Need assistance and advice with NFS Server

[MAFoElffen]

The ASUS X99 is ATX and has all the ports you need for expansion down the road...

[sgt-mike]

In my haste, I completely forgot /confused with a different Asus board that the Asus X99-A and I7-5900K that I have obtained / ordered doesn't come with a onboard graphics... oops lol NP.
I'm sure I can either find one, or use one that is plugged into a system that I have (the Nvida Geforce GTX 10XX Founders edition comes to mind as that system would default to the onboard graphics system if need be ) to validate the MB / processor /PSU is in good working order upon arrival of the items, before installation into the case. Will just need need to pick up some RAM (DDR4, most my existing systems have DDR3) before testing components as well as a CPU cooler.

I did go to pcpartspicker web site to see what the estimated wattage draw would /might be with the max number of drives, etc, just to ballpark. the estimate. The results was 751 Watts or so. The 1000 Watt PSU I picked up should be good to go. I just wish that the site did not have SAS drives greyed out thus causing me to use SATA drives for the estimate.

Now once the items test good to go, I plan on running the operating system (Ubuntu Server 22.04.4 LTS) on the m.2 NvME slot provided, separate from the ZFS pools which will reside on SAS/SATA drives.
I was looking at as small as possible in capacity /cost NvME .

Now here is where I have a actual question is there any brand name of NvME I should avoid ?
I do understand that the OS will only need roughly < 2Gbs of space, so I was thinking 32-64ish would be more than enough.

Per the manual it on page 1-22 it states on the following information to that M.2 socket
" This socket allows you to install an M.2 (NGFF) SSD module. .....This socket supports M Key and type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices......" Just in case anybody needs specifics in order to answer the question.


In closing like I said there is really only 1 question, and that is there a brand of NvME to avoid?

And by that a brand that just doesn't work well with Linux or has a higher than normal failure rate in your individual experience.

[sgt-mike]

I did find this in the correct manual.. I originally down loaded the manual for the Asus X99-A II , the correct one is Asus X99-A ......
"M.2 Support*
This motherboard features the M.2 slot, which shares bandwidth with PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot
to speed up data transfer up to 32 Gb/s. This helps enhance the performance of your SSD
(Solid State Drive) that is dedicated only to the operating system.
* Supports PCIe Mode only "

so if I am reading and comprehending correctly I can ONLY use 1 at a time M,2 Or PCI Express Which if understand it is also called a U.2 in the manual.


The great thing about typing and posting all this for is the ability for me to go back read over this and realize what should be obvious
I had posted two NvME's and then deleted them they was PCIe ver 4.0 x 4 slot if I had not done this, I probably wouldn't have caught it until I had ordered it.
my board is PCIe version 3.0 x 4 slot

OK back to searching......
For a PCIe 3.0x4 lane NvME ...

1.Corsair Force MP500 120 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
didn't find a Amazon listing
Power tech review https://www.techpowerup.com/228667/c...nvme-pcie-ssds

2. Intel Optane P1600X 58 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Optane-...05&sr=8-1&th=1

Toms Hardware website https://www.tomshardware.com/news/in...ane-ssd-p1600x

3. HP EX900 120 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
https://www.amazon.com/HP-EX900-Inte...s%2C375&sr=8-1

Power Up tech
https://www.techpowerup.com/ssd-spec...00-120-gb.d417


I like what I read on the Intel Optane while not the fastest but the latency and caching is attention grabbing .... the Cost I like... just not sure if's a good choice and at $15.00 and after writing this part I find this white Paper from Intel addressing that exact Drive
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...uSgXf0hCsbYw5r

I think I will go this route UNLESS sage advice says something like ohh it won't work as after I read that I was tipped over the edge, Also recalling that marketing departments also write that not the IT guys building developing.
Well looks like my small campfire got peed on (only because the Chipset predates the Optane, not a big deal)
https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel...p/285396#M1867

[MAFoElffen]

Well, you are receiving this (keep this manual for your reference): https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/m...?model=x99a_ii

This Silicon Image Orion Expansion card is what Dell uses for their Servers and Desktops to add a DVI-D port to their computers (only $10):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/23426631091...EaAjU_EALw_wcB

Dang... Use that one as an example. That comes with a low profile slot plate. You rwould need a high-profile DVI-D plate... Wait 1. Here is a high profile one for $49. (You could still shop around, now that you know what you are looking for.)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/32577960055...caApYsEALw_wcB

Let's see if I still have one of the Dell PN's...
EDIT: Here you go. Dell branded, high-profile, $10:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/33459618276...YaAhxWEALw_wcB

Your PCIe x16-3 slot is only x4 lane... Put it in that slot. You wouldn't be using that x4 slot for a storage controller anyways. LOL

It will see any Intel i915 based GPU and adding output of that video through it's port. That way you are using the iGPU video from your CPU... (It's usually used to add a video port.)

[sgt-mike]

------------------Update Apr 13th 2024---------
Conducted testing of Motherboard/CPU components before case arrival and installation. All tested good to go .
I used the GTX10XX Geforce GPU for testing only into bios screen. Now to get the Video card /HBA that you pointed out to dedicate to that Motherboard.
As well as populating the board with max RAM after a Bios update.

-------------------------Added Apr 15th--------------

Did a little more research into the MB. Found a interesting part dealing with the M.2 Slot which is sort of mentioned in another post on here https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2496339
going through the PCIe x16 slots in the manual . Seems slot 4 (x16_4) shares band width with the M.2 slot and is disabled when the M.2 slot is utilized.
So if I use the M.2 slot as a boot device as I had originally planned. I lose one X16 slot, or if the slot is needed I could shift the boot device to a SSD/Sata via the 10 onboard sata connections.

This isn't really a problem as I could configure to boot from either just need to plan.
so I install a LSI SAS controller (LSI 9300-16i 16 port) in X16 _ 1 slot and another LSI 9300-16i 16 port in X16 _2 slot, that leaves slot X16_3 for Video /GPU. If NvME is installed then X16_4 (which is actually X4) is disabled.
Which the two HBA's will allow me 32 sas ports plus I have 10 sata ports unused.
Now I could just use a 4 port HBA with the 16 Port HBA which will allow 20 sas ports and the 10 sata ports. which is more than the case can house either way. So there isn't a down side These configurations only leaves me with two PCIe X1 slots available.

Or I could boot from a sata port with a drive similar to this https://www.ebay.com/itm/20425432266...Bk9SR8q3iJ7bYw
That means I could put the video card in X16_4 slot freeing up one x16 slot in the HBA's & video / GPU configuration listed above

Either way of booting Linux both options is still faster than a spinning sata drive.

Thinking this through as I type all of this I'm wondering if the safest bet wouldn't be the Enterprise SSD Sata configuration versus the NvME M.2, even though the NvME would be blistering in speed.
Remembering I'm talking boot devices not the ZFS vdev's drives here.
Thoughts and which way would you lean?

P.S. I'm not whining over the loss of the X16 slot as I honestly don't think it will affect me down the road.