$5,000 to spend for 1TB of storage (NAS? Windows server?)

[Relayer]

A Dell powervault with SATA drives may do it. Or should I look at a server? Other NAS or appliance?

Also, this must have the ability to add more storage in the future by external box. Rack mount is a must.

<edit>I think I am going with a Adaptec Snap 4500 NAS.</edit>

 

[Changlinn]

you could build one yourself even with raid 5 a lot cheaper and just user linux on it, though if you must go windows it is cheaper to get a name brand supplied with windows 2003 server.
I would personally get a 5/6ru (with opteron motherboard, and linux debian) file server case with a minimum of 16 hot-swap bays(around $2k), a load of sata drives (8*300gb for the time being total 2tb of storage in raid 5, and a 64bit pci 8 port sata card or two set you back around $1300) Then you can upgrade too another arrary of 8 more drives in future and anymore past that can be usb even... offsite backup is going to be a bitch though... unless you have a fat internet connection and can build the same type of system in a co-lo

 

[Relayer]

I'm looking at the Adaptec Snap 4500 right now...it's expensive to add more storage to it later though...like $2,000 just for the controller card, then another 3 or 4k for the box. I can get server 2003 seperatly using our Select Agreement, so the OS cost is not a deciding factor. Also, this needs to be somewhat simple in it's design. I can look at building something though. It would be ideal to have an onsite next day 3 year warranty though. I'll see what my Dell rep could come up with tomorrow. Them SCSI 300GB drives are quite costly.

This is harder than it sounds... under 5k for 1TB, gigabit, and upgradable....the more I think about it, building a machine sounds the best.

 

[Changlinn]

yeah but building it means you are the onsite next day support, so unless you have a support agreement already with them, or are directly employed you are better off going with dell... as yucky as that makes me feel.
I have already specced out my next fileserver for home, 8 sata 300gb off a highpoint 8 port raid controller going into a vacant 64bit slot on my current file server, that will be a nice 2tb of storage after formatting and raid lose of one drive...

 

[ND40oz]

Try an HP MSA, not sure how much their going for, but they connect scsi to your server. Holds 14 drives or more. Link

 

[Relayer]

Originally posted by: ND40oz
Try an HP MSA, not sure how much their going for, but they connect scsi to your server. Holds 14 drives or more. Link

what server. See that's the point. I do not have a server at this location.

 

[avey]

I have a few Dell PV 745N's. They've been working great for me. But the internal storeage is somwhat limited. 4x250gb SATA disks. Only about 750gb of usable disk space if your running raid 5. But you can add an external SCSI disk array later. SCSI controler card would be required.

 

[alent1234]

i don't know about Dell, but HP servers have built in lights out chips. If it's powered down you can log in via a web browser and press the power button remotely as long as it's plugged in you are good to go.

What kind of performance is everyone getting with SATA disks? If a server is being accessed by a few hundred people is SATA OK to use?

 

[imported_Kensai]

It is, but I would suggest 15k SCSI drives for CTR.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I'd reccomend some sort of raid setup for this, except 0!

 

[Treyshadow]

i don't know about Dell, but HP servers have built in lights out chips. If it's powered down you can log in via a web browser and press the power button remotely as long as it's plugged in you are good to go.

Yes Dell has this also, they call them Dell Remote Access Cards or just DRAC. Many call them DRAC Cards (card cards, talk about redundant).

Though it sounds odd (well at least coming from me) I would look at the Gateway 860 as a viable option. The interface is really nice and it can do everything you are looking for.

 

[Changlinn]

yeah but you can get rilo's(remote insight lights out) or rib's(remote insight board) as they have been called on ebay for $10... but they are cool we have them on all our servers, expensive new though, I salvaged an old one with intergrated scsi controller from a server the other week that was going to be chucked.
But back to the matter at hand, I think if you need to store this amount of data, you need a server on site to control access to it, and back it up, as I said though 2tb+ of data is going to be a bitch to backup.

 

[err]

If you really want cheap solution, build your own file server. I have a file server in house running dual xoen 2.4 Ghz. 4 GB of memory & RAID5 adaptec sata with 15 drives capabilities running win2k3 server. I am currenly only running 4 disks (3 for RAID5 & 1 hotspare). I have 11 more slots to populate the drives with cheap SATA drives.

I am using it for a backup server and performance has been good so far.

err

 

[Changlinn]

yeah but those controllers don't come cheap, I looked at them, the 8-port ones are the sweet spot for price/port. I can get an 8-port for $140...

 

[alent1234]

Originally posted by: Changlinn
yeah but you can get rilo's(remote insight lights out) or rib's(remote insight board) as they have been called on ebay for $10... but they are cool we have them on all our servers, expensive new though, I salvaged an old one with intergrated scsi controller from a server the other week that was going to be chucked.
But back to the matter at hand, I think if you need to store this amount of data, you need a server on site to control access to it, and back it up, as I said though 2tb+ of data is going to be a bitch to backup.

are those the original ILO boards that are like 1 foot long?

The last few generations of HP servers had them built into the motherboard with the basic functions as part of the price you pay. It's like $400 per server if you want AD integration and remote console KVM like access. Where I work we have an IP KVM switch and don't need that option.

 

[Treyshadow]

True the new generation remote access ILO cards are onboard.

and the last ILO cards I saw were about as long as an Nvidia 5900 Ultra.

 

[SaigonK]

NAS is slow, dont bother if you want good response times, go with an attached device if possible.

 

[err]

yes the 16 ports raid5 sata controller is like $600. Still pretty cheap I would say compared to SCSI solution.

 

[Changlinn]

yeah the RILO I rescued is pci32 about a foot long, with more chips on it than the motherboard...lol, it has an ati graphics chip, intel network adapter chip, ibm cpu, ram, and hp chip. But yeah some new servers have it onboard, some still don't though, like the ml350, we usually add a rilo.
I like those ip-kvms', seen the one realVNC markets, very nice, only one port, but you could plug it into a kvm then switch pc's remotely, but it has no power on option from what I have seen.

 

[alent1234]

over the last 12 months my company bought 5 Dominion KX kvm's from raritan. I think they are like 24 ports each. very nice.