Homelab - Day 1 - Really Ghetto Data Storage

Setting Up Storage for the Kubernetes Cluster

The first step in setting up my homelab Kubernetes cluster is ensuring some reliable data storage. Right now, I have two main categories of data in mind:

1. Operationally Critical Data

• Needs RAID with redundancy
• Requires both on-site and off-site backups
• Approximately 1TB of data

2. Media Data

• Non-critical, so no backups required
• Several terabytes of storage needed

Since the Kubernetes cluster depends on Operationally Critical Data, I need to establish a RAID-backed storage solution with proper backups before moving forward.

What I’ve Done So Far

In the spirit of keeping things cheap and hacky, I'm repurposing an old ThinkPad X230 as my server, paired with a few USB drives for RAID storage. Here’s what I’ve done:

• Installed OpenMediaVault on the ThinkPad
• Wiped and configured two 500GB hard drives and one 1TB hard drive
• Set up RAID 5, providing 1TB of usable storage

Key Learnings

• USB RAID is a really dodgy solution for data storage – The OpenMediaVault UI didn’t even allow it, though setting it up via CLI was easy. This reinforces my concern that USB RAID isn’t a viable long-term solution. So I guess I've learned I need to buy a NAS asap.
• RAID setup was easier than expected – I’ve avoided running RAID for years, but getting it working was surprisingly straightforward.
• Networking will need an upgrade – My BT Hub router and a small 5-in-1 switch aren’t going to cut it. A proper network switch may need to be another purchase.

This is just the beginning, but storage is a critical first step. On to the next challenge!