NAS alternative

[pegasis]

hello

is there a NAS alternative that is fast, does not need to initialize/delete existing data and is ethernet?

I just want a fast storage method

seems the constraint is the red/write head on the HD

is there something that is like nas, ethernet, and does not have to initialize the drive to do setup

 

[Kartajan]

More details would allow a better recommendation.

If you are just looking for "not a NAS", than direct attached storage sounds like where you want to go.
<Not Ethernet, that would require a NAS>

Example: Drobo 5C. It uses "BeyondRAID" internally, and connects to a PC with USB 3.0.
(I happen to have one that I no longer need with 3x 3TB WD Red HDDs for a reasonable offer...)

 

[Kartajan]

Anything that runs a RAID will allow for potentially faster response by essentially splitting up read/ write operations across multiple HDDs.

More detailed explanation of the speed of different RAID levels here: https://blog.storagecraft.com/raid-performance/

Otherwise, SSD is the other way to go- but this gets expensive much faster than regular spinning HDD's.

 

[pegasis]

I don't like WD drives.
I prefer seagate

speed yes, raid NO
anything with raid can delete your files automatically on initilization

 

[Kartajan]

The Dobo can use just about any drives desired (This one takes up to 5 drives), I just happen to have 3 WD's in it at the moment.
And on the initial setup RAID will format the drives, but it does not automatically delete files on startup.
Admittedly, RAID is more about availability and failure tolerance than anything else, but loss prevention is more about having a good backup strategy in use (Rule of 3's).

 

[Kartajan]

Still looking for what your use case is, as I do not know if that is even the optimal device for your needs....

I do not know if your needs would require something extreme like a homebrew NAS with 10GbE, or just something slightly faster than whatever it is that you are using now (assuming single HDD in USB enclosure connected to your own wireless "router"?)

 

[dave_the_nerd]

so it sounds like you want to take a bunch of existing hard drives, with data on them, put them in a box, and have access to that data over a network?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

so it sounds like you want to take a bunch of existing hard drives, with data on them, put them in a box, and have access to that data over a network?

Why do I think that you insinuate he wants a NAS with your question?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The Dobo can use just about any drives desired (This one takes up to 5 drives), I just happen to have 3 WD's in it at the moment.
And on the initial setup RAID will format the drives, but it does not automatically delete files on startup.
Admittedly, RAID is more about availability and failure tolerance than anything else, but loss prevention is more about having a good backup strategy in use (Rule of 3's).

I was looking at that Drobo 5C as advertised at B&H Photo. My recently-acquired NightHawk router has a USB 3 port and a feature combining software and firmware that allow a backup device to be added to the network this way -- through that USB 3 port. I wasn't planning to use it, but I would think one could just plug in that Drobo 5C device, and therefore have multi-user access to the storage. Am I wrong?

 

[Kartajan]

I was looking at that Drobo 5C as advertised at B&H Photo. My recently-acquired NightHawk router has a USB 3 port and a feature combining software and firmware that allow a backup device to be added to the network this way -- through that USB 3 port. I wasn't planning to use it, but I would think one could just plug in that Drobo 5C device, and therefore have multi-user access to the storage. Am I wrong?

You are not wrong, but the drobo needs to be attached to a PC to configure and manage- so a good bit of back and forth are likely. (Assuming the router does not need to format the drive)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You are not wrong, but the drobo needs to be attached to a PC to configure and manage- so a good bit of back and forth are likely. (Assuming the router does not need to format the drive)

I've now picked up my project for replacement of my WHS-2011 server, which is still operating just fine -- but on old hardware that is just slower. I don't even know for sure if I couldn't have reinstalled WHS-2011 (again!) on the new hardware. But I have now Server 2012 R2 Essentials. The new hardware is a Z68 gen3 motherboard, i5-3470 CPU, 16GB RAM, and a SuperMicro 8-port Marvell storage card. Installing Server 2012 R2, the biggest minor "driver" crisis involved the onboard Intel Pro network interface. I had to edit the INF file for that driver, and troubles were over.

And -- for all those words -- people would ask "why didn't you buy server hardware?" But there's no problem with the desktop parts.

So I'm always looking for alternatives, like using that USB 3 port on the router. Anyway, my last hurdle in regard to the 2012 R2 appears in my thread on the OS forum. Got that solved, . . . too . . . .

BUT ! This is not the sort of thing the OP would likely want to do. I think he still wants his storage to fit into a LAN situation, though. You could take the Drobo device or something like it and simply connect it via USB3 to the particular computer. Then someone else seemed to surmise that he wants it LAN-connected.

 

[Kartajan]

OP wanted a deice that fits the description of a NAS without the need to format his existing data while reusing his current drive, which AFAIK does not exist.

I am trying to offer the OP a close alternative...

 

[dave_the_nerd]

OP wanted a deice that fits the description of a NAS without the need to format his existing data while reusing his current drive, which AFAIK does not exist.

I am trying to offer the OP a close alternative...

Sure it exists... it's another computer. Running the same OS as his client machines, and configured to work as a server.

 

[Kartajan]

Sure it exists... it's another computer. Running the same OS as his client machines, and configured to work as a server.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Why do I think that you insinuate he wants a NAS with your question?

I am hoping OP will clarify his requirement a bit, since he hasn't provided a lot of information and his post seems contradictory. (Unless he's not 100% clear on what a NAS does, which is certainly possible.)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I am hoping OP will clarify his requirement a bit, since he hasn't provided a lot of information and his post seems contradictory. (Unless he's not 100% clear on what a NAS does, which is certainly possible.)

Generally, I think folks need to consider (a) how many computers they need or want, (b) the need for a household Ethernet (if we are indeed talking about "home" situations wedded with "enthusiast"), (c) their backup requirements.

I have several friends who've leaned more and more toward "mobile" access, but they have desktop computers. Few or none would consider having a household LAN. They probably use cloud-based backup solutions, or they have external USB-attached storage for backup.

At some point, a home user with more than one household user and at least a few computers may incline toward some cable-drops, one or more switches, and a router. I'm pretty sure all of my friends have routers if they bundle their internet ISP services with cable TV or telephone; nobody would be clunky and stupid enough to use dial-up ISP services.

Some folks might begin to think about using one or more of those four wired ports on their internet router -- for storage, by example.

I just cannot imagine my friends having the patience to manage a digital fortress such as mine. They probably don't have the time. Other folks may have exotic needs that lead them to acquire more in-home storage solutions.

I would've simply got myself some NAS box with a built-in OS or GUI, but I want to do more things that I could better do with a server. I started simply by re-deploying old desktop hardware. Even my new (under development) server came from some surplus parts, but the drives and storage controller were chosen deliberately.

The biggest thing that concerns me at the moment until I can retire my WHS box is my power consumption. A lot of folks and relatives to whom I'd suggested the possibility of a home server backed away from the idea of leaving a computer running all the time. I think there are some options for having managed sleep states or machines that wake up when they're accessed. But most people wouldn't want to fiddle around with such things.

 

[PliotronX]

Presumably the drives in question are NTFS formatted so I think Dave is right. Need a Windows host and all it needs is Ethernet with the data shared on the network. That is the definition of Network Attached Storage..

 

[bbhaag]

Presumably the drives in question are NTFS formatted so I think Dave is right. Need a Windows host and all it needs is Ethernet with the data shared on the network. That is the definition of Network Attached Storage..

Yep, that's what I've done with my Plex server. No fancy expensive box humming away in the corner just a 4tb drive in my tower with network access.

 

[B-Riz]

What about a Raspberry Pi with the flash drive to boot Linux, then mount the NTFS formatted hdd?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What about a Raspberry Pi with the flash drive to boot Linux, then mount the NTFS formatted hdd?

Without firsthand experience, I'd say look into that possibility, if the central goal is to provide NAS storage with limited processor speed with just a margin of speed above what would be needed. That looks like it could be a fun project.

I'd hope you'd still be able to provide an array instead of a single drive.

 

[paperfist]

What about 3 big ass drives? Backup data to 1 of them and use the other 2 to backup the first...

 

[Kartajan]

The OP stated:

...seems the constraint is the red/write head on the HD
is there something that is like nas, ethernet, and does not have to initialize the drive to do setup

thus the idea of a new arrayed set of drives (NAS/ DAS)

I was championing the idea of the Drobo 5c with this logic:
Connect 5c wherever current drive is attached
Start with <2+> drives in the DAS.
Copy data from "slow" drive there
add drives until all bays occupied for most spindles/ best performance
swap out oldest/ slowest/ smallest drives one at a time as funding allows

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The OP stated:


thus the idea of a new arrayed set of drives (NAS/ DAS)

I was championing the idea of the Drobo 5c with this logic:
Connect 5c wherever current drive is attached
Start with <2+> drives in the DAS.
Copy data from "slow" drive there
add drives until all bays occupied for most spindles/ best performance
swap out oldest/ slowest/ smallest drives one at a time as funding allows

Wey-ull, Pil-grum! I think I've finished most of the chore of replacing my 4-year-old WHS-2011 server box.

Now, I just need to wait for those two Hitachi Ultrastar 3TB Enterprise disks to arrive from the Egg, whom I paid $50 each. It was a refurb sale on these drives. I could've spent double that at least on consumer drives. I usually don't mess with "refurbished" and "open box" items. This was just too good, and it seems to be true -- too.

When I'm completely finished with my new server build, I'm betting that 13TB of drive pool storage is more than I need. I may just pull the 2TB units and leave three drives and 9TB.

I've got my Music, my Movies/Videos/Recorded TV . . . . and my Playboy slide-show up and running without a hitch. Still have all 60 episodes and 5 seasons of my Breaking Bad recordings.

AND! All my workstations have completed their first backups on the new box.

It's a great day . . . for singin' a song! It's a great day! for movin' along . .