[dba-Tech] Building a network storage device

Hi John

We have also successfully used NASLite - at some clients for storage of backend JET files.
It really is too simple to set up.
However, if you don't want to fiddle with Linux commands to create a floppy diskettes, you may need to buy the cd-rom.
A totally free alternative - which might be closer to your liking as it sports a web based admin system - is FreeNAS:

http://www.freenas.org/

It's still in beta but should fit your few requirements very well.

/gustav


>>> carbonnb at gmail.com 06-02-2007 03:45:20 >>>
On 2/5/07, JWColby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote:
> I have a need for a large, fast, redundant network storage array.  I need a
> gigabit network link, raid redundancy, and terabyte capacity with the

<snip>

> I have a spare computer with a "3 GHz" Athlon X64 processor, a gigabyte of
> ram and a built in gigabit NIC.  It certainly seems like a raid 5 (or
> preferably raid 6) array shared at the root level would serve admirably.
> Throw a software firewall on it which filters to only allow local 192.xxx
> address ranges to address it.  My network system is (ATM) WFW based and so I
> would likely just stay with Windows XP as the OS.

> Any thoughts from you folks on this idea?  Has anyone done this.  Words of
> wisdom?  Unless there is a compelling reason to do this, please leave out
> the "go Linux" stuff.  I have enough to do without doing the star trek
> thing.

How about something like NASLite
http://www.serverelements.com/naslite.php 

It's a single floppy, yes floppy, that you boot your computer from and
do some simple config and away you go. No need for an OS, it's on the
floppy. Although it is Linux, you don't need to know linux,. You just
need to follow an install doc to get it up and running.

I have a P90 that I've considered doing this yet, just haven't taken the plunge.