Do NASes have client max?

[ThePiston]

I'm trying to get around buying Windows Server. We have a MS SQL database in our office that is shared by 10 client PCs. There are also other files on this "server" we all need. If we have any more client PCs I'll be forced to buy MS Server - BUT I was wondering if it's possible to use a NAS to house the database and files instead (?). These come with OS installed I presume, so is there a client max on these such as the 10 for XP?

 

[drebo]

I guess you could potentially put the data store itself on the NAS device, but MS SQL Server is not just a set of files (and thus is not governed by XP's 10 concurrent connection limit, but that's a different issue). You would still need to have the services running on a Windows computer.

Also, consumer-grade NAS boxes (by that I mean ones that cost less than a couple thousand dollars) are pretty terrible performance-wise.

My suggestion would be to look into something like Windows Small Business Server. A NAS would not accomplish what you're looking to do.

 

[QuixoticOne]

If money is the main object, and the database is pretty simple SQL, you could always just run a LINUX server with PostgreSQL, MySQL, or some such database and use that. No client limits that way,
free OS, free database.

 

[ThePiston]

this program uses MS SQL

 

[Mogadon]

If the program runs on MS SQL Server then you will need to have a server running an instance of SQL Server on an MS operating system, I believe with SQL Server 2005 you can run it on an XP machine upwards.

You can download SQL Server Express for free and install it on an XP box, you will however be limited in the size of the database and if you need more capacity than this limit you will need to at least buy SQL Server 2005 and an OS to run it on.

The other option, as mentioned, is to go with Small Business Server. You would need the Premium package as that includes SQL Server, I think it runs around $900. Considering all the other things SBS can do you might consider it an option for your office.

 

[ThePiston]

Yeah, I've already got SQL server running on one PC. That XP PC is also our file server so it has a qo user limit. What I was thinking about doing was putting the files and the SQL database on the NAS to get over the 10 client limit - just wondering if that was possible.

 

[JackMDS]

Smalll Business Server is good up to 75 connection.

Runing a network with more than 10 computer as peer-to-peer network with client OS can be a risky business practice.

http://www.sbstestdrive.com/

If you shop well you can find it for few hundred $$.