When building out my new homelab, I had a choice to make: What kind of server will I run?
Over the years I’ve been running “server” style applications on different PC builds. While this worked for a while, the technology wasn’t what you would call server worthy. This also didn’t do much in learning how the technology worked. With a true server, this can be achieved.
I had initially planned on building a PC for my main server but abandoned that idea when the cost reached over $1,000. I felt a bit lost for a while, but then I heard about the Dell Poweredge R720. A quick search online showed that I could grab a robust server for under $300. I did a little more digging and finally settled on a configuration:
- Make & Model: Dell PowerEdge R720
- CPU(s): 2 E5-2690 16 cores
- Memory: 192GB
- Controller: H710
- Drive Bays: 8 2.5″
Storage
I replaced the DVD-ROM with a caddy that Dell makes to convert the DVD slot into a 2.5″ disk storage. I’m using a SanDisk 256GB SSD to run the OS.
For VM storage, I’ll be running a four-disk setup using RAID5. I have a separate NAS for the shared files and backup, so this will be mainly to house the VM images. I decided to go with the Seagate Barracuda Pro Performance 1TB 7200RPM drives since what I’ll be running isn’t very performance intensive.
Hypervisor
I’m planning on running VMWare ESXi 6.7 as the hypervisor. This will allow me to run any OS I want for each VMs. I decided to go with ESXi over Proxmox mainly because we use it at work. I’m familiar with how the system works, and since this is a homelab, it makes sense to play with what you use at work.