As everyone knows, the cost of running a homelab is something to consider when you start setting up your infrastructure at home. Here is my feedback…

Mon homelab Nutanix

To start, it is good to take stock of the configuration of my homelab which I mainly use to carry out tests and write my articles.

It is a slightly old server based on an Intel S2600WTTR motherboard which was in service from early 2016 to mid 2020.

In terms of configuration, it is a dual-processor Intel Xeon E5-2640 @ 2.4GHz (10 cores 20 threads) with 384Gb of RAM.

For storage, I can count on:

• 1 lambda SSD of 120GB for the system
• 4 SAS SSDs of 800Gb of type WUSTR6480ASS204
• 6 SAS HDDs of 1.8Tb (10k rpm) of type ST1800MM0129

Connectivity is limited to 2 onboard RJ45 ports supported by a 4-port network card.

A single connected power supply to avoid consuming too much energy (no critical applications, therefore no impact in the event of a failure).

Detailed Server Configuration: https://juliendumur.fr/nutanix-ahv-realiser-un-inventaire-materiel-exhaustif/

Motherboard product page: https://www.intel.fr/content/www/fr/fr/products/sku/88281/intel-server-board-s2600wttr/specifications.html

CPU product page : https://www.intel.fr/content/www/fr/fr/products/sku/92984/intel-xeon-processor-e52640-v4-25m-cache-2-40-ghz/specifications.html

That’s the configuration as a whole, now let’s see what it consumes…

Cluster power consumption

To be able to measure the power consumption of my cluster, I purchased a Meross smart plug (on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4d4p6q9) that I added to my HomeAssistant server.

This allows me to activate and deactivate the plug remotely and thus measure the power consumption of the devices and equipment connected to it.

In my case, the plug is dedicated to my Nutanix cluster in order to have the most accurate and consistent measurement possible.

On the graph, we can see:

• August 18 and 19: the socket is in place but it is “off”
• from August 20 to September 4: socket on but cluster off, consumption corresponds to the IPMI
• September 5 and 6: cluster on during the day for repair
• since September 8: cluster on 24/7

Consumption of the cluster off: approximately 440Wh per day

Consumption of the cluster on: approximately 5850Wh per day

Related to one year:

Consumption of the cluster off: 440 x 365 = 160.6 kWh

Consumption of the cluster on: 5850 x 365 = 2138.9 kWh

In terms of cost, this represents the following amounts at the regulated rate in France:

Cluster off: 160.6 x 0.25 = 40.15 euros

Cluster on: 2138.9 * 0.25 = 535 euros approximately

The operation of the cluster therefore represents a significant operating cost to take into account when you start creating an infrastructure at home. I find this consumption quite high, this is due to the age of my server which does not benefit from recent electrical optimizations. For my part, I only turn it on when I have tests, demonstrations to perform or des articles à écrire afin de limiter les coûts.