Sickbeard Docker with regard to unRAID power consumption

[crowdx42]

Hi all,

 so I have been running unRAID for the last few years and I currently use the Sickbeard docker with SABnzbd. I am about to move the whole system to a new case (Norco 4220) and so while I am doing this, I am wondering does anyone have any suggestions on ways to be more power efficient. I believe due to Sickbeard, the system is up more than if I had no dockers running, but I am wondering if moving it to an SSD cache drive or even running a NUC and then uploading daily to unRAID might help?
 Currently I think here in California my unRAID box with 15 drives and an i5 haswell is costing about $25 - $30 a month to run.

Thoughts?
Is there any tips on how to increase efficiency?
Patrick M

[Squid]

If you don't have a cache drive at all (either HDD or SSD), then the system is inherently less power efficient since a minimum of two drives need to be spun up (possibly more depending upon split levels) in order to run any docker app.  

 

Using a cache drive will allow all the array disks to spin down and only the cache to stay active to run the various apps. 

 

Beyond that, I think your $ estimate is rather high (although I don't live in CA).  Try this calculator  http://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.htm

[HellDiverUK]

There's lots of ways to make unRAID more power efficient, but it's mainly keeping drive spun down as much as possible, and then your hardware choices as far motherboard, CPU, disk controller and PSU.

 

For example, if you're running something like a X99 motherboard with an i7-6800K, you'll be sucking down 120W idle.  A disk controller like a LSI M1015 will use nearly 10W on it's own.  Each drive can use 10W.

 

However, if you're just using unRAID as a NAS, and not needing heavy duty processing power for something like Plex transcoding, then a Pentium G4400 and low-powered Marvell disk controllers will do the job and idle at ~10W for the board and CPU, and 2W for the controller.  

 

You can also swap out lots of small disks for a smaller number of 8TBor 10TB drives, which use much less power due to mostly being Helium filled, and also because you're only running one drive rather than say 5x2TB drives.

 

But, all that said, you should absolutely be running your dockers, and have your downloads going to a SSD.  It doesn't need to be anything quick, a cheap drive like the SanDisk UltraII works great for that sort of thing.  Personally I use various Crucial SSDs, the 525GB MX300 is a firm favourite, as is Samsung's M.2 850 Evo which is quick and power efficient.

 

I think Sickbeard is the least of your problems (oh, and check out Sonarr, Sickbeard hasn't been developed for years and isn't anywhere near as good as Sonarr or Sickrage).

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by HellDiverUK

[crowdx42]

Good info
I tried Sickrage and did not feel comfortable with it but I think Sonarr might be something worth looking at

[grither]

sonarr is awesome.  it took me forever to take the leap from sickbeard, but so glad i did

[crowdx42]

5 hours ago, grither said:

sonarr is awesome.  it took me forever to take the leap from sickbeard, but so glad i did

So is there a good guide out there for Sonarr? My main question is, is there a way like in Sickbeard to select the main folder for tv shows and have it add all the shows I currently record in one process or do I have to add all the shows one by one?

[grither]

you point at a folder with all tv shows, then it adds.  if i recall you have to click once for each show, just to confirm it was identified correct.  very easy to setup, and then runs amazingly well

 

[crowdx42]

15 minutes ago, grither said:

you point at a folder with all tv shows, then it adds.  if i recall you have to click once for each show, just to confirm it was identified correct.  very easy to setup, and then runs amazingly well

 

I am going to try it out, btw, what indexer do you use? That seems to be the big piece to any of these programs?