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Chat => Entertainment & Technology => Topic started by: adam2975 on July 01, 2008, 09:06:51 AM

Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: adam2975 on July 01, 2008, 09:06:51 AM
I need a computer to run Windows 2003 Server which will just be used as a file server, it will only have a maximum of 5 people connecting.

Whats the minimum spec i can get away with?

Cheers.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Rivkid on July 01, 2008, 09:51:16 AM
Pretty much anything. We ran an old 600 mhz machine last year with about 256mb of Ram and w2k3 server for about 20 people as a fileserver and it was fine. Would think anything you can buy new today would breeze it.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: adam2975 on July 01, 2008, 09:52:21 AM
sweet thanks for that, helps alot mate.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: XEntity on July 01, 2008, 19:28:58 PM
Is it purely a file server? Or do you need it to be part of a domain etc?

Just thought you would get better performance with FreeNAS or something like that? And then the spec is even less of an issue?

 
Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on July 01, 2008, 19:56:06 PM
FreeNas is bloody awesome. Runs on almost nothing! :D
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: XEntity on July 01, 2008, 20:05:11 PM
Even if in a Windows network environment it is still compatible to active directory...

...I had a play with it ages ago... might give it an install later to have a play looks really awesome now
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Mark on July 01, 2008, 20:58:03 PM
If it has to be as cheap as possible, then the cost of a server 2003 license must surely swing it in favour of something free

Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: adam2975 on July 01, 2008, 21:45:08 PM
Sounds like i should take a gander at FreeNAS, that would possibly do the trick.

Tis purely or a file server for a very small 3 person business.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Eggtastico on July 01, 2008, 22:36:33 PM
Quote from: adam2975
Sounds like i should take a gander at FreeNAS, that would possibly do the trick.

Tis purely or a file server for a very small 3 person business.


just get a nas drive then
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on July 01, 2008, 22:55:46 PM
Quote from: adam2975
Sounds like i should take a gander at FreeNAS, that would possibly do the trick.

Tis purely or a file server for a very small 3 person business.


FreeNas will do it with capacity to spare :)

I boot it from a 32mb usb 1.1 key :) Runs samba, nfs, iscsi, ftp, http, integrates with Active Directory :). Can do raid and all sorts of goodies.

Wish they made plugins for it though, if it could be a print server Id be running it all the time.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Beaker on July 01, 2008, 22:56:16 PM
Quote from: adam2975
Sounds like i should take a gander at FreeNAS, that would possibly do the trick.

Tis purely or a file server for a very small 3 person business.


Stick a big fat drive in someones PC, share it out over the network, and make sure they have a decent backup proggy doing nightly copies.  
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: adam2975 on July 02, 2008, 09:25:26 AM
Actually these look good and would save alot of hassle.

Can use as print server and you can access it over the internet.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140781
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Beaker on July 02, 2008, 09:27:59 AM
Quote from: adam2975
Actually these look good and would save alot of hassle.

Can use as print server and you can access it over the internet.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140781


Those arent bad to be fair, however they are £129.99 at staples when i was in last week.  cheaper than ebuyer, and easier to get.  I paid £40 for a 250Gb one that was end of line.  
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: XEntity on July 02, 2008, 18:50:07 PM
Has anyone played with the raid on this? I know there used to be problems?

Considering just mirroring drives just for a bit of data security, maybe raid 5 even?
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: Mark on July 02, 2008, 21:17:38 PM
Quote from: M3ta7h3ad
Quote from: adam2975
Sounds like i should take a gander at FreeNAS, that would possibly do the trick.

Tis purely or a file server for a very small 3 person business.


FreeNas will do it with capacity to spare :)

I boot it from a 32mb usb 1.1 key :) Runs samba, nfs, iscsi, ftp, http, integrates with Active Directory :). Can do raid and all sorts of goodies.

Wish they made plugins for it though, if it could be a print server Id be running it all the time.


Just run a BSD server? Or hack freenas to include CUPS or the like.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on July 03, 2008, 11:03:24 AM
Quote from: XEntity
Has anyone played with the raid on this? I know there used to be problems?

Considering just mirroring drives just for a bit of data security, maybe raid 5 even?


If its important data I wouldnt as its software raid and well its always a bit iffy. If it was just for storage of random shiznit then yeah Id give it a go.
Title: Re:Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: XEntity on July 04, 2008, 20:03:13 PM
Quote from: M3ta7h3ad


If its important data I wouldnt as its software raid and well its always a bit iffy. If it was just for storage of random shiznit then yeah Id give it a go.


Its probably not going to be important, but obviously if I am likely to have issues it would be a bit counter productive   -)

Whats the worst that could happen if I was mirroring? Would it be the case that one drives data may get corrupt with s/w raid? Or potentially could I lose the whole lot?

And if say for example one HD goes down due to a hardware fault, there shouldnt be any issues accessing the data on the other drive?
Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: knighty on July 04, 2008, 23:50:40 PM
does free nas support software raid ?

i use naslite... and i know it doesnt.....
Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on July 05, 2008, 15:01:56 PM
Quote from: knighty
does free nas support software raid ?

i use naslite... and i know it doesnt.....


Yes freenas does.

Well potentially you could lose the lot, but whats more likely to happen is that one drive will get pooched and youll have to rebuild your array with a fresh drive or just format and rebuild the pooched drive.
Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: M3ta7h3ad on July 05, 2008, 15:03:33 PM
Knighty:
Quote
FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.
The minimal FreeBSD distribution, Web interface, PHP scripts and documentation are based on M0n0wall.
Title: Spec me a cheap fileserver please.
Post by: knighty on July 05, 2008, 21:57:05 PM
ahhh....  before I installed naslite I looked at freenas.... there was a feature that I wanted that it didnt support.... but I cant remember what it was now.... maybe theyve upgdated and added it since then :o