WHS question

[crarbo1]

This may not be suited for this forum but I know alot of people are using WHS as the SageTV server.

My question is not about SageTV itself, but about a possible motherboard swap with my WHS. I currently have used all of my on board Sata connectors (4) for my Hard Drives. I will need more in the future. So, my question is, would it be better to get a PCI-e Sata card or swap out the motherboard. Could someone list the pros and cons of each please.

Thanks,
Chuck

[DOS64K]

I'm using an AMS Venus T4S e-SATA enclosure and I love it. The four-drive box in JBOD mode made it very easy to add additional storage without any fuss when I maxed out my internal connections. The included PCI-E x1 card installed without a hitch in WHS (download latest drivers from the company's site) and includes 2 e-SATA connections. I'm running 4 x 500GB Samsung Spinpoints and, so far, no troubles at all.

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by DOS64K

I'm using an AMS Venus T4S e-SATA enclosure and I love it. The four-drive box in JBOD mode made it very easy to add additional storage without any fuss when I maxed out my internal connections. The included PCI-E x1 card installed without a hitch in WHS (download latest drivers from the company's site) and includes 2 e-SATA connections. I'm running 4 x 500GB Samsung Spinpoints and, so far, no troubles at all.

Thanks for your reply. That sounds like an ok solution but since my tower has the availability for 8 Hard Drives, but my Motherboard only has 4 Sata ports, I am looking for options to get 8 Hard Drives inside my tower. That is why I was looking at a new motherboard or a PCI-e Sata controller card. If I max out my tower, then what you use would be a great solution to add more drive space.

Thanks,
Chuck

[psklenar]

Originally Posted by DOS64K

I'm using an AMS Venus T4S e-SATA enclosure and I love it. The four-drive box in JBOD mode made it very easy to add additional storage without any fuss when I maxed out my internal connections. ...

DOS64K,

Do you mount that external JBOD as part of the Managed Pool or as a non-pool drive?

Thanks,
pat----

[Chriscic]

Do you have the OEM or retail version of WHS? I'm not sure MS will let you swipe put the MB on the OEM version.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Chriscic

Do you have the OEM or retail version of WHS? I'm not sure MS will let you swipe put the MB on the OEM version.

Doesn't matter. As long as you have the key for the install. Mine's been on 3 different mb so far and has activated each time without issue.

Gerry

[Slipshod]

Originally Posted by crarbo1

This may not be suited for this forum but I know alot of people are using WHS as the SageTV server.

My question is not about SageTV itself, but about a possible motherboard swap with my WHS. I currently have used all of my on board Sata connectors (4) for my Hard Drives. I will need more in the future. So, my question is, would it be better to get a PCI-e Sata card or swap out the motherboard. Could someone list the pros and cons of each please.

Thanks,
Chuck

It's cheaper, quicker, and just as good to throw in a decent PCI-E card, so unless there's something else you'll be upgrading on the motherboard I wouldn't bother to replace it. If I was looking for an excuse to got to a new processor I'd replace the motherboard...

If you're concerned about performance trade-offs, I seriously doubt you'd see any in typical WHS use. If you're really concerned then make sure you get a 4x or more PCI-E card (and that your MB will use it). Don't both with a caching card, or a RAID card, and I'd highly recommend getting one with at least one eSATA port for future use.

[DOS64K]

Originally Posted by psklenar

DOS64K,

Do you mount that external JBOD as part of the Managed Pool or as a non-pool drive?

Thanks,
pat----

Managed. After using the manufacturer's GUI to setup the array in JBOD, WHS immediately recognized them as available.

[psklenar]

Originally Posted by DOS64K

Managed. After using the manufacturer's GUI to setup the array in JBOD, WHS immediately recognized them as available.

That is soooo cool. I'm just happier and happier that I went with WHS instead of some other version of Windows for this server build.

pat----

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Doesn't matter. As long as you have the key for the install. Mine's been on 3 different mb so far and has activated each time without issue.

Gerry

Gerry,
Do you have any input on my original question?

Thanks,
Chuck

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by Slipshod

It's cheaper, quicker, and just as good to throw in a decent PCI-E card, so unless there's something else you'll be upgrading on the motherboard I wouldn't bother to replace it. If I was looking for an excuse to got to a new processor I'd replace the motherboard...

If you're concerned about performance trade-offs, I seriously doubt you'd see any in typical WHS use. If you're really concerned then make sure you get a 4x or more PCI-E card (and that your MB will use it). Don't both with a caching card, or a RAID card, and I'd highly recommend getting one with at least one eSATA port for future use.

I was checking around and unless I missed something on newegg, the PCI-e cards are a little more expensive than the motherboard I'm looking at. I could be missing one becuase I've just looked at newegg.

Any links to an affordable card?

Thanks,
Chuck

[psklenar]

I don't see where you indicate a specific mobo that you're considering. What's the price range you're looking at? Other than the number of SATA ports, is there any other reason you're considering a new mobo? Do you want to do a completely new build? If not, I'd say even spending about the same amount for a new PCI-e SATA card as you're considering for a new mobo would make more sense since all you have to do is add the card's drivers and not do a complete rebuild ... but that's just me.

pat----

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by psklenar

I don't see where you indicate a specific mobo that you're considering. What's the price range you're looking at? Other than the number of SATA ports, is there any other reason you're considering a new mobo? Do you want to do a completely new build? If not, I'd say even spending about the same amount for a new PCI-e SATA card as you're considering for a new mobo would make more sense since all you have to do is add the card's drivers and not do a complete rebuild ... but that's just me.

pat----

Pat,
I'm just considering a mobo swap for the extra Sata ports. I thought being on board would be better than using a PCI-e card. It sounds like it wouldn't be though. Do you have any suggestions for a PCI-e card?

Thanks,
Chuck

[psklenar]

Since you are looking to add new drives and not move your boot drive to it, and since you're looking to use it on WHS (Windows Server 2003 varient), I'd feel comfortable trying the $90 Rosewill RC-218 (NewEgg) in order to honor Slipshod's recommendation to have some eSata ports too. The negative comments on NewEgg appear to be almost completely related to Vista, so that's not an issue for you. The vendor offers drivers for XP & Server 2003.

If you can honestly say you can't envision using an external Sata device, then you can get better reviews by spending roughly $30 more ($119) on the HighPoint RocketRAID 2300. Don't bother with the raid aspect, just go with the individual drives and add them to your Managed Pool as you install them.

The Rosewill needs a PCI-E x8 or x16 slot. The Highpoint will fit in a PCI-E x1 slot. But again, considering the complaints against the Rosewill appear to be all Vista related, and since Rosewill has Server 2003 drivers on their site, I would probably go that route. It's cheaper.

pat----

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by psklenar

Since you are looking to add new drives and not move your boot drive to it, and since you're looking to use it on WHS (Windows Server 2003 varient), I'd feel comfortable trying the $90 Rosewill RC-218 (NewEgg) in order to honor Slipshod's recommendation to have some eSata ports too. The negative comments on NewEgg appear to be almost completely related to Vista, so that's not an issue for you. The vendor offers drivers for XP & Server 2003.

If you can honestly say you can't envision using an external Sata device, then you can get better reviews by spending roughly $30 more ($119) on the HighPoint RocketRAID 2300. Don't bother with the raid aspect, just go with the individual drives and add them to your Managed Pool as you install them.

The Rosewill needs a PCI-E x8 or x16 slot. The Highpoint will fit in a PCI-E x1 slot. But again, considering the complaints against the Rosewill appear to be all Vista related, and since Rosewill has Server 2003 drivers on their site, I would probably go that route. It's cheaper.

pat----

Pat,
Thanks for the links. Those looks like good options. I'm not in dire need of this yet but wanted to weigh my options. My mobo says it has an x 16 slot so it should work.
Thanks,
Chuck

[crarbo1]

This question is kind of off my orginal topic but since I started this thread, I thought it would be ok to hijack it!!

Since I'm using WHS for my SageTV server, I'm considering the ramifications if my system drive fails and wanted to know what options there were for backing up the System drive (C and D) that would get the server back up and running in the least amout of time. I'm sure it would require a third party software application to do so. Just wanted to know what was the best option. Also, I would like for some sort of automated backup of the system drive to a hard drive not attached to the pool.

Thanks,
Chuck

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by crarbo1

Gerry,
Do you have any input on my original question?

Thanks,
Chuck

I would actually look at a card and make sure it had a eSATA port on it. You could do some real forward thinking and look at an external enclosure because some of them actually come with a card. If that card had internal and enternal ports you could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Gerry

[crarbo1]

Originally Posted by gplasky

I would actually look at a card and make sure it had a eSATA port on it. You could do some real forward thinking and look at an external enclosure because some of them actually come with a card. If that card had internal and enternal ports you could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Gerry

Gerry,
Thanks for the info. I probably will go down that path. I'm sure at some point I will have filled up my available internal Hard Drive slots and will have to go to external ones.

Thanks,
Chuck