Basically it's a software based NAS implemented with a modified RAID 4 (striping removed) system.
- Slackware based - relatively low hardware requirements - Drive types do not have to match - mix and match SATA and PATA - Drive sizes do not have to be the same - as long as the biggest is made the parity drive - Boots off of a USB stick - allowing all drives to be part of the array (wish it would allow CD boots though) - 1 drive fault tolerance - but you don't lose all of the data if you lose more than 1 drive (see next point) - Each disc has a standalone ext2 file system on it - if you lose 2 drives, the array is gone but the data on the remaining drives is still accessible - Can quickly expand by just adding drives (no need to restripe - just recompute the parity) - Only spins up needed drives - Write speed is ok - not really critical for a media server (once the data's on there you tend not to write to it again) - Read speed is on par with 5 or 6 (sometimes better if multiple reads are being made to drives on different controllers) I was skeptical of a software based raid system, but decided to try it after I lost about 2 TB of dvd rips (yes, I own the physical discs) due to a flaky RAID 5 card (it mistimed a series of writes at the very worst possible time - destroyed an NTFS volume). After using it for about 8 months now (using the flaky RAID 5 card running in JBOD mode and the SATA connectors on the MOBO), I swear by it when used for what it was intended for - I wouldn't want to run a mission critical high write database on it. I've only had one hiccup with it and it was hardware based (two drives overheated from a faulty cooling fan I didn't notice until it was too late, one was the parity drive) - I was able to replace the faulty drives and build a new array using the remaining good drives (only lost the data off the one bad non-parity drive). Link to site: http://lime-technology.com/ -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dustin Puryear Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [brlug-general] OS Poll Time. unRAID server? What is that? I'm curious. -- Dustin Puryear President and Sr. Consultant Puryear Information Technology, LLC 225-706-8414 x112 http://www.puryear-it.com Author, "Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers" http://www.puryear-it.com/pubs/linux-unix-best-practices/ James Kuhns wrote: > Giving home and work choices only is a bit limiting... > > main home/work machine (same machine - nice to work from home) - Vista with > VM sessions for XP, Windows Server 2000, and Windows Server 2003 (depending > on what environment I have to dev for - I work for a Microsoft shop) > > servers (at home): Windows Server 2003 (domain), Windows Server 2000 > (running various VM sessions of 2000/2003 - again depending on current dev), > debian (dns, http, smtp, etc. - basically everything that keeps my network > running) > > media network: 1 unRAID server (based on slackware) holding my media, 1 XP > machine holding the database/index for my media, 2 Vista clients for > viewing/listening to media (via TVs) > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of willhill > Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:27 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [brlug-general] OS Poll Time. > > What is your primary desktop OS? > 1. At home > 2. At work > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 > 5:18 PM > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 > 5:18 PM > > > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > -- > This message was scanned by ESVA and is believed to be clean. > Click here to report this message as spam. > http://esva.puryear-it.com/cgi-bin/learn-msg.cgi?id= > > _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 5:18 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.14/1643 - Release Date: 8/30/2008 5:18 PM _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
