I’m rebuilding my home network. The “core” server has a domain controller, the XO appliance, the True Command appliance, and the Unifi controller.
Any recommendations on a start order? I’m almost to the point of thinking it really doesn’t matter as these will come online before the two xcp-ng servers that run all my loads (I test architectures a lot).
Welcome to the forums and I prefer to start with the easiest projects first to get a felling of accomplishment before I just on the more complicated things to configure.
Yeah, I have been rebuilding networks since the 90’s. Your videos inspired me to do a rip and replace. Really loved the XO controller DIY video.
Hey @CmdrKitsune,
Do you mean a start order as in, which should boot first or which should you rebuild first?
If you are talking about rebuild then I think I’d be inclined to get your core server setup with XCP-ng then XO, Unifi, DC, True Command (no idea what that one does).
If you are talking boot order then you need to look if any one server requires the services provided by another. For example do any of the servers use an AD account to log on, if they do then you need the DC to be up first. Another option might be if one of the servers provides DHCP or shared storage that others need to successfully boot.
I’ve not actually looked into delayed auto start on XCP-ng, I assume it’s a thing. I should probably check and have my pfSense vm’s come up a couple of mins before everything else.
More so the start up sequence for power-on. I’ve got my pfSense on a Protectli, and then my core host is a standalone ESXi 6.7 running on a 1U Supermicro.
I’m thinking hav;ing the XO come up first. For all the memory and self checks the two HP servers do, I figure XO will be online before the xcp-ng will be up. They can then check in and get any information from the controller.
The TrueNAS Command appliance is the next to bring up. Like the Unifi controller, I see it more as a change management tool than a “required to run” resource.
Since none of them are running AD service accounts, I’ll let the domain controller start last.
You confirmed what I was thinking, so I suppose I was just over-analyzing, but that’s what system architects do… 
I’ll ask it a different way, is this production or lab? If it is production, you need services for users before any of the management tools come up. So that to me would be DHCP, DNS, AD first. Then you can get into other services like XO, TrueCommand, etc. That said, some things take longer to boot than others, you might have a bunch of stuff that isn’t needed come up first and that’s just how it will start…
If it is a lab system, then having the management tools come up first makes sense because that is generally what we are working with in a lab.
It’s my home systems. I do all my testing at home before I even try things on the test lab at work. And I have both prod and test systems at home so I don’t completely blow up the home network with new ideas.
DHCP & DNS are handled by the pfSense, so those are up first.
Depending on what you have AD doing and what needs AD, then it might be able to be lower on priority list.
I think over analysing is a general IT person issue not something specific to one discipline!
Sounds like you know where you are heading though so that’s great news.
It looks like startup delay might be a bit of a hack on XCP-ng though which is a shame.