[Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

ise · 2011-09-12 09:14:50

Hi,

I'm looking for a specialized NAS distribution for my "old" PC (Core2Duo, 2x500GB HDD, 1xDVD). Anyone knows some good NAS distribution (must be OSS, should support RAID), should have a web-based administration.

I have found so far:

Openfiler (http://www.openfiler.com)
FreeNAS (http://www.freenas.org)

Have anyone some experience with those or have anyone running Arch Linux on his NAS with a web-based administration?

Let me hear some suggestions/ideas from you...

Daniel

EDIT: The PC has 4GB RAM. Maybe this is helpful for some decision.

Last edited by ise (2011-10-06 12:53:26)

cybertorture · 2011-09-12 09:48:51

Well what exactly are your needs for NAS ( more specific about web-based admin ). Does webmin fill your needs ? If so than i guess Arch is more than ready for NAS I myself use it with nfs, smb, tgt (iscsi-target), vblade (AoE), sftp (also making some testing on zfs-linux ) and so on. FreeNAS is also nice since it is fBSD based

ise · 2011-09-12 11:15:39

My main needs for the NAS is to store my photo collection, music and other stuff which I don't need all the time and to share it with all my PCs/Notebooks. Also my backups of the PCs should be placed on the NAS.

I had a look at webmin but it felt not that comfortable, the web-based administration should be able to configure everything with the web GUI. Sure I can use Arch, which would be perfect and my first choice, but I fear that I have to configure too much with a SSH session instead over the web. I know, that sounds silly, but the NAS should just run and I don't have to worry about everything. And no, a ready-to-use-device is not an option.

tomk · 2011-09-12 13:11:53

ise wrote:

Arch .. would be perfect and my first choice, but I fear that I have to configure too much with a SSH session instead over the web.

I don't understand your issue there. The configuration required will be the same, regardless of the method used, so if it's "too much" over SSH, it will also be "too much" using a web gui.

ise wrote:

the NAS should just run and I don't have to worry about everything.

It will just run, once you set it up - you won't have to tinker with it every day.

FWIW I have a NAS system (actually I call it a file server, guess I'm old fashioned ) - a headless PIII 450MHz with 3TB of USB storage hanging off it, administered exclusively via SSH. I run Arch on it with the -lts kernel, and I haven't touched any of its configs in months. pacman -Syu every 4-6 weeks, no issues.

ise · 2011-09-12 13:19:44

Maybe you are right. Maybe I should just try it with Arch.

Are you doing backups of your 3TB or do you have it running as a RAID?

Leonid.I · 2011-09-12 22:07:42

+1 for an Arch-based solution. I have an old laptop (with arch) working as a wifi router in addition to holding files, which had uptime >6 months on the stock (non LTS) kernel, before the thunderstorm knocked out the power.

Also, RAID does not solve the backup problem and is an unnecessary complications for home servers, IMHO. Do you really need your server to be available 24/7, or you are OK with occasional downtime due to (hopefully rare) HDD failure?

.:B:. · 2011-09-12 22:31:35

My setup is very similar to tomk's - minimal Arch install, LTS kernel, managed over SSH. It used to be my compiling setup (until my more powerful laptop came along), but it does a mighty fine job as an MPD server (connected to my stereo), torrent server and NFS file server (for my HTPC). Also runs a small webserver (ruTorrent frontend) but the webserver is starting to be employed as an FTP replacement - so I can access my OpenWrt builds from the LAN, and as an Arch package repo.

I back up like once a month over eS-ATA. 1 TB & 2 TB HD's in my server, identical ones in my eS-ATA disks. 2 GB of RAM, but I could probably make do with 512 - on i686, that is. I would take out what you don't need, 4 GB sounds like overkill for just about any server unless you're gonna virtualise and stuff, and you shave a few Watts off your idle usage.

RAID is not a backup, the best backups are off-line and (ideally) off-site. My eS-ATA disks are in another room, so far for off-site .

Last edited by .:B:. (2011-09-12 22:33:11)

ise · 2011-09-13 05:49:35

I know that RAID is not backup, but e.g. running a RAID 1 gives a good "security" for your data because they are stored on both HDDs, that was the reason I have asked.

The server won't run 24/7, it will be turned off during the night and mostly while I'm not at home. It will be mainly running as file server and backup server for my other PCs/HTPC. Another possible task could be to run as my own little buildserver for my packages, so I have don't to waste HDD space on my laptop for building in chroots. As I wrote above, it's my old "workstation" PC, that's the reason for 4GB, otherwise I won't install 4GB in a "normal" server for home usage.

I will try it with a minimal Arch installation, I will let you know after the installation, but first I have to copy and organize the data on it. Just thinking about the HDDs partition layout. Should I just go with two "seperate" partition (both 500GB (because of 2x500GB HDDs)) or should I use LVM and "connect" the two HDDs to one big partition? At the moment I would just use both HDD separately, that's the easiest way if one HDD will fail in the future.

student975 · 2011-09-13 06:19:52

It's funny, using Kubuntu on my workstation after days of digging in the problem I have selected Arch for (self-assembled) NAS. Few days later I switched to Arch on my workstation also (as well as my son on his WS and netbook).

As for configuring, at my case (samba, transmission and ssh itself) it takes more time to decide what I want rather for configuring process itself via ssh+nano. And, by the way, OS is running on USB memory stick (serving RAID1 with two 1T drives). In fact I prepared USB stick with VirtualBox - create some guest, give it Arch iso, select USB stick as Arch installation drive.

.:B:. · 2011-09-13 08:49:07

ise wrote:

I know that RAID is not backup, but e.g. running a RAID 1 gives a good "security" for your data because they are stored on both HDDs, that was the reason I have asked.

Only against disk failure; not against your accidentally deleting stuff. But I suppose you already know that .

ise · 2011-09-13 16:34:57

.:B:. wrote:

ise wrote:
I know that RAID is not backup, but e.g. running a RAID 1 gives a good "security" for your data because they are stored on both HDDs, that was the reason I have asked.
Only against disk failure; not against your accidentally deleting stuff. But I suppose you already know that .

Yeah, I know that

rwd · 2011-09-15 21:11:50

search the forum ?

http://www.google.de/search?as_q=freena … hlinux.org

ise · 2011-10-06 12:52:59

Just for information and to mark this thread as solved. I have successfully running Arch as my "NAS" system on my old computer and it works perfectly.
UPnP server, SSH access, file server and webmin as web frontend (this works better than I have thought).

Didn't know why I have thought to use a specialized distro for that in the beginning....Arch is perfect for such things.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-09-12 09:14:50

[Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#2 2011-09-12 09:48:51

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#3 2011-09-12 11:15:39

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#4 2011-09-12 13:11:53

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#5 2011-09-12 13:19:44

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#6 2011-09-12 22:07:42

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#7 2011-09-12 22:31:35

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#8 2011-09-13 05:49:35

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#9 2011-09-13 06:19:52

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#10 2011-09-13 08:49:07

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#11 2011-09-13 16:34:57

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#12 2011-09-15 21:11:50

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

#13 2011-10-06 12:52:59

Re: [Solved] Looking for specialized NAS distribution

Board footer