[SGVLUG] RAID5 or inexpensive NAS

[Christopher Smith]

Claude Felizardo wrote:
> I got the basic system working and still need to install the extra
> apps but I noticed that hddtemp was reporting the drives were running
> around 45 C.  I dug around and found some old fans I had laying around
> got the temp down to 40 but I'd still have to worry about summer when
> everything goes up another 5.   So I held off copying files from the
> old server until I listened to Dan's talk about zumastor last night.
> I would have liked to have stayed to ask more questions but I had to
> leave.  I really like the idea of the snapshots occurring at the file
> system level instead of on top like how rsnapshot works but it sounded
> like it wouldn't work for me since I wanted everything including the
> OS and local home directories protected and it can't do that.
>   
I've got /usr, /var, /home, /boot and /opt all outside the root
partition. Once you've done that, the only bits besides /etc that aren't
replicated are the bits that practically never change, and can easily be
replaced by a tiny boot CD image, and I usually like to have /etc
managed through version control anyway. Perhaps a strategy like that
would help Zumastor work for you?
> Now what i'd really want is a Netgear ReadyNAS using technology from
> Infrant with their X-RAID technology which lets you reconfig drives on
> the fly but I can't see myself spending $1K for something I can almost
> build myself.
>
> I mentioned this to a coworker at lunch and he mentioned he uses
> USB/firewire external boxes.  I've never tried firewire but I don't
> like USB boxes because you can't monitor drive temp, and overall drive
> health.  Then I recalled that another friend was raving about a
> Linksys 200NAS and he had sent me a jpg of a screenshot of his web
> browser showing the about of running smartctl.  This box has an
> ethernet jack, two 3.5" SATA drive bays and USB for expansion.  Prices
> range from $100 to $140 which is kinda high but I all my big drives
> are SATA not IDE/PATA.
>   
The current "Linux embedded NAS device that is great for hacking" of
choice is the Buffalo LinkStation. There is even a version of it sold
without a drive (and some nice enhancements) called the Kuro Box Pro:
http://www.revogear.com/.

You then have the choice of doing NAS or go with SAN-type solutions
using ATAoE, iSCSI, or FoE (Fibre of Ethernet.. the latest bit of
craziness to be supported on Linux).
> Has anyone used one of these inexpensive SOHO NAS devices and were
> they happy with it?  What file system formats do they support?
So the beauty of the hacked ones is you can install whatever filesystem
you want on it... or try using it for Zumastor (it is worth noting that
Zumastor currently starts to perform poorly when it is manage lots of
storage with not much RAM, but that is being worked on, although that
may be less of a concern if the box is just being used to for data
recovery).

--Chris