Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- foundation:storage [2025/12/16 00:05] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
+++ foundation:storage [2025/12/19 23:44] (current) – privacyl0st
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-= Storage =
+===== Storage (NAS) Configuration =====
+This page covers how to configure NAS storage devices for a Trash Panda–style Plex ecosystem.\\
-Covers NAS configuration, disk layouts, redundancy strategies, and backup considerations for building a reliable Plex ecosystem.
+The goal here is not theoretical perfection or enterprise purity. The goal is **availability, performance, and predictability** in a real-world hobbyist deployment that serves Plex, ARR automation, and users who expect things to just work.\\
+This guidance assumes:\\
+  * A NAS with **at least two physical network interfaces**
+  * A segmented network with **NFS, LAN, and DMZ VLANs** already defined
+  * Linux-based service hosts consuming storage primarily over **NFS**, with optional **SMB** access from LAN based Windows clients.
+==== Design Priorities ====
+Before diving into configuration, it’s important to be explicit about priorities:\\
+. **Availability > Raw Performance**\\
+Media that is temporarily unavailable is worse than media that transfers a little slower.
+. **Predictable Performance**\\
+Large sequential reads dominate Plex workloads. We optimize for that.
+. **Operational Simplicity**\\
+Recovery should be boring. Expansion should be deliberate. Maintenance should be rare.
+. **Security Through Segmentation**\\
+Storage traffic stays isolated. User traffic stays convenient.\\
+Everything below flows from those principles.\\
+==== Dual NIC Configuration ====
+A dual-NIC NAS is foundational to this ecosystem to ensure total separation and isolation of NFS traffic.\\
+=== NIC Roles ===
+**NIC 1 – NFS VLAN**\\
+Dedicated, high-throughput storage traffic between the NAS and media services.
+**NIC 2 – LAN VLAN**\\
+Management access and SMB connectivity for user-facing devices.
+These interfaces should **never be bonded**. They serve different purposes and different trust levels.\\
+=== NFS VLAN NIC ===
+  * Assigned exclusively to the **NFS VLAN**
+  * No default gateway
+  * Jumbo Frames enabled (MTU 9000), end-to-end
+  * Access restricted to known service hosts only
+This interface exists solely to move large media files efficiently and quietly.\\
+=== LAN VLAN NIC ===
+  * Assigned to the **LAN VLAN**
+  * Default gateway present
+  * Standard MTU (1500)
+  * Used for:\\
+       * NAS management UI
+       * SMB shares
+       * Backup monitoring\\
+This separation ensures storage traffic never competes with user traffic and is never exposed to unnecessary risk.\\
+==== RAID Strategy: Availability First ====
+Media libraries are large, slow-moving, and painful to rebuild. RAID exists here to **keep the system online**, not to replace backups.\\
+=== Recommended RAID Levels ===
+  * **RAID 6** (preferred for larger arrays)
+        * Tolerates two disk failures
+        * Slower writes, excellent availability
+  * **RAID 10** (if disk count and budget allow)
+        * Strong performance
+        * Faster rebuilds
+        * Higher usable capacity cost
+=== RAID Levels to Avoid ===
+  * **RAID 5**
+        * Rebuild risk is unacceptable with modern drive sizes
+  * **Single-disk redundancy only**
+        * Downtime during rebuilds is common and long
+==== Hot Spares ====
+If your NAS supports it and you can afford the bay:\\
+  * Configure at least **one hot spare**
+Automatic rebuilds reduce downtime and human intervention — both are wins.
+==== Volumes and File Systems ====
+=== Volume Layout ===
+Keep it simple.
+  * One primary volume for media and metadata
+  * Avoid unnecessary volume fragmentation
+  * Expansion should be planned, not improvised
+Complex layouts tend to create operational debt without meaningful benefit for media workloads.
+=== File System Considerations ===
+The ideal file system for this ecosystem has:
+  * Strong sequential read performance
+  * Stable NFS and SMB support
+  * Mature tooling and recovery options
+Common choices:
+  * **EXT4**
+        * Extremely stable
+        * Excellent performance
+        * Low overhead
+  * **XFS**
+        * Very good for large files
+        * Scales well with volume size
+  * **Btrfs / ZFS**
+        * Powerful, but heavier
+        * Snapshot features are useful, but come with complexity
+For first-time builders, **simplicity beats features**. Choose what your NAS platform supports best and what you understand how to recover.
+==== NFS Configuration ====
+NFS is the **primary protocol** for Plex, ARR services, and Unmanic in this ecosystem.
+=== Why NFS? ===
+  * Lower overhead than SMB
+  * Excellent Linux support
+  * Predictable performance
+  * Clean permission model for service accounts
+=== Export Strategy ===
+  * Export only to **NFS VLAN IPs**
+  * Use explicit host-based access controls
+  * Disable root squash *only if you fully understand the implications*
+Typical exports include:
+  * Media libraries
+  * Incomplete and completed download paths
+  * Transcode or processing work directories (if needed)
+=== Performance Notes ===
+  * Jumbo Frames must be supported end-to-end
+  * Avoid exporting the same paths over both NFS and SMB
+  * Consistency matters more than micro-optimizations
+==== SMB Configuration ====
+SMB exists for **human interaction**, not core services.
+=== Use Cases ===
+  * Browsing media from desktop systems
+  * Manual file inspection or cleanup
+  * Occasional direct access from Windows or macOS
+=== Best Practices ===
+  * SMB access only on the **LAN VLAN**
+  * Read/write permissions scoped to user accounts
+  * No service containers or VMs should rely on SMB mounts
+This keeps automation fast and user access convenient without entangling the two.
+==== Backup Strategy ====
+RAID is not a backup. Snapshots are not a backup.\\
+Backups exist to save you from:\\
+  * Accidental deletion
+  * Corruption
+  * Catastrophic failure
+  * Poor decisions made at 2 AM
+=== Primary Backup Method ===
+  * **External USB HDD**
+  * Capacity large enough to hold the full media library
+  * Directly attached to the NAS
+=== Backup Characteristics ===
+  * One-way sync from NAS → backup disk
+  * No live mounts
+  * No automation that can delete backup data
+Backups should be:
+  * Predictable
+  * Boring
+  * Verifiable
+==== Final Thoughts ====
+The NAS is the quiet workhorse of the entire Plex ecosystem.\\
+If configured correctly:\\
+  * You will rarely think about it
+  * Performance will feel effortless
+  * Failures will be survivable
+Optimize for **availability, isolation, and simplicity**, and the rest of the system becomes much easier to manage.