I want to build a media/backup/etc... server

[LeperousDust]

I've got access to general hardware, P4C plus few gig of memory, looooads of hard drives.

I wan't expandable RAID 5 storage for the network acting like a NAS.

I'd rather use windows of somesort, as even if i use these easily to use linux flavours i know when it goes tits up i wont be able to recover anything...

So is there any third part software i can run through a windows environment that takes over 4 drives and runs RAID5 on them as a mapped drive? But is also expandable?

I'd rather use Windows Home Server, but since i've got 4 (or 5 i cant remember) 400g drives laying about i want real RAID, but when i run out of room i want to be able to expand in obviously!

What should i be looking at?

[Burble]

i want real RAID

I assume by that you want a hardware RAID controller? In which case ignore all the cheapy controllers as they run the RAID is software is is nasty for eating up CPU cycles.

[Mark]

Totally agree with that, though RAID 5 tends to rule out most of the cheap stuff anyway. I'm really glad I went the proper hardware route with mine, though I'm using a somewhat rare P-ATA RAID solution.

[Burble]

I've seen RAID 5 offered on several el-crapo controllers lately. Not nice really since when you start arsing with parity and what not you'll be chewing up even more CPU cycles.

That said, I guess for the sort of system Alex is talking about software RAID wouldn't be the end of the world. I dislike it in general but I guess it has its uses.

[LeperousDust]

Software RAID is fine guys, this PC won't be doing that much work other than serving a few files/backing up etc... i don;t want to spend any money as such on hardware... :)

Basically cheap as chips is on the cards here, that calls for software raid i'm afraid :p

[Daz]

I'm not sure you'll find expandable RAID-5 in software, though I've never really looked at it, I'm with the other guys on this in that it's a bad idea. Also remember that expanding the volume is one step, and extending the file system is another - people often forget that.

Windows has software RAID built in, and 5 can be unlocked in XP with a few tweaks at your own risk etc etc

http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/11/19/using_windowsxp_to_make_raid_5_happen/page2.html

Of course you'll need to convert the disks to dynamic, which will shaft you if you ever want to recover on a different system.

[LeperousDust]

Hmmmm :(

Ok bad idea, i get the point :p

How do i do this easily on a *nix system then? I really have no idea with them, all i want is a big NAS at worst with lots of features... Problem being is that recovering data from that maybe "easy" but i'd be just as in the dark :)

[Daz]

Software RAID on *nix is built in to the kernel and you'll find it on all but the most basic of distro's. Typically it's just an option during setup, depends on what you go with really.

If you're worried about throwing yourself in at the deep end why not see if you can find a bargain on a decent PCI-E raid card?

[Burble]

What do you mean by recovering? Do you mean from a hardware failure? RAID array going tits up? Accidental deletion?

In any case, RAID (irrespective of level) is no substitute for a backup policy. You may well be able to survive a spindle failure ot two but that's about it.

[Daz]

Oh totally. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, RAID is an availability solution. Nothing to do with backup, and it shouldn't be treated as such.

[LeperousDust]

Oh i get that but when i'm playing about with a Tb of data, i can't back everything up, its not practical, i'd rather just make sure i'm safe(ish) from hard drive failure. Yes accidental deletion and the like will be my responsibility :)

I'd love to buy a cheap PCI-e raid card, but i REALLY don't want to have top spend any money on this, and the mobo doesn't support PCI-e :p (Asus P4 DEluxe board can't remember the exact name)
What would you recommend then, if i were to go down the linux route?
Updated list of musts i guess:
I wan't to be able to access the drives as one drive from all pc's on our network.
It would be good if it were a print server :)
But also be used to play media directly on a TV (it's sat behind and havea s-video out which'll do).
Able to remotely log in and fix things as it's only monitor will be a TV and they're just no practical to use...

[Burble]

Free NAS (http://www.freenas.org/) is worth considering.

[Mark]

Just so you're aware if you're going the motherboard RAID route controller route (not sure whether you are or not), the problem with that is that if the motherboard dies, there's a good chance you'll lose the array too unless you can find an identical replacement. The same goes for hardware RAID too of course, but the component count on hardware RAID boards is a lot lower, and they don't tend to go obsolete anything like as fast as motherboards.

This is not meant to put you off, but better being forewarned than not.

[LeperousDust]

No i don't really want to go hardware at all, thats why i wanted software, so in the event of a death i wouldn't be footed with a monster bill to sort out my "recoverable" data...

I've given up on the expandibility fact for now, but i've looked at FreeNAS< Openfiller, and eBox and a few others i can't remember, seems like even though i've no real idea whats going on under the minimal GUI it'll do the job, and i hope to god when something goes wrong you guys will help me :p

[Daz]

We do have an above average count of Linux geeks on BD, so you're chances are good :)