I first posted this information on a Kickstarter thread, but it might be helpful for further discussion on the forum.
For a bit of background, I have been around technology for a long time. I started peeking and poking on a Commodore-64. Over the past couple of years, I have become less interested in learning technology and more interested in using technology to accomplish my goal.
My goal for my ZimaCube is to replace two machines on my network that run 24X7X365. One is a Synology 918+ that I use as a NAS. The other is a mini-pc that has an Intel 1235u CPU with 64GB of memory that I use as a VM (virtual machine) server. The NAS currently runs Synology’s Propritory DiskStationManager 7.2. The VM server run proxmox 8.2.2.
Historically, Storage (NAS) and Computing (VM server) have been separate, primarily because it was easier to think about them as discrete parts in a large enterprise network. Many home enthusiasts also followed that model because we ran used enterprise gear, software was often designed that way, and it followed ‘best practices.’
More recently, there has been a trend towards using a single machine for both storage and computing. The industry buzzword is hyperconverged infrastructure. (HCI) For consumers, this is often referred to as ‘cloud in a box.’ The three driving forces behind this convergence are:
- Rapidly falling CPU prices. Processors like the Intel 1235u are surprisingly powerful for their price.
- Reduce power consumption. Historically, many home users ran used enterprise equipment, which consumed a lot of power. Several hundred watts per machine was not unusual. Now, a rather capable machine can provide that compute and storage at a fraction of the power.
- Reduced complexity. Fewer machines are easier to maintain and update than multiple machines.
Over the course of several posts, I will discuss some of my choices as I do this migration… hopefully stimulating discussion and ways, I can improve on my initial ideas.