Anyone Use a NORCO RPC-4224 4U Case?

[will]

Is anyone using or have used a NORCO RPC-4224 4U case? I'm looking to replace my current case so I can support more hard drives.

[graywolf]

Originally Posted by will

Is anyone using or have used a NORCO RPC-4224 4U case? I'm looking to replace my current case so I can support more hard drives.

Got one running ESXi with some linux VMs, Window VMs and unRaid VM (uses most of the drives).

My SageTV servers are independent although I have have read posts where folks are running ESXi with unRaid and Win/SageTV VMs on the same box.

If you even think of going the ESXi route, be sure to read up on the ESXi threads here and at http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php to understand the hardware requirements.

You definitely want a MB that would support hardware pass-thru for performance and ease of management

[will]

Originally Posted by graywolf

If you even think of going the ESXi route, be sure to read up on the ESXi threads here and at http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php to understand the hardware requirements.

You definitely want a MB that would support hardware pass-thru for performance and ease of management

In the future, when I upgrade my ancient server to something respectable, I think I will go the ESXi route but for now I'm just interested in significantly expanding my RAID arrays. I'm running very low on space!

I read some mix reviews from Newegg, did you have any issues with the SAS boards in the case? Was anything defective?

[graywolf]

Nothing was defective. Works like a charm. I have my datastores in the top backplane and 17 drives in the other 5 backplanes for unRaid. Using 3 M1015s in pass thru mode for unRaid.

You might want to check with TAMS from http://www.avsforum.com/t/1412640/ar...24-alternative

Currently out of the 2u & 4u servers but you might call them and ask to be put on a list if you are interested and in no rush

Just got the 4u SuperMicro server in today...hope to have some time this weekend to at least power it up.

[BobPhoenix]

I have 2 ESXi servers both servers have 1 unRAID VM and 1 SageTV VM (Win7 x64) on them. I have a M1015 in each connected to RES2SV240 SAS expanders for the unRAID VMs to give me 24 drives for each unRAID VM (although both currently have 17 or less). I have the other PCIe slots for my SageTV VMs. I am passing through tuner cards to the SageTV VMs (HVR-2250s, HVR-1600, HVR-950Qs and AVer Media Duets). Although I found recently that the Duets only work on SandyBridge based bios's. I have also passed through NEC USB controllers for my HD-PVRs. I have used HDHomeRuns in the SageTV VMs as well. I'm not using norco's although I wish I had them. I have Lian Li V2000 cases re purposed from my old Pentium 4 SageTV servers.

My problems with Duets:
I had a SuperMicro X9SCM-F with 1.0 bios workiing fine with the Duet then upgraded to 2.0 bios and the Duet is no longer detected by ESXi any more. Similar situation on my Tyan S5512 boards. The 1.05 bios detects and works with Duets but the 2.02 bios does not. I got an Intel DH77EB desktop board with an IvyBridge CPU which shows you in the bios when a card is pluged into a PCIe slot. All cards show up except the Duet card. It doesn't matter which slot none show the Duet and windows doesn't pick it up. I moved the Duet to another box with SandyBridge CPU and bios version and it works so I know it isn't the Duet.