New Server Build with Migration - Is this a good plan?

TrueNAS General
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I have two TrueNAS CORE systems. One is a production server and the other is a backup server. They are both Xeon/Supermicro/ECC/DOM systems. They both have very similar hardware and identical pools and vDevs. 6-16TB drives in Z2.

I don’t have enough storage to keep snapshots out as long as I want and I have decided to build a new backup server. Here is my plan right now.

I ordered this server from ebay.

Processor: 2x Xeon Gold 6130 2.10GHz 16C Skylake  (total 32Cores)
Memory: 64GB DDR4 ECC REG
Hard Drives: None
Controller: 1x AOC-S3008L-L8e HBA 12Gb/s  and  AOM-SAS3-8i8E-LP Installed for external JBOD
NIC: * Integrated Dual LAN with 10GBase-T with Intel® X722 + X557

Secondary Chassis/ Motherboard specs:
Supermicro 4U 36x 3.5" Drive Bays
Server Chassis/ Case: SSG-6049P-E1CR36L
Motherboard: X11DPH-T
* Integrated IPMI 2.0 Management
Backplane: BPN-SAS3-826EL1-N4 12-port 2U SAS3 12Gbps single-expander backplane, support up to 8x 3.5-inch SAS3/SATA3 HDD/SSD and 4x NVMe/SAS3/SATA3 storage devices
BPN-SAS3-846EL1 24-port 4U SAS3 12Gbps single-expander backplane, support up to 24x 3.5-inch SAS3/SATA3 HDD/SSD
PCI-Expansions slots: 3 PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot 4 PCI-E 3.0 x8 slots
Slot 2 & 3 occupied by controller and JBOD Expansion Port
HD Caddies: 36x 3.5" Supermicro caddy  (With rear 2qty 2.5" wired to onboard sata)
Power: Dual Power supply
Rail Kit: Supermicro Rev B Rail Kit 4U

I will order 2 SSD drives for a mirrored boot pool and update all the firmare on the ebay server.

I have 6 - 8TB drives that I pulled from an older pool that still test good. I have ordered 4 more 8TB drives.

I plan to move my backup server pool of 6-16TB Z2 into the new server, then build a new pool that is 10x8TB z2 I believe that those two pools will be the same size. I would then copy the old backup pool to the newly created pool.

Then, I would reformat the original backup pool and add 4 16TB for a new vDev that is 10x16TB Z2 and add that pool to the existing 10x8TB.

Any gotchas that I should be aware of?

Thanks.

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Server is here.

I don’t even know what my next step is.

I feel like a bicycle mechanic working on a Peterbuilt truck.

All my experience is with office computer cases.

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Read the manual—or whatever makes up for it.
Open the chassis, look around.
A server is a computer, it’s just a different layout compared with desktops.

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Post pictures if you want :slight_smile:

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Have you tried turning it off and back on again?

All joking aside, it is probably time for a hardware stress test to make sure everything is working.

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First thing to do after physically checking inside that nothing is floating around and damaged after shipping is to cautiously plug it in.

Then you can connect an Ethernet to the IPMI port and try to login to the IPMI web interface.

Next thing, see if all the memory, cpu etc is recognized.

See if a BIOS update should be made.

Connect another Ethernet to another network port

After that install a couple of SSDs in the rear boot bays, then burn a TrueNAS iso to USB Thumbdrive and install TrueNAS to both SSDs.

Use a spare possibly disposable HD to check all 36 drive bays work.

Load disks in… and go for it.

After all that, you can begin figuring out how to make it quieter if you want :wink:

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