Office Cluster

NAS Server Modernization Based on a Raspberry Pi CM5 and Ceph Cluster

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Project Summary and Objectives:

This project aims to replace the current, unscalable file server (NAS) with a modern, scalable, and high-performance cluster solution. In response to the limitations of the existing infrastructure, the decision was made to build a custom system based on the DeskPi Super6C cluster board featuring six Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5) units. The goal is to create not only a capacious and secure data storage system but also a multi-functional compute platform that will support internal development processes.

Hardware Platform:

• Cluster Base: DeskPi Super6C Raspberry Pi CM5 Cluster Board
• Compute Modules: 6x Raspberry Pi CM5 (model CM5016016: 4-core CPU, 16 GB RAM, 16 GB eMMC)
• Data Storage: 6x 1 TB (or larger) NVMe Drives
• Configuration Tool: Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 IO Board (for initial setup and configuration of individual modules)

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Project Plan and Execution Stages:

1. Phase I – Software Validation DONE

• Successful verification tests of the Gentoo Linux operating system for the aarch64 / arm64 architecture were conducted using the qemu-user emulator.
• The ability to install and compile key software components, including the Ceph distributed file system, was confirmed, which was a critical prerequisite for the project's continuation.

2. Phase II – LXC Build-Host (Proxmox) IN PROGRESS

• Run an aarch64 LXC container on an x86 host via qemu-user-static.
• Update the RPi5 filesystem directly.

3. Phase III – Bare-Metal Testing WAITING

• Upon receiving the hardware components, a single CM5 module will be installed and configured.
• Performance, stability, and hardware compatibility tests will be performed during this phase.

4. Phase IV – Full Cluster Deployment WAITING

• Assembly and launch of all six modules within the DeskPi Super6C board.
• Deployment and configuration of the final software architecture across the entire cluster.

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Office network diagram before upgrade NAS

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Planned Final Architecture and Configuration:

• Operating System: An optimized Gentoo Linux (aarch64) system will be installed on the built-in eMMC storage of each module, serving as the operational base for the entire cluster.
• Distributed Storage (Ceph): The NVMe drives will be combined into a single, highly resilient, and scalable Ceph file system, which will form the main storage pool of the NAS.
• File Services: The cluster will share network resources using standard protocols: NFS (for Linux/Unix systems), Samba (for Windows), and AppleTalk (for Time Machine backups from Apple devices).
• Distributed Compiler (distcc): The cluster will function as a compilation farm, supporting cross-compilation for multiple architectures, including x86_64, i686, aarch64, and armv7a.
• Load Balancing (HAProxy): An HAProxy server will be deployed and configured in Round-Robin mode to evenly distribute the load generated by requests to the services running on the cluster, ensuring their high availability.

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Office network diagram after upgrade NAS

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Outcome:

The project's implementation will replace an outdated NAS with a modern, energy-efficient, and powerful cluster that will not only solve the storage scalability problem but also provide significant computational power for internal needs.

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