[TriLUG] NAS box

Aaron Joyner aaron at joyner.ws
Sun May 2 21:18:13 EDT 2004


I'm not quite sure how much of your file sharing volume goes between 
the Linux boxes, but I'm going to take a short assumption that the bulk 
of the file sharing is done to the windows boxes.  Start with LVM.  Add 
as many disks are you require, and make them (at least) a redundant 
raid array of some sort (probably RAID1, optionally RAID5).  Share via 
Samba, and then layer on rsync rolling backups of the network shares 
(done with LVM's snapshopts for consistancy), so that you can provide 
the "snapshot" rolling-backup feature that's one of the more popular 
driving features behind the network-appliance storage devices.

If you're unsure what I mean by all that, check out Jeremy Portzer's 
upcoming presentation at the next meeting!  :)  He's going to be 
discussing precisely that (well at least the rsync rolling backup 
part), and I don't want to jump the gun and cover all the ground on the 
list.  :)

That would be my recommendation.

Aaron S. Joyner


On May 1, 2004, at 11:21 PM, Brian McCullough wrote:

> On Sat, May 01, 2004 at 02:36:16PM -0400, Jon Carnes wrote:
>> OpenBSD version 3.5 has just been released. This is the version that
>> comes with CARP built into it (built-in firewall failover).
>
>
> REALLY not wanting to start a religious war, but I have a question of
> Linux vs BSD.
>
>
> I have a client that needs a "disk server" and I was thinking that this
> might be an opportunity to ask for recommendations.
>
>
> First, of course, there is the basic question of "purpose-built" (
> commercial box like a Snap Server ) or "home-brew."
>
>
> Then, and this is really my question, if I was to build a box for this
> purpose, it would probably have the following specifications:
>
> LOTS of disk space ( SATA? RAID! )
> At least one Gigabit Network connection
> Second network connection, at least 100 MBit.
>
>
> This machine would be plugged into an existing network ( actually two
> loops, one 100 MBit, one Gigabit, but this box is to a large extent for
> the Gigabit side ) consisting of a Linux general purpose server ( IMAP,
> SMTP, DNS, SAMBA, etc. ), a Linux firewall box, and a conglomeration of
> Win 95, 98, 2K machines. ( also a soon to be dead ( or replaced ) WinMe
> machine )
>
> The big workstations, and the machines making the most use of the new
> box, are Win2K.
>
>
> Here's your chance to help me design an inexpensive!, big disk array, 
> to
> take the load off of the general purpose Linux server.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Brian
>
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