multipliers for the drives across both servers could result in you seeing only minor to negligible performance hits at all.

    (and the thought also occurs to me that if the server cases are similar enough in size and shape, you could pull out the backboard on the one that's just drives, hinge them together across the rear, and end up with a giant case that opens up sort of like an old over-sized mac tower :p)
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  • RobRob
    Member
    Would it be possible to add mounted network drives to DP?

    I tried this, but the drive only shows in the normal Windows explorer, but not under the dashboard. Maybe it is not supported or I am missing a step, but would be a nice feature.

    In this way you could use any old shoe you have, chuck it full of drives and add them wherever they are. So not everything needs to be in one box. Pool drives from every PC in the house, synchronizing all the data get rid of all duplicate and more duplicate data. Bet Storage Spaces has not thought of that.

    @ griffo.

    If you want could you make a small tutorial (or explain a bit more in detail) regarding the iSCI target thing. I googled, but this is a bit above my tech level.

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  • saitoh183saitoh183
    Resident Guru
    No, using network drives in your pool is not possible at this time
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