Installing Xpenology on HP EX495 Server

[Pitchucold]

Hi Team,

I am planning to move away from HP EX495 WHSv1 to Xpenology. Server is almost 3.5 years old and i have not updated it yet apart from swapping system drive when the stock seagate developed a bad sector. Now I guess it is time to put a new 2 TB WD Green / Av into server and test Xpenology. I am planning to follow instructions as specified in the below link.

Windows Home Server Forums • View topic - DSM 4.2 Running on EX495 - MediaSmartServer.net

I am planning to pull out the existing harddisks and place new WD into server try out xpenology. So in case something went wrong i can just replace old harddisks and get back to usual routine. I primarily use server for storing media.

Any folks have experience in running xpenology on server?

Cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[Pitchucold]

All set for xpenelogy installation on EX495. Moving up data in 2 TB disk into a brand new 3 TB Green drive on HTPC to free up a 2 TB in the server to use that as primary disk to install xpenology.

Have created USB Boot drive of Xpenology version built by Trantor Ds3612 3827 build. If everything goes i shall completely move away from WHSV1 to Xpenology and move the system drive data of WHS V1 to Xpenelogy and have system drive deployed as second drive.

In case things did not go fine or become too techy for me then i intend backout by using the system drive of WHSv1 and wipeout synology on the second 2 TB drive and put them back in WHS .

Will keep you guys posted with the pic.

cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi All,

After 4 years of using Windows WHSV1 and just an RAM Upgrade from 1 to 2 GB, I have decided to perform an upgrade. I had no issues with WHS , as I don't use remote sharing and it served me as file server for my HTPC and Sonos needs. It worked no compliants. I did not use them for backup as well. Only important thing I backed up with redundancy was photos and home videos.

Now after I decided to upgrade was thinking of couple of options. HTPC + NAS , Synology DS413 or FREENAS. But I want to get the maximum out of EX495 and accidentally hit upon Xpenology ( It is synology, open source DSM ported to work on non synology boxes). So wanted to give it a try. EX495 seems to have better hardware than synology, existing EX495 are recommending them.

Bought a new WD Green 3 TB HDD to backup movies into it and use one of the two 2 TB Green disk from existing WHS to install synology and try out. In worst case scenario I still have whs system drive to go backto WHS.

Whole exercise of moving content to HTPC Was slow due to file conflicts. after all copying is done, removed the harddisk and initiated the installation. Entire installation hardly lasted for a hour. Now everything is set.


Being a newbie to DSM I need to read how the whole setup needs to be done. So far everything is good. I am just missing the drive lights on the server and I don't use them anyway.






















regards
Prasanna K V

 

[sam9s]

Wow DSM on x86 ....... thats new to me and seems very interesting.... ,,thanks for introducing this to me I am definitely going to so some RnD on this. You have given me my next food of thought..

I am a dedicated synology user with currently owning DS413j and very very satisfied by what DSM offers. Running it on a windows machine will open up whole new aspects ...

 

[sam9s]

Prasanna ,....can you point me in to the direction from where have you downloaded the DSM x86 version.

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi Sam,

Great. I wanted to check with you on this anyway. I was talking to Dheeraj Jotwani and taking his help as well on other options. One thing he was pointing out was lack of Disk spin down on Xpenology.

But you can get build details on the xpenology forum.

XPEnology NAS • Index page

Also I used a build by a guy called Trantor.

xpenology.trantor.be

You may refer to the link i used in the first post. There is a guy by name Ajafar provide detailed instructions on how this can be done.

Cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[Raghav_K]

Afaik the latest xpenology build for dsm 5 is in beta, and had quite a few bugs, i believe...

I toiled with the idea of replacing server 2012 essentials with this, but the idea of running something not designed for this purpose (on non synology nas) , on my main backup and media source was bothering, so i skipped it...

Please feedback if you guys have a successful and stable install..

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi Raghav,

Exactly. I am worried for the same reason. (Not that WHS V1 is supported now as support stopped years back). I am trying 4.3 build not 5.

I am planning to try Open Media vault hosted on P4 machine as well to see how they perform. Based on which works better I intend to use that option. Moving away from WHS which is serving me for 5 years is little scary.

Cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[Raghav_K]

^ i have tried freenas, and it worked well.... switched to WSE for familiarity....

tried running server 2012 essentials or windows 8 trial versions in your server???

 

[Pitchucold]

Nope I just ordered a debug cable for EX495 as it is an headless unit. I havent tried 2012 or win 8 on ex495 so far.

Trying out xpenology and Open Media Vault for now.

Cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[Raghav_K]

just an update.. installed synology dsm 5 and updated to patch 2 in my custom nas (amd e350 based) and it works beautifully....

i used gnoboot as trantor's build was of 5.0 beta..

 

[Pitchucold]

OK great news- can you share the link. Wol and disk spin down work fine??

 

[Raghav_K]

Hdd hibernation works fine... Did not try wol as it's always on..

Just download the latest alpha from gnoboot.me

 

[dheerajjotwani]

So that's one aspect ironed for you @pitchucold. Wol needs to be supported by the motherboard of your hardware. U can use any external utility to wake the nas on schedule. Even a ddwrt router can do that for you provided the nas hardware is capable of wol.

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for directions again.

Installed DSM 5.0 on EX495 . Current Patch is 4482 and read it is not good for non synology boxes and bringing the nfs down. (which i need most) . so got 4458 update 2 patch and manually loaded it. it works fine so far.

I went as per instructions in the below link. It is pretty detailed.
Install XPEnology (DSM 5.0) on the N54L | CyanLabs

Finally got the debug cable to connect the headless unit to monitor, keyboard and mouse. It was very helpful during installation. Drilled a hole directly into the cabinet to leave it as a permanent setup.

It looks like all set, finally. Will try to learn synology features and start using them.

regards,
Prasanna KV

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi Dheeraj, Sam, Raghav,

Xpenology on HP EX495 srver is awesome. The file copying speed touched 100 Mbps in LAN. It used be 10 in WHS. So far i am loving it though i did not setup the synology DSM Completely.

I am just luving it. Thanks again.

Cheers
Prasanna KV

 

[sam9s]

Damm I am etching to give this a go, but I am too busy these days with my Home Entertainment Theater .......

 

[dheerajjotwani]

No worries. I will give it a go @sam9s

 

[Pitchucold]

Burnt my bridge yesterday:licklips:

Inserted my whs system disk 2 tb as second disk. Cos the other drive I have is 3 Tb. Expansion of volume is still happening.

Regards
Prasanna KV

 

[Pitchucold]

Hi Guys,

Another update!!

I have added 3 TB green drive to already in 2 TB Green + 2 TB Green. There is totally 7 TB in the Ex495 server. But since i have opted for SHR, the total available volume for me is 3.5 TB out of 7 TB. I am losing on space big as I have opted for SHR instead of JBOD. Anyway it is the cost of learning late.

Other than that Synology / Expenology on EX495 (non Synology hardware) is awesome. It meets all my requirements :

1. Supports Sonos, HTPC, Rasp pi
2. have NAS hibernation and Disk Power down to save power.
3. Copying speed to the files is high.
4. Photos are backed (on top of this i maintain a copy in local HTPC)

Only thing I am yet to work on is cloudstation / download station asks for Synology id, which i cdnt get due to non syno hardware.

regards,
Prasanna KV