Run Windows 10 VM or QNAP package?

I’m planning to install Roon Server on my QNAP TVS-1282T. It’s an i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 64GB memory, and the database storage will be on a 4x1TB RAID 10 SSD array. The music storage is on a RAID 1 spinning disk array, with no other data on those two disks.The NAS isn’t particularly busy doing other things. All applications run on the SSD array. (Yes, RAID 1 is risky, but the data is mirrored to two other NASes, onsite and offsite, in RAID 10 arrays).

My question is, which of the following is the best approach, for glitch-free performance and quality:

  1. Run the QNAP package
  2. Run ROCK as a VM (assuming that’s even possible?)
  3. Run Roon Server on a Linux VM
  4. Run Roon Server on a Windows 10 VM

The QNAP has virtual 10Gbps networking from a Windows VM to the NAS storage. I don’t know if it’s feasible to install the virtual networking drivers in ROCK, but ROCK would still have at least 1Gbps access to its data, I think.

The library is 150,000 tracks.

Opinions and facts welcomed, and thank you in advance!

Best, Alex.

I think you are over complicating things, 4 x 1tb ssd in Raid 10 is really good but complete overkill, just run roon on the nas, the db on an ssd and install the qnap package as per forum member ‘crieke’s’ excellent guide and have a copy of the db stored somewhere else for safety and security and ensure you do regular db backups.
Remember raid is not a backup just resilience in the event of a hardware failure.
Just my thoughts, others may differ?

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Go for option #1, no need to over complicate this.

The more important aspect is what DAC will you be using and how do you plan to connect it?

My recommendation is via hardwared ethernet using Roon’s RAAT protocol … if the DAC is not Roon Ready then use a network bridge.

Thank you, Ratbert. For sure, the RAID 10 SSD array is overkill. I use other parts of that array for some databases and “live” storage, and it gives me very high performance, albeit for applications that I don’t use more than a few hours per week. I’m just using the the spare capacity on that array for Roon+database.

And, indeed, that array is backed up (not just mirrored) to drives offsite. The Roon database will be part of that daily backup regimen.

Thank you, Carl. My concern is/was that the Windows 10 Roon implementation is native .NET, versus relying on Mono under Linux. But maintaining a Windows 10 VM means constant updates and the possibility of mishaps.

My home network is a 10Gbps wired backbone with 1Gbps branches. The primary link will be to my listening room DMS-500, which is going to be Roon Ready tomorrow. The DMS-500 drives Classe CA-M600 monoblocks via Transparent Reference cables to Wilson Alexias, so it has to be as clean as possible. The DMS-500 supports MQA. As all of my MQA content is via Tidal, it’ll be interesting to compare the Tidal client on the DMS-500 to Roon’s if and when Roon does some unfolding.

The NAS is also hard-wired (10Gbps) to my desktop PC in my home office, using the Roon client on the PC to drive an Ayre QB-9 to Woo WES to Stax SR-9s. No MQA here yet. Other endpoints will be wired and wireless to less critical locations, e.q. garage/workshop, currently with Airplay. I’m looking forward to a good, compact remote wired/wireless solution with MQA and high-resolution support. No rush.

Incidentally, the whole network uses standard MTU 1500. I tried jumbo frames, but Roon doesn’t like that, unless every device uses them, and that’s not always possible. it’s a small drag on the 10Gbps segments, but not enough to worry about. Roon also requires very careful VLAN configuration, which is a pain when you have a home VoIP switch.

Use the qnap pkg… Less moving parts.

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Many thanks! Will do.

The less moving parts the better. :smiley:

Oh boy, I’m impressed. The QNAP package installation and migrating my database/core from PC to NAS was oustandingly easy and quick. And, while 4x1TB SSD RAID 10 is overkill, it also means that the 3GB database restored in less than a minute. The Roon software now has a very clean, mature feel, and pointing the database at a different file store (NAS copies of the same music files that are on my PC) worked perfectly: all 150k tracks reassimilated within a minute.

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A full VM is definitely overkill. It was only used as an option before the .qkpg was available.

Another option however, would be to use Container Station and run Roon from a Docker container.

Ooh. Interesting suggestion. I’ll give it a try, although the .qkpg works really well.

Yeah there’s no real reason to do it unless you want the separation flexibility, and for tinkering value :slight_smile: