Network Storage Advice Needed

YueHong

Member
Feb 18, 2008
80
0
0
Hi,

I am planning to build a network storage for storing multimedia libraries such as video & audio footage, graphics, 3d models and etc for easier access from several people when doing multimedia projects. Those libraries usually don't need to be accessed all the time as users will only access the library when they need to find something or get something for their work.

Here are my questions:
1. What are the major things that I really need to pay attention when building the network storage?
2. Currently, I have an old extra PC (It's Pentium 4 system with Asus p5gc-mx motherboard). Do you think this PC is suitable to be used as data storage? Do I need to upgrade or get a faster one?
3. Do you have any advices or suggestions if I am going to build or buy a new one?

Thanks.
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
29,563
432
126
Get yourself a trial version of Windows Home Server and give it a try.

http://www.microsoft.com/DOWNLOADS/...88-c539-4265-9c5c-84fb6b2dadca&displaylang=en

OEM version, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116550

It is the best NAS possible and it can Much much more then any Stand alone nas or other OS used as a NAS.

P-4 with 1GB RAM is what is needed.

If you look for improvement then make sure that your Network is Giga capable.

You would need Giga Network card (about $10 per computer) on each Networked computer and a Giga Switch (about $30).

More about, http://www.ezlan.net/WHS.html

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=332676&highlight=windows+home+server

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=329470&highlight=windows+home+server
 

Paperlantern

Platinum Member
Apr 26, 2003
2,239
6
81
Now THAT is a secksy little board rudder, though a HTPC would be a better target in my mind for it. The only thing it wouldnt work for me on is my RAID array. I'm not too worried about warming the room up though, and power isnt an issue (not that im being environmentally unfriendly, i just mean i have so many machines running in my house that one server running a P4 dual core 2.66GHz is such a small part of the cost, it really doesn't make a difference). I see one PCI slot, so you COULD get a RAID controller, but good ones are $200 - $350, so it kind of negates your cheap board/proc combo (at least in my case). The board mine runs has RAID built in with 5 SATA ports, as well as dual gig nics, its an incredibly nice board for a server, cant think of the name of it off hand but it works very well.

If youre not too concerned with redundancy, or already have an external drive doing regular backups on your data, the Atom board would work nicely, but if youre like me and need redundancy out the wazoo, it falls short. Still a really nice price on a sweet board though.
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
Now THAT is a secksy little board rudder, though a HTPC would be a better target in my mind for it. The only thing it wouldnt work for me on is my RAID array. I'm not too worried about warming the room up though, and power isnt an issue (not that im being environmentally unfriendly, i just mean i have so many machines running in my house that one server running a P4 dual core 2.66GHz is such a small part of the cost, it really doesn't make a difference). I see one PCI slot, so you COULD get a RAID controller, but good ones are $200 - $350, so it kind of negates your cheap board/proc combo (at least in my case). The board mine runs has RAID built in with 5 SATA ports, as well as dual gig nics, its an incredibly nice board for a server, cant think of the name of it off hand but it works very well.

If youre not too concerned with redundancy, or already have an external drive doing regular backups on your data, the Atom board would work nicely, but if youre like me and need redundancy out the wazoo, it falls short. Still a really nice price on a sweet board though.


windows home server takes care of the redundancy bit in software
 

YueHong

Member
Feb 18, 2008
80
0
0
Thanks for all replies. Do windows server is really needed for a file server? What is the benefit of using it? For improving the speed, do I really need to have Giga Network card on all PCs? Or, just on the file server itself will be enough? Also, will RAID and SATA bring performance and stability significantly? There will be lots of HD video footages stored on the server, will there be any trafic problem if more than one person access the HD footages on the server at the same time?

Thanks.
 
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