After many hours of configuration and frustration, my 1TB RAID 5 file server, named felix, is now complete (but not without some assistance). To gain maximum control over the server, I choose Gentoo as the OS, but perhaps the most prominent feature of the server is the 3ware 9650SE-8LPML controller being used. The 8 ports will make adding more space a breeze (do I hear 2TB by year end?) and a quick look around the 3ware website shows the the company fully supports Linux. There is a driver built into the kernel, however I compiled the newest driver from the 3ware website as it is open source. The next steps are to add CUPS functionality to share my printer, and add FTP to give me off-LAN access to the data.
Full server specs:
- AMD Athlon FX-55 processor (overpowered, but better than sitting useless in a box)
- 3ware 9650SE-8LPML RAID controller
- Gentoo 2.6.20
- 3, 500GB Western Digital RE2 SATA II hard drives in RAID 5