Networks file server v.s. NAS

question for all you gurus out there. can someone explain to me the difference between a file server and network attached storage (NAS)? pros and cons would also be helpful. this knowledge will be used in future cool stuff, if that helps ensnare anyone

 

anybody? no takers?

 

I'll give my basic understanding of the difference. A NAS device is basically a server that only provides file storage. So, it's a file server. But it doesn't allow for any other services that you typically think of as a server. For example, there is no mail server, authentication server, dhcp server, ftp, etc. It is simply like having a file storage device that you connect to via a network.

A server usually does something. Firewall, authentication, mail, etc. A server also provides file storage, but that is not usually it's only purpose.

How's that?

 

so for just accessing files from anywhere on a home network, a NAS is all i would need? what would be the cheapest way to set one up?

and thank you, by the way.

 

Probably the cheapest way to do it is to get an old desktop machine, something like an old 486 or Pentium 166. Load a version of linux, or even windows...but that wouldn't be free like linux. And then throw a bunch of hard drives in it. You wouldn't need a bunch of power if you are just wanting to use it for storage.

For example, I have a PII 233 with 128MB of ram. I'm running Debian stable on it. I have all of my MP3s stored on there and I play them on any other machine in my network. And I store different files on there. Now I also have an ftp server running on that box and I'm in the process of also setting it up as a print server for my network. That's the beauty of linux.

Now that may not be the easiest way to do it. You can spend some serious cash to buy an IBM or HP NAS device, which might be easy, but certainly not cheap. But all you really need is a machine with hard drives, a LAN port, and an operating system that supports networking.

EDIT: Thought this might interest you. This link discusses it pretty well.

 

that's what I wasn't sure about. yeah, i want something to store mp3s, avis, and such. after i got it set up, i should just have to map a network drive out on the other networked comps right?

edit: i think that link may have answered my questions. thanks a bunch

 

Yup, you should be able to just map a drive. If it's a windows machine it would simply be mapping. If it's a linux machine it's a little more involved, just because you would have to set up Samba on the linux machine, but that's not very difficult either. And that's just so that windows and linux can share the files easily.

 

well hey, thanks a lot for the informatino. i really appreciate it. one more thing. can I set up the NAS so that i can control it from another comp, so i could make a rackmount NAS?

 

Certainly. You should be able to administer the machine from another box on the network using VNC (virtual network computing). So you would basically be running the storage machine without a keyboard, mouse or monitor.

 

perfect. that's exactly what I wanted to hear. thanks again man.

 

Umm, how? I have heard of this, but all this networking stuff is still fairly new to me. Do I need software to enable this, or should everything have it already?

 

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to defer to someone more knowledgeable than me on this one. I haven't tried to tackle this one yet. There is a link in a thread in the Linux & Open Source forum that mentions Xvnc. Not sure, but that may help some. The thread is http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=52088

Also, I'm sure you could find something in google. Look for administering a linux machine remotely or something like that. Maybe even VNC and Linux. Sorry I can't be of much more help on that one. Here at work we telnet to Unix machines to change passwords and samba passwords, but that is about the extent of my telnet knowledge too.

 

Well hey, I can't find out everything from one person. You've certainly been a big help so far. Thanks again. If i find anything, you want me to let you know?

 

Sure. Right now I'm using a KVM switch so that I only need the one keyboard, mouse, and monitor. But it would be sweet to not have to worry about all of that anymore. I'd also be interested in how you get on with installing slackware too. Cause I really want to know if it's just me.

 

Just thought of one other question. To use as a NAS, all I need to do is plug both machines in to a router and map a network drive? What about cd ripping and stuff like that, do you know if Slack can do it?

 

If you are going to just use the machine as storage, you'd probably be running whatever software you are using for the ripping on the windows machine and then storing the data/songs/etc on the linux box? If that's the case, then just make sure you have samba on the linux box (which all distros support as far as I know) and you would define a share for ripped disks or whatever and conect to it like a mapped drive. Then you could save whatever data from the windows box to the linux box.

If you want to run the software for the ripping on the linux machine and then just share that data to the windows box, you would still need samba for the sharing, but you would probably have to look around a bit for some software that runs under linux.

 

if your looking for a cheap NAS search eBay for used PowerVault NAS systems, my dad has one and the thing is sweet, 4 hard drives, variable raid settings, 1U rack mount on the unit he has.

Powerault 750 i think

easy setup, map it to a network drive and your ready to go.

A NOT TO ZONE ALARM USERS :
if your using zone alarm you MUST add the PowerVaults IP address to the trusted zone or you wont be able to connect to it. That one drove me nuts for a few hours beofre i finaly went DUH and remembered.

 

Deviate, didn't even think of that. All I need to connect them is both boxes plugged in to a router right? Or can I just run some Cat5 between them, since there is only 2 comps right now? Also, should samba come with the distros, or would I have to get it seperately? Last but not least, if I have multiple hard drives on the linux box, will they all show as one mapped drive, or would I have to map out each one individualy?

Draxin, I am actually going to put one of my older machines to work for it. It's just sitting in the corner gathering dust right now, so I figure I'll make something out of it.

 

You should be able to just plug them into a router. On my Debian box, I did go in and set the ip to a static ip (it was dynamic as default) so that with my ftp I wouldn't have to worry about it ever changing for my port forwarding. But you should be able to just plug both into a router.

With only having the two machines, and if they don't have net access, you could certainly just plug them together with a crossover cable. It's not a normal cat5 cable, because each end is wired just a little differently. That's what it needs for direct machine to machine connections. If you were using a router you would want standard cat5 (or cat5e or cat6....you get the idea ).

I believe most all distros come with samba. But if not, you can certainly get it from http://us1.samba.org/samba/samba.html

There are also some documents on there for setting everything up too, I think.

And for the hard drives, each hard drive will be a seperate device. So you would have /dev/hda and /dev/hdb etc. You would need to create a mount point for each extra hard drive and then put a share in your samba config and you would be set. There is a lot of info on that kinda stuff. Just google adding a hard drive in linux and you'll find lots of stuff on how to set all of that up.

 

Thank you, thank you. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm even going to be able to get slack installed. I got the ISO's today, but I was looking at the Slack site, and it looks like there is a little more to it then just popping in the cd and going. Also, from the Windows box, each drive will de a different drive? I.E. if I have, say, 4 hd's in the linux box, I'll have to map out 4 network drives?