The Newest Addition

I wanted to do a quick lunch break write up over the newest addition to my homelab environment: the Dell R720xd.

I chose this model of server for several reasons. The most important of these was that my storage options are fairly limited on my 2xHP ML350ps, especially when looking into options for SSD storage. The r720xd in the LFF configuration comes with 12x3.5" drive bays, a form factor I prefer more over the SFF 2.5" drives running in my HP's.

The neatest feature, and why I chose to get the "xd" model over the regular r720, is the flex bays in the rear, which accommodate 2x2.5" drives. I intend to put a couple of mirrored Intel SSDs back there and run any VMs that would benefit from faster SSD storage.

Overall, I've really enjoyed the server so far, other than how loud it is compared to my HP servers, which I guess I've just been spoiled with up until this point. I've got it loaded up with 12x1TB drives running in RAID 10, have ESXi 6.7U3 installed, and have it integrated with my vSphere environment. I look forward to putting it through its paces and seeing how well it continues to work for me.