FrankenNAS is alive!
I just recently migrated from RockStor, a CentOS based NAS solution. Originally I went with RockStor since I'm more familiar with that flavor of Linux. But when the OS committed electronic suicide, I ended up migrating over to OMV and am now very pleased with the stability and the capabilities of OMV. I'm still in the learning camp, but have managed to set up several shares and populated my Plex server (in time for more travel). Originally, I had a dual core AMD processor, but took the opportunity to upgrade. Config below:
Case: Haf X with two dedicated hotswap docks
MOBO: ASUS M3A78-EM ATX
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
RAID: LSI 8708EM SAS H/W RAID Controller w/ optional Battery Backkup
HDD: 8 x 1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD RAID 5 Config (with 1 as global spare)
SSD: 120GB Kingston SSD (OS Partition)
240GB SPCC SSD (Generic) for Docker/VM Jail, OS Backups
RAM: 8Gb of mixed MFR sticks (matching pairs)
Most of the parts I've had lying around for quite some time. The mobo and original CPU I got after building a machine for my mother (she didn't need it anymore). I had the extra HDDs and case from previous builds, so I picked up the RAID controller for the original NAS (Rockstor) and the H/W RAID IMO is a very nice feature. Down side is, since I went on the cheap for it, it isn't capable of the faster 6Gb/s speeds. But with mechanical HDDs, shouldn't matter much anyway. I went for the beefier CPU for the better transcoding and for expandability. For the SSD's, the original NAS ran off a thumb drive so I decided to pick up a couple of rather cheap SSDs. The 240, admittedly, was because of another mechanical HDD failed. Originally had a 320Gb in its place, but didn't realize how old the drive actually was. Fortunately, it failed during software testing... no lost data.
What I like with the set up now, I have quite a bit of overhead left over. Yes, when I'm transcoding several movies on the fly, the CPU ramps up, but transcoding is still quick. With the extra overhead, I plan on eventually making the server the central DNS/DHCP, NTP, and domain server when I get the new network set up. I'm also looking at the possibility of setting up at least one VM and maybe hosting a small Minecraft server for the kids.
I know some of the old timers will remark about the HW RAID or using a higher wattage CPU. Goal was to set this box up as cheaply as possible. Parts I didn't have on hand, I bought cheaper used parts over the last couple of years. Additionally, I work as a Systems Engineer for a tech company, and much of this hardware is similar to hardware still out in the field, so every time I work on the server... I'm doing something either I do at work, or have the possibility to do; learning more as I go. That was always the main goal for this project, to learn more.