I am looking at rebuilding my HTPC file server and came across FlexRAID: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlexRAID http://www.openegg.org/FlexRAID.curi
I have been using RAID 5 for the last few years and FreeRAID provides what I need (data protection) and alleviates many of the constraints of RAID: all drives need to be the same size,dedicated card, lose more than 1 drive (RAID 5) or 2 drives (RAID 6) and you lose all your data, etc. FlexRAID goes like this. You install Windows or Linux and attach a whole bunch of drives to the system. You then fire up FlexRAID and stipulate which drives have data you want to protect and which drives will be used to store the parity. One of the big downsides is that it only really works for systems where you don't change much of the data constantly - the FlexRAID software needs downtime to be able to update all the parity. But for a media server, that isn't a problem. Just don't use it for your boot drive. --------------------------- Brian Weeden Technical Advisor Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundation.org> +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada +1 (202) 683-8534 US On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 2:30 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > In the end, most of the time I come down to: > > Freenas - lightweight, can run on anything, I normally boot to freenas on a > cf card, and it works just a file dump > > Or > > Whs if I want something to store data, connect mediacenters and do > automated backups > > > Sent via BlackBerry > > -----Original Message----- > From: Naushad Zulfiqar <[email protected]> > Sender: [email protected] > Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2010 03:14:00 > To: <[email protected]> > Reply-To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [H] Building a file server? > > No advantage. > > Better if you run a linux distro meant to be a file server. > > > > On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 2:42 AM, Anthony Q. Martin <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > If I'm running Win7 on everything, is there an advantage to running > > Windows Server 2008? I can get the software so cost is not much of an > issue > > here. > > > > On 9/17/2010 1:15 PM, Julian Zottl wrote: > > > >> Depending on what you're doing, I have several suggestions. > >> > >> FreeNAS: Excellent FREE product that turns your machine into a > >> NAS/Bittorent > >> client (Transmission)/UPnP server (I use it to stream to a > >> PS3)/iTunes/DAAP > >> server. It has support for hardware RAID and software RAID. Support > >> FTP/SMB(Windows file shares)/NFS/Rsync etc. http://www.freenas.org > >> > >> Windows 2008: Great server OS, but not cheap. You can run pretty much > any > >> services you want from it, like the PS3 streaming server, > fold...@homeetc. > >> Supports SMB and NFS. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ---- > >> Julian > >> > >> > >> On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 12:42 PM, Anthony Q. Martin<[email protected] > >> >wrote: > >> > >> 1st, this is for home use. But I frequently work on "work" stuff at > >>> home, > >>> so I do consider a lot of my "data" to be critical to me...but I have a > >>> lot > >>> of it spread between multiple computers (work and home). > >>> > >>> So, what would I like to do? > >>> > >>> 1) store all of my stuff in one place....so I would need RAID and/or > >>> backup. > >>> 2) be able to stream music to any PC in the house, including phones and > >>> slate computers (future) > >>> 3) be able to download stuff from/to my TIVO to/from it. (the TIVO > files > >>> do > >>> get big and I really don't need to back those up); but I want my TIVOs > to > >>> "see" this server. > >>> 4) sync folders between laptop and server (via wireless network) > >>> > >>> Ultimately, it would be nice to just store all my stuff on it and have > it > >>> protected and backed up. Then get to it all from over network > connection > >>> from any PC. > >>> > >>> I don't need to stream movies. Though neat to do, I can get by without > >>> that. > >>> > >>> Thanks. > >>> > >>> > >>> On 9/17/2010 11:15 AM, Richard Quilhot wrote: > >>> > >>> RAID would be recommended, if you will be storing critical data and > need > >>>> faster I/O responses. > >>>> The backup included with Win Server will be the bare basics, I would > go > >>>> with > >>>> a more robust product like Backup Exec. > >>>> > >>>> The bigger question is what do you want it to do? > >>>> > >>>> Rick Q > >>>> [email protected] > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On Fri, Sep 17, 2010 at 7:17 AM, Anthony Q. Martin< > [email protected] > >>>> > >>>>> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>> So, no one here builds their on file servers? Or, are people just > >>>> using > >>>> > >>>>> NAS devices? > >>>>> > >>>>> On 9/14/2010 8:00 AM, Anthony Q. Martin wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> I've got an extra PC here with a Core 2 Duo E6850 @ 3GHz with 2GB > ram > >>>>> > >>>>>> in > >>>>>> a NZXT case. It's got a rather low end mobo but it does have 1Gbit > >>>>>> networking. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> I'm thinking of turning this into a file server rather than buying a > >>>>>> NAS. > >>>>>> I'm thinking of Windows Server 2008 since I mainly have Windows 7 > >>>>>> running > >>>>>> here. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> Other than backups, what else can I get such a system to do? Does > >>>>>> Windows > >>>>>> Server include all of the necessary software or would I have to buy > >>>>>> something else for streaming, etc. I assume it has a network backup > >>>>>> tool. > >>>>>> Would some kind of raid configuration be wise for this? Pros& > >>>>>> Cons? > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>> No virus found in this incoming message. > >>>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >>>>>> Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3140 - Release Date: > >>>>>> 09/17/10 > >>>>>> 02:34:00 > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> No virus found in this incoming message. > >>>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >>>>> Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3140 - Release Date: > >>>>> 09/17/10 > >>>>> 02:34:00 > >>>>> > >>>>> > > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. > >>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >>>> Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3140 - Release Date: > 09/17/10 > >>>> 02:34:00 > >>>> > >>>> > > > -- > Best Regards, > > > Zulfiqar Naushad >
