I tweeted a reply to the Virtually Speaking Homelab request for Homelabs and was shocked at the response I got from the community! In case you missed it, here is a link to it on Twitter - Max Abelardo on Twitter: "My Homelab is an All-Flash vSAN on 4 x NUC7i5BNH cubes. It’s the most power efficient home la…
One of the people that commented was William Lam who encouraged me to submit my build to his HomeLab Inventory page - https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/homelab . Since the site needs a blog location, I hope this is a good place to include my build details.
This is a howto guide on how to set up an Intel NUC based vSAN Homelab like mine. It is somewhat detailed and includes links to sites where some of the info was gleaned to build my own lab. Basically I got all the info from William Lam’s site. https://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2017/02/update-on-intel-nuc-7th-gen-kaby-lake-esxi-6-x.html
Here are details on what is comprised in my build and some of the reasons I chose those components:
Hardware needed & relative costs - Obviously, you will have to multiply some of these costs by 4.
$449 - NUC7i5BNH - I like these because I use this for traveling demos to customers at various events. The lights on this particular NUC look excellent and can be tuned to blink with HDD activity in a variety of colors. In later NUC models, the lights are not available unless you purchase the highend i7 based CPU. This NUC model also has a bay for a 2.5” low profile “laptop” SSD for vSAN capacity. This in combination with the internal m.2 NVMe Drive is perfect for the vSAN cache tier. You can get these rather inexpensively from Amazon or eBay. Intel NUC 7 Mainstream Kit (NUC7i5BNH) - Core i5, Tall, Add't Components Needed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2UMKZ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xbolEbCCFD8XM
$119 - 2 x 16GB SODIMMS - These can be obtained from Amazon at Crucial 32GB Kit (16GBx2) DDR4 2666 MT/s (PC4-21300) DR x8 SODIMM 260-Pin Memory - CT2K16G48FD8266 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071H38422/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_L.nlEbS4B6AJ5
$8 - 16GB USB Flash Memory Drive - Since the m.2 NVMe is for vSAN Cache and the 2.5" SSD is for capacity. I use this to boot ESXi. I could have used the SD card to boot ESXi as well, but the access to the SD card is on the side and I just wanted easier access to the USB from the front.
$299 - vSAN Capacity Micron 5100 SATA SSD 1.7TB. Since you can only install 1 SDD in each node make it count with this fast SATA SDD. It runs at 6 Gbps and has impressive specs. Micron 1920GB (2TB) 5100 MAX TCG-E SED 5DWPD 3D eTLC SATA III (6Gb/s) 2.5" Internal Server SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081VRTM9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ydolEb8XTV18J
$69 - vSAN cache tier - Samsung EVO 970 256GB. If you want, you can spend a little more for a larger cache drive but these are super fast, a great value and large enough for most Homelab work. Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 250GB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology (MZ-V7S250B/AM) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MG119KG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5folEb35AHMZE
$251 HDMU KVM Switch. - IO Gear 4 port KVM. I don’t know if NUC BIOS updates have fixed this issue, but a few years ago, if you connected to a NUC w/o an HDMI cable attached all you got was a blank screen even though the machine was running. It is certainly handy to be able to switch between the devices during initial configuration or during maintenance. IOGEAR 4-Port 4K UHD DisplayPort KVMP Switch with USB 3.0 Hub, w/Full Set of Cables (TAA Compliant) GCS1904 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0718XXG9M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TiolEb9NMPGQQ
$99 Netgear 16 Port 1GbE switch - if you add multiple dedicated USB NICs for vSAN VMKernel, vMotion etc you will need more poets. This will handle all of them and give you a couple to spare. NETGEAR 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS116NA) - Desktop, and ProSAFE Limited Lifetime Protection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00023DRLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hmolEbHRFEFR1
As 10 GbE becomes more prevalent and cost effective here is an option. Plugable USB 3.0 to Ethernet Gigabit 10/100/1000 LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88179 chipset Compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 7, XP, Linux, Switch Game Console, Chrome OS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQM8586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VuolEbCNV6F4M
$279 - Mantiz Venus MZ-02 eGPU Enclosure - I chose this because it was fully Thunderbolt 3 supported, has a 2 Slot full-length, full height slot, several USB 3.1 ports on it (5 in total), and a powerful 550W Power Supply (enough to power a 375W GPU). It also has an easy to open case requiring no screws and is a great looking case. Another nice feature is that it has a SATA connector and place to mount a 2.5" SSD or HDD to the inside of the case. I noticed, the Mantiz is no longer available on Amazon, although VisionTek offers them refurbished - VisionTek 900998 Accelerator
$5,531.99 - Nvidia Quadro RTX 8000 48GB GPU - This is the most amazing GPU I have ever had the pleasure to use. It helps me run demos of vGPU or Oculus Rift when configured in PCI Pass-Thru mode. Here is a link to Amazon https://www.amazon.com/PNY-VCQRTX8000-PB-NVIDIA-Quadro-Graphic/dp/B07NH3HKG9
I cut and crimped my own custom length ethernet cables to reduce the cable mass at the back of the unit. I do need to work on reducing the cable mass of the KVM and AC/DC power adaptors.
Lastly, I encased my entire HomeLab in a plexiglass enclosure built by a friend of mine at CDW Woodworking - Wood Wall Art, Quilt Blocks and Boxes
I hope you found this useful and good luck in your effort to build your very own vSAN NUC Homelab! Stay tuned for my next blog on how I loaded ESX on it and configured eGPU Pass-Thru to my GPU.