Home NAS Media Server

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Usually that is exactly why we do. However keep in mind the media can be pulled from the primary pool of drives while the secondary pool is rebuilding. That means we tax nothing but the processor, and really it never goes above 75% anyway. So sadly, avoiding using it doesn't help scrubs of beta.

It is hard to keep things like the scale of this in our head. Each pool consists of 5-12 disks so this that many disks the data movement in pool is pretty intense.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Will write it up when I get home

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Pool maintenance and copies run at speeds close to 600 MB/s. if we used a standard drive to handle the logging for that it is bottlenecked. Hence the SSDs.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

I am not, but my other friends might be why?

badkarma9924 · 5 days

This is true, but we are still under that limit for what would be needed. If I am going to buy a raid card, the card will be THE CARD we will need for future prof stuff. The curret cost of HDDs to allow better log file usage and caching has been well under that and they server multiple uses.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Oh by far we spend more time enjoying it. The real problem is not that it requires so much work. The problem is we like to mess with things. I wanted to learn more, and do more because this is also related to our jobs. You would be amazed how much it helps get you a job in sys-admin when you tell ten out of college you have managed enterprise level systems and data on a server.

The server worked gone for what we needed a long time ago, now we are reinventing the solution.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

We can in fact do HD audio. The digital out from the mac mini runs to a Dennon we use for input selection to the projector. This makes it easier when you want to play Xbox or PS3 or watch a movie to not have to change cables etc. just change the source and poof you are good. We do have to re-mux the audio though after ripping blue rays. Rest assured we run full 7.1 digital and like it.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

I made a comment above on the SSD usage, mostly advanced caching and logging when we were attempting I troubleshoot lacking transfer speeds when rebuilding pools on the server. Speed was important cause when you are in the 30-35 TB range, thing take time. Our experiments have yielded a increase in local speed by a factor of 4. This means less time waiting (overnight vs a few hours) for scrubs and such.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Yes.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

I can neither confirm nor deny the use of AnyDVD HD to rip content that is the. Re-muxed with correct audio formats.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

Delivering. At work, and on iPhone trying to answer questions.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

I would disagree. If it has been awhile since you took a look at plex, I advise you take a look again. We have all used and experimented with XBMC but Plex ultimately wins. If you would like to discuss the finer points, I suppose I can write up a list of stuff over the last three years we found helpful.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

The network topology in the house is... Not ideal. There are two Machines running Plex server as they are connected to the ethernet cables and are mostly overpriced Reddit machines. The downside to this is that you see both plex servers on any given client, which is just an annoyance really, but we would like to fix it. To display to the big screen a Mac mini is running plex client all the time, located physically on the same rack as the NAS box, with an HDMI cable running to the projector through the wall and ceiling.

Since elm and cedar(FQDNS names are actual tree names for the trees heh) are both accessible from the wired or wireless networks, you can then view all media for any other machine in the house. Currently connected there is an iMac, another Mac mini for display in a TV upstairs, two laptops, three iPhones, two windows desktops and a tablet. Most of these devices are accessing media sinultaniously on any given evening, letting me watch community for example, while the upstairs TV was playing The West Wing, and the iMac is playing Arrested Development.

As a note, we are experimenting right now with a way to abstract a lot of the need for other boxes away. I am trying to find a way to run plex media server, freeNAS and other services like exchange server in a virtual server environment. This is very similar to what most large data centers already do, but doing it on this software set with no money for enterprise level virtualization makes it tricky. When we figure it out, I will definitely write a blog about it.

badkarma9924 · 5 days

The reason is that we like to poke at things. We were getting slower transfer speeds across drives when rebuilding pools than we should have, and we're trying to troubleshoot the problem. Running out of ideas we attempted to implement some advanced caching and logging via the solid states. In the end the problem was related to a sector allocation scheme related to A-striping and the SSDs didn't do much to improve performance. This has been an iterative process and we are constantly learning how to do things better. The motherboard for the server has changed three times over the course of this project, and so has the operating system. Currently we are experimenting with virtualizing Plex on the same box along with additional services.

You are correct on all counts, the server was able to treat blue-ray (which is what almost every movie is on our system) just fine. The issue was we needed higher speeds rebuilding pools and backing up mirrors or resilvering pools. Hence the SSDs for a small boost to logging and caching. Also keep in mind the box doesn't just run The NAS.

Even though myself and two friends are CS by trade, we had never really had experience with enterprise grade NAS storage on this level. This has lead to a long learning experience with more than a few "oh shit" moments. So to answer the question, the solid states do very little for the NAS setup, but they will hopefully help in the future for planned implementations on the to do list.

badkarma9924 · 6 days

The whole thing runs ZPool scrubs at over 600 MBps. Drives are hot-swappable, with two pools of logical data storage. Alpha is the main pool, with Beta being a mirror. Using ZFS in a FreeNAS 7.2.X build the pools offer double disk failure redundancy. In other words, a disk in each pool can fail and the data is still protected. The server connects to a mac mini to display the video via HDMI to a projector, and all data is transmitted over CAT-6 Ethernet to every room in the house. Wireless devices can also access the media from anywhere in the house, and using the Plex app can watch media simultaneously.

If there is significant interest I can post a How To guide and more detailed specs for everything.

Epicpimpage · 7 days

OP, you should post your other kit as well. At that level you use stiffened shooting jackets, pants, and shoes. People might love to see everything put together. Do you use blinders?

I shot sporter 3-position air rifle in high school. That division has very limiting rules and we weren't allowed to use rifles that nice or customized. Let alone all the other stabilizing gear and clothing. Still managed to rack up 560's in the junior olympics though. Seeing that piece of art you got there makes me miss those days. How do you practice and how much? Got any advice for someone who wants to get back in it?

TheATLien · 9 days

Would you care if I use this logo in the future or modify it slightly to be used as a logo? It is exactly what I was looking for and would be so exited to discuss it with you. Thanks!

CarmenSanDiego___ · 9 days

Cant believe I was the first to notice this: Summer Glau Look Alike!!!!!!

reemusk · 11 days

Savage Model Mk II BTVS. Period. Best .22 LR rifle I ever owned. Pretty as hell too.

$381 at Cheaper Than Dirt right now.

Sauce: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/43580-55.html

badkarma9924 · 20 days

I edited the post to include a link to proof. See top.

badkarma9924 · 20 days

I will just run one I will code up in java. It will then set it for a random number between 1 and however many posts there are by tonight. The number I get will be the comment that wins.

makanguru · 24 days

I am sorry, but this is security theater. There is no conceivable margin of error that is small enough when shooting from a helicopter at a moving plane to warrant this tactic. Assuming for a second the helicopter is perfectly still, which it isn't, you are still limited to the Minute of Angle of the rifle and the skill of the shooter in adapting to changing external ballistic conditions. Things like wind speed at multiple locations along the path of the bullet, elevation, angle to target, and a host of other factors play into taking a precise shot. That said, even if the plan was for the helicopters to intercept and fly closer to the dedicated aircraft,(helicopter vs fixed wing aircraft btw = helicopter generally loses) the buffeting of the two objects moving through space on independent vectors makes success using this tactic so small that it is not even to be considered. You have seconds to intercept, get to a reasonable distance, calculate shot range, account for what would be very high and variable winds between you and the target, and shoot. It would make more sense to give a door gunner a machine gun than to operate in this fashion. This leads me to believe the sniper's role will be in actuality what it usually is; intelligence gathering. These men will be used to monitor and provide both a birds eye view and also be a quickly deployable reaction force in the event an incident.

TL;DR: Nope. PR to make you feel better.

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