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How to select a HBA card
Building a powerful and reliable homelab often hinges on one critical component: storage. Whether you're setting up a robust Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution using TrueNAS or unRAID, creating a virtualization powerhouse with Proxmox, or simply need to connect more drives than your motherboard allows, a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) card is frequently the answer.
But navigating the world of HBAs can seem daunting at first, with talk of SAS vs. SATA, IT mode vs. IR mode, different port types, and various chipsets. Getting it wrong can lead to compatibility headaches, performance bottlenecks, or limitations on your future expansion plans.
This guide is designed to cut through the confusion. We'll walk you through everything you need to know to confidently select the perfect HBA for your homelab needs. We'll cover the fundamental concepts, break down the key specifications to consider, highlight popular and reliable models favored by the homelab community, and touch on essential installation steps like firmware flashing and cable selection. By the end, you'll be equipped to choose an HBA that unlocks the full storage potential of your server.
Understanding SAS Expanders: A Beginner's Guide
Have you ever found yourself staring at a server, knowing you need more storage but dreading the cost and complexity of adding more host bus adapters? Running out of space is a common problem, and thankfully, there's a neat solution you might not have considered: SAS expanders.
A SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) expander is a hardware device that significantly increases the number of SAS and SATA drives connected to a single SAS port on your host controller. Think of it as a multiplier for your storage connectivity. In this post, we'll dive into what SAS expanders are, how they work to extend your server's capabilities, and the basic considerations for using them effectively. Whether building a high-density storage solution or simply trying to maximise your existing infrastructure, understanding SAS expanders can unlock new possibilities for your data storage needs.
Unraid 321 Backups With Duplicati
Unraid provides an accessible platform for network-accessible storage for an affordable price point due to its ability to easily use second-hand consumer hardware for a new purpose. However, you may be led into a false sense of security with your data being protected by the Unraid array and its parity process. It will be essential to be cautious with this setup and to ensure the recommended backup processes fully protect your data.
This article will discuss recommendations for Unraid backups and how you can achieve this through a 3–2–1 backup strategy implemented with a single container called Duplicati. This container provides a highly polished feature set for an open-source product. The post assumes that you already have Unraid set up and are comfortable using Docker, the Unraid UI, and the Docker CLI tool.
Guide to Building an Unraid NAS
If you have built computers in the past or live in a household with multiple computers, you may want to build a NAS (Network Attached Storage) to provide storage accessible to all machines on the network. This can be used to run a media server, a game server, or simply a file server.
In this article, we will talk about how you effectively plan an Unraid build so you can avoid some common mistakes during the journey. Some hardware will be recommended for your build, and some good considerations for the server's future to ensure you don't build yourself into a corner. Some great resources for going further with your Unraid server will also be shared to keep you learning.
Beginners Guide To The Dell H200 HBA Card
