View Full Version : Freenas or alternative?
Lo all, I'm looking at implementing a server/nas solution on my home network and after some advice. I have previously used a standard windows install and used raid 1 for redundancy. I now need to upgrade components so I thought I would take the opportunity to do it properly. I have a backup solution in place, so no issues there.
The file server will be fairly low duty with its main duty being streaming media. I may add a print server on there as well. Ideally I am looking at software raid 5 with expandable storage. To do this I would need to use Suns filesystem (whose name escapes me).
I have looked at FreeNas, but my understanding is that it is a bit of a git to expand due to the core being stripped so much. Amahi has also turned up as an install ontop of a full Linux installation and appears to get good reviews.
One other consideration is say I have a raid 5 install of 4*500gb array. With expandable storage can you rip out a 500gb and replace (and use) say a 1tb disc?
So in summary I guess I am after a server install:-
Raid (5) software
Expandable storage (allowing chopping/changing of hdds).
Print server
Act as a media server
Fairly intuitive. I don't mind some command line actions, but I don't want to spend hours on the command line fighting obscure syntax. (I'm looking at you HP-UX *spits*).
Power management. W.O.L and drive management.
I was originally thinking about WHS but that doesn't support raid and redundancy is supplied by duplication (rubbish basically).
LeperousDust
06-09-2010, 03:54
Haven't read this at all, so ignore my if i'm jumping the gun, but i'm off to bed-ski right now and thought i'd just mention Windows Home Server Vail. Seems an odd choice, but for media serving over networks a fair amount of add-ons, a large community, totally versatile expandable storage with tombstones and redundancy plus backups if necessary its go everything most people would want for home server goodness. When i get a chance i'm properly investing in my server and setting it up properly for good.
Only thing missing is built in TV tuner support/media centre, it would be the perfect duo/match whereas atm technically you have to have two separate machines unless you want to go hacking around (and lets be honest you dont with your server :)).
So only downside is no RAID5 but i actually got over this very quickly... user fast drives fast controllers and gigabit and you'll be fine :)
I tried desperately to use every linux distro under the sun to replicate the unified storage and nothing has come close yet, not to mention the massive faff involved (and my total lack of understanding of course)
I could recommend WHS more :)
Yep I hear what you are saying. Having had quite a few higher capacity drives fail I do feel that I need something with raid. While I could go to backups, this would pee me off. I don't know what I am doing to them but the average is about one every 6 months (well ventilated, filtered UPS supply, good PSU).
LeperousDust
06-09-2010, 16:53
But the windows home server is a kind of JBOD raid. Just without the RAID mess no expanding shrinking, or even worrying about sizes. Any amount of drives, two copies of everything ( if you want) on different physical drives, and automatic recovery and notification when one goes pop. Linux doesnt have a leg to stand on in comparison (yet, im still waiting)
Hmmm, might be worth considering then. It's a pain that Vail is still beta though. No point paying for v1 in the mean time.
LeperousDust
06-09-2010, 22:16
Yeah i'd honestly hold off till vail, can't be long now? (havent checked release date). it's what i'm doing :)
well ventilated
What sort of temperature are the drives running at? Ideally you want moving air over the drives themselves. I try to keep all mine sub-40c and for the most part it seems to work (I still get failures, but we're talking years, not months).
In theory for bulk storage the WD GP or Samsung F2 is a good choice (I go WD out of personal choice) - lower rotation spead = less heat and potentially less wear.
PS - I just dump a stack of 4 WD GP drives into a Drobo these days. Not the cheapest, and far from the quickest, but they 'just work' most of the time. I don't intend to tempt fate by suggesting they're perfect because like any RAID-like solution, they're certainly capable of self-destructing the array in spectacular and permanent fashion.
The drives have 80mm fans turning directly over them. Literally right beside where they are mounted taking cool air in from the front of the case. I think I've just had a run of bad luck. Never had any go for years previously with the same case setup.
I just bought a Drobo !!! Will start with 2 Samsung F4, which i am guessing will running In RAID 0 mirror each other until i put in more drives. Can't wait till tomorrow!
I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about drobos. Tend to hear great things from people who are somehow involved with them, and disaster stories from everyone else.
Which have you got?
I've got a pair of Drobos and I've had data 'disappear' several times, but a quick reboot and it's back.
At least one of my Drobos seems to like hanging my Windows XP box, but then I've had that happen with other devices too so it may not be the Drobo's fault.
Best point - I recently did a disk upgrade, moving a 1TB drive from one to the other, and then adding two 2TB drives. Neither Drobo missed a beat.
Worst point - they're slow. Even over firewire they significantly underperform a USB enclosure containing a single Samsung F3.
Speed is not great significance for me. It is mainly a back up storage device, may use it to stream a movie or 2, that's it.
I can't wait !!!
I've had plenty of problems with my Drobo - it's been replaced under warranty twice for starters. The DroboShare was replaced too, but that's such a piece of junk that I don't use it.
Software wise, every couple of months it will appear that the array has been lost and OS X will tell me that it's an unknown partition but 12 hours later it'll be mounted fine.
Shame, it could bee such a good product. Hopefully the newer ones are better.
Sounds the same as the problem I get where one drive disappears. So far (touch wood) a reboot (of the Drobo) has sorted it every time.
Actually, one of mine went back too - it had a manufacturing defect. It wasn't obvious until you tried to insert a drive in that bay so I guess I can forgive them that one.
With mine a reboot does nothing but that could be down to me using my Drobo on OS X as opposed to *nix or Windows.
Thinking about it, it hasn't done it since the last firmware update so maybe that's sorted it.
Mine went back the first time because the bearings in the cooling fan were shafted and then again when the firewire interface gave up the ghost.
The Drobo won't be my only back up solution, I will treat the Drobo as a SINGLE data storage even though it has it's own back up within itself. Which means even if the drobo fails, I have another copy physically on a different drive.
It is how I do things at the moment, and that won't change. I am just adding that extra layer of security, and expandability into my storage.
even though it has it's own back up within itself.
No it doesn't. RAID (or Above RAID or whatever they call it) is not a backup. If you delete something then it's gone.
Definitely a good idea to keep a backup elsewhere. I really should update my cloud based backup.
Edit - Reading that back it sounds quite blunt. Sorry, it isn't meant to.
What i mean is that the Drobo can allow a fail drive, though it doesn't mean i want to risk a failed drobo system itself. :)
Yeah, so like I said, it isn't a backup :) It this case it's a high availability setup.
The nice thing about the Drobo is that even if the Drobo itself fails you can shove the discs into a new Drobo and hey presto, there's your data.
Personally looking at getting the Synology DS1010 - hope it's worth it.
Actually I'm in a bit of a dilema...do I just replace my dead drives with 2TB drives and stick them back into my case or get the NAS...
I must admit the NAS seems like the logical choice.
Del Lardo
06-10-2010, 15:04
You might want to have a look at http://www.nexentastor.org/ Not tried it yet but a friend swears by it (not at it)
Up and running !!!
I got home just after 7, and by 7:19, the drives were in, power on, CD installed, and after familiar myself with the Client program, did firmware update, client software update, set admin password etc (did the same on my MBP as well). I have set it up to back up my USB Drive that I use to host my Wedding photos. It is backing up via Wifi N network currently.
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9103/screenshot20101006at202.png (http://img525.imageshack.us/i/screenshot20101006at202.png/)
In between I managed to get changed, got dinner too :p
The nice thing about the Drobo is that even if the Drobo itself fails you can shove the discs into a new Drobo and hey presto, there's your data.
I can vouch for this. Exchanged all the disks in one Drobo with all the disks in the other at the weekend to see if the other Drobo was any more reliable (no crashes yet). All the data was right where I left it. Just make sure you turn the Drobo(s) off first, otherwise they'll get mighty upset!
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