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Suggestions for my home backup file server?
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beardedmacuser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: eastmidlandshire
 
2007-07-23, 11:11

Hi guys,

I've been meaning to build a home file server for backup storage* and maybe streaming music, videos and stuff to my 360 or something like that. Remote connection from outside my home isn't a requirement, which simplifies things somewhat. Anyway I have a couple of spare computers lying around at home doing nothing;

1 GHz (1 GB RAM) G3 PowerMac (with PCI IDE card so it'll take large drives)
3 GHz (1 GB RAM) P4 Dell box (with on-board SATA, PCI IDE card, Gb PCIe card) ( hey, it was free!)

so surely one of them would make a decent file server? I'd kind of like to avoid spending much cash (if any).

I have a few spare hard drives lying around! I probably don't need quite so much storage, but there's no harm in having too much storage, especially when you start RAIDing them and adding redundancy;

300 GB SATA
160 GB SATA
200 GB PATA
200 GB PATA
160 GB PATA
160 GB PATA
80 GB PATA

I've been meaning to build some sort of hardcore encrypted** RAID UNIX Samba server, but I really haven't had the time to get into that. It looks like my options are;

1
Install my unused copy of 10.3 on the PowerMac, which will take all five PATA drives. Boot off one drive and then it'd then be pretty simple to RAID the remaining drives together in some sort of configuration (although Disk Utility only seems to support RAID 0 or 1?). It'd work with an APC UPS I could use too, and surely it'd use less power than the Dell? The downside would be the 100 Mbit network port, but realistically that'd be OK as both my PowerBook and 360 use wireless (my desktop Windows box is wired gigabit but it has no real need to access the storage). If I replaced the power supply and bought a PCI SATA card I could probably use all seven drives!

2
Windows Home Server on the Dell. I tried the public beta and found it to be OK(ish). I kind of like the hassle free management of multiple disks and storage redundancy, but I seemed to have sporadic connection issues from both my 360 and PowerBook and some other pre-release bug issues (the final release will likely resolve issues like these). I'd be able to use the SATA drives, which would be nice. The downsides are it'd cost me cash to buy the full version, and it's hardly hardcore geekery to run WHS! Also, I can't remember if there were any configuration options to encrypt the storage when I was setting it up? It's not going to be out until the end of the year and Microsoft OS's don't have the best of reputations for security.

3
Install some sort of Linux/UNIX on the Dell. I used to dable with Gentoo, amongst others, which would probably make for a decent Samba server? But my general experience of software RAID and Linux was of unexpectedly hard work. It was never quite as simple as I'd think it should be (although comfortable, I'm no command line God). Somehow I've just got better things to be doing at home than troubleshooting file servers.


So realistically and sensibly, it seems to be Windows Home Sever FTW. If I want to encrypt stuff I can always store encypted disk images on the server but I'd still rather encryption was more "background."

I just can't seem to decide which is probably why I've had all this stuff sitting around unused for almost a year now! It's time I actually built the damn thing... but which one?




*oh, every month I clone my PowerBook to an external hard drive and store that drive at work. All my important work data is backed-up at work. Just to avoid any "what if your house burns down" etc etc questions...

** not that I've got anything to hide, I just like the idea of storing everything encrypted on the device. Just incase...
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2007-07-24, 20:08

I'm doing the same thing using SME Server now. It started to only be my mail server but it's going to end up being my router and network storage too. smeserver.org is the address I think. Free and fairly full featured.

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
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beardedmacuser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: eastmidlandshire
 
2007-07-25, 09:02

Maybe I should give FreeNAS another try? I had a good look at it a year ago, but it was a bit rough around the edges. Maybe it's improved since? FreeNAS would fulfil my various RAID and encryption requirements, and I know it works with one of my PCI IDE cards. Hmmm...
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