My little homelab (Lenovo Thinkpad + Synology NAS) is starting to hit
the wall. My primary workloads are the BBS, running in a 32-bit Windows
VM, and a docker host running PiHole.

PiHole is starting to complain that the load average is starting to
exceed the number of available threads. My CPU has 2 cores, 4 threads.

I'm tempted to find a bare-boned Dell Micro desktop - I could take the
SATA drive and 32GB of RAM out of the thinkpad, and get 8 cores, 8
threads.

I like the fact that most of my homelab was cast-off crap saved from
dumpsters or bought used - being able to keep crap out of landfill while
still serving a valid purpose is nice.



--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (1337:3/178)

On 19 Nov 2024, poindexter FORTRAN said the following...

My little homelab (Lenovo Thinkpad + Synology NAS) is starting to hit
the wall. My primary workloads are the BBS, running in a 32-bit Windows VM, and a docker host running PiHole.

I like the fact that most of my homelab was cast-off crap saved from dumpsters or bought used - being able to keep crap out of landfill while still serving a valid purpose is nice.

Then save some more crap from the scrap heap and add to this noble project!

--- Steve K9ZW via SPOT BBS

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/07/15 (Linux/64)
* Origin: SPOT BBS / k9zw (1337:3/151)

k9zw wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

Then save some more crap from the scrap heap and add to this noble project!

Waiting for someone to toss out a Thinkpad T480 with a broken screen -
I've got 32 GB of ram that'll fit into it, and they have nice i7s - 4
cores, 8 threads...



--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (1337:3/178)

On 19 Nov 2024, poindexter FORTRAN said the following...

My little homelab (Lenovo Thinkpad + Synology NAS) is starting to hit
the wall. My primary workloads are the BBS, running in a 32-bit Windows VM, and a docker host running PiHole.

PiHole is starting to complain that the load average is starting to
exceed the number of available threads. My CPU has 2 cores, 4 threads.

I'm tempted to find a bare-boned Dell Micro desktop - I could take the SATA drive and 32GB of RAM out of the thinkpad, and get 8 cores, 8 threads.

I like the fact that most of my homelab was cast-off crap saved from dumpsters or bought used - being able to keep crap out of landfill while still serving a valid purpose is nice.

Sounds like you're getting to the point where a small rack and 1u or 2u server would do you good... perhaps look at getting a used Dell PowerEdge R620 or similar, you can get those dirt cheap on the bay of E's, load it up with disks and memory and you're golden. Install proxmox VE on it and start virtualising all your stuffs =)

Then when you want more, add another and create a cluster so you can do live migrations of vm's and containers to make maintenance easier, and have some redundancy.

This is where things can get really fun!

---
|14Best regards,
|11Ch|03rist|11ia|15n |11a|03ka |11Me|03aTLoT|11io|15N // @meatlotion:erb.pw

|07ÄÄ |08[|10eml|08] |15ml@erb.pw |07ÄÄ |08[|10web|08] |15www.erb.pw |07ÄÄÄ¿ |07ÄÄ |08[|09fsx|08] |1521:1/158 |07ÄÄ |08[|11tqw|08] |151337:1/101 |07ÂÄÄÙ |07ÄÄ |08[|12rtn|08] |1580:774/81 |07ÄÂ |08[|14fdn|08] |152:250/5 |07ÄÄÄÙ
|07ÄÄ |08[|10ark|08] |1510:104/2 |07ÄÙ

... Computers all wait at the same speed!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: thE qUAntUm wOrmhOlE, rAmsgAtE, uK. bbs.erb.pw (1337:1/101)

My little homelab (Lenovo Thinkpad + Synology NAS) is starting to hit the wall. My primary workloads are the BBS, running in a 32-bit Windo VM, and a docker host running PiHole.

Sounds like you're getting to the point where a small rack and 1u or 2u server would do you good... perhaps look at getting a used Dell
PowerEdge R620 or similar, you can get those dirt cheap on the bay of E

This is where things can get really fun!

Dude - believe it or not, even a Dell r320 (with upgrades) can get you running w/ 20 cores and 192GB RAM - around $50...

Upgrade CPU to best Xeon - $30. $120 for 128GB RAM - and its a pretty good Proxmox host. Only 4 3.5" drives, but it will accept the big 20TBs easily.

I am surprised how much I can run on that '$50' 1U server.



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (1337:3/129)

MeaTLoTioN wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

Sounds like you're getting to the point where a small rack and 1u or 2u server would do you good... perhaps look at getting a used Dell
PowerEdge R620 or similar, you can get those dirt cheap on the bay of
E's, load it up with disks and memory and you're golden. Install
proxmox VE on it and start virtualising all your stuffs =)

Then when you want more, add another and create a cluster so you can do live migrations of vm's and containers to make maintenance easier, and have some redundancy.

This is where things can get really fun!

Right now, everything's running in my office. A rack-mount server would
make too much noise. If I were looking to splurge, I'd get 3 micro
systems, create a CEPH pool and set up HA on Proxmox instead of buying
one big server.

I have an old desktop system with a 6th gen i5, 4 cores, 4 threads. My
wife used it until she needed a newer CPU for some of her apps.
I'll get that up and running for the time being, that'll throw 4 more
cores and threads into the pool.



--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (1337:3/178)

Dude - believe it or not, even a Dell r320 (with upgrades) can get you running w/ 20 cores and 192GB RAM - around $50...

Indeed. I have two here. One has 192GB RAM and the other is in a similar ballpark if I remember correctly. I think one has 24 cores and the other 16.

good Proxmox host. Only 4 3.5" drives, but it will accept the big 20TBs easily.

Mine have 6 x 3.5" bays, but my recollection is that the stock RAID controller doesn't like anything above 2TB? Of course there's no requirement to use the stock hardware RAID controller :-)

I am surprised how much I can run on that '$50' 1U server.

I don't know about where you are, but over here you'll be surprised how quickly it'll run up your power bill.

That's why I don't know the exact specs of mine - they've been powered off for a few months now and I've moved the "must have" things onto a smaller HP workstation that sips the power by comparison :-)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: TassieBob BBS, Hobart, Tasmania (1337:2/106)

Dude - believe it or not, even a Dell r320 (with upgrades) can get yo running w/ 20 cores and 192GB RAM - around $50...

Indeed. I have two here. One has 192GB RAM and the other is in a
similar ballpark if I remember correctly. I think one has 24 cores and the other 16.

Nice - I have some 172GB or something... and 20 cores; I used the best CPU is accepts, for the r320 anyway. I also run a r330 - its 'faster', with 3.7Ghz Xeon CPU, but for Proxmox the r320 is almost better w/ more cores and RAM...

good Proxmox host. Only 4 3.5" drives, but it will accept the big 20T easily.

Mine have 6 x 3.5" bays, but my recollection is that the stock RAID controller doesn't like anything above 2TB? Of course there's no requirement to use the stock hardware RAID controller :-)

Nah - even in my r320, I'm running 16TB 3.5" HDDs... and I bet the new 24TBs would fly; can't say for sure, but I tested up to 18TB drives.

I am surprised how much I can run on that '$50' 1U server.

I don't know about where you are, but over here you'll be surprised how quickly it'll run up your power bill.

I know other countries have higher electricity bills, but in the U.S. its 'nominal'. Sure, I might not have the lowest bill - but nothing thats like out of this w0rld.

I'm actually currently looking at a r720xd. I *want* the r730xd, but if I spec out the CPUs (2 are better than 1!) and RAM I think it'll make a better proxmox host than the newer gen r330... yes, slower CPU and RAM but so much more cores/RAM.

So weird how the max RAM in the newer r330 is only 64GB. Sure, its DDR4 but as stated for running VMs/CTs I think you get more oomph from the amount rather than how blazing fast they are. Can't wait till the rx40 series comes to the used markets..



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (1337:3/129)