FreeNAS vs MS Server 2000

[KAS]

Anyone have any thoughts on using FreeNAS, NASLite, etc vs MS Server 2000 in a home environment?

We have 5 computers (including the BTV HTPC) and 3 MediaMVP's networked together on a wired and wireless LAN. I want to simplify storage and backups. I am only trying to provide common storage repository so that anyone can get to their files from any computer and I can perform reliable backups.

I have Server 2000 available and am also considering FreeNAS.


Thanks,

[nanook105]

Anyone have any thoughts on using FreeNAS, NASLite, etc vs MS Server 2000 in a home environment?

We have 5 computers (including the BTV HTPC) and 3 MediaMVP's networked together on a wired and wireless LAN. I want to simplify storage and backups. I am only trying to provide common storage repository so that anyone can get to their files from any computer and I can perform reliable backups.

I have Server 2000 available and am also considering FreeNAS.


Thanks,

I am using FreeNAS. It was easy to install/use (I'm booting from a USB key drive) and it is very stable (the only reboots are to install new hard drives). In the current released version (4.5), BTV doesn't always "see" new shows when they copied into the directory (it sees them after a BTV restart), but the latest beta is supposed to address that Issue. I'm going to spend some time this morning testing that and I'll post back.

[Darkk]

Do report back. I'm curious too.

Darkk

[nanook105]

Worked with a couple of issues, and they have already been reported as fixed in the next beta so I am optimistic :applause:

[burthold]

I was using FreeNAS but switched to NASLite on my 2TB filer just for the speed bump. I get avg 38MB/Sec vs. the 13 I was getting on FreeNAS. I've also got 8TB on a win2k3 server and it gets over 38MB/sec and is faster than ether were.

I really like NASLite bang for the buck it has been the best so far. Also, I made the mistake and used FreeNAS's software RAID and watched that go up in smoke on me.

Just remember, if you setup your own linux/samba server over NASLite make sure you have cifs support over smbfs support, cifs is MUCH MUCH faster.

As with all things your mileage may vary.

Cheers,
Wes

[jbartlett777]

I don't think I'll ever trust a software RAID controller.

[KAS]

Thanks for the input. I decided to go with Win2K Server. So far, it is working great!! :applause: I've still got to set up the backups, but it is working good so far.


Thanks again,

KAS...

[cannen]

I just found this yesterday, maybe it'll help you make a decision. It lets you do RAID5 in WinXP Pro.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/11/19/using_windowsxp_to_make_raid_5_happen/

[Darkk]

Software RAID is nice but there is a gotcha in Windows. Once you converted the disks to software RAID and if C: dies the entire raid dies with it.

RAID controllers aren't that expensive anymore and much more reliable than software version.

Darkk

[Harvin]

[quote=Darkk;239133]Software RAID is nice but there is a gotcha in Windows. Once you converted the disks to software RAID and if C: dies the entire raid dies with it.

Darkk,

You are incorrect. Reinstall the OS and go to disk management. From there you just import the disks and it's back. I've done this several times.

H

[pwlong]

I've still got to set up the backups, but it is working good so far.At the risk of sounding like a shill...

For network backups of the system (C:\) drive on your Windows machines -- something I'd never figured out how to do reliably and in an automated fashion -- I recently discovered Acronis True Image Workstation. While it's not inexpensive (v9.1 retails for $80), it lets you:

1) configure each XP client to back itself up over the network to your NAS, on a schedule
2) perform bare-metal restores over the network with just a boot CD
3) remotely manage backup/restores operations on all clients from a console app on a single PC

Not only does the bare-metal restore work pretty much flawlessly, it even works for dual-boot machines. And to tie this into "how this helps me with BTV administration", this past weekend I was able to run a backup of my BTV server, yank the dying 13GB system disk and stuff in a brand new 80GB, and restore the working BTV server image, all inside 30 minutes' time.

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATICW/

Mods, please forgive me if this sort of posting is frowned upon. Anything to help a fellow BTV'er keep the network up and running...

[merrypig]

The scheduling/backup rotation management for acronis is a pile of crap.

I've owned v8, v9 and now v10 and it still has no good way to manage regular rotations of backups. It can do it, but the way it is implemented is just hard to work with. I really would not recommend it at this point.

That said, if you just want to image a machine and explore /selectively restore then it's quite nice. It's just the automated scheduler I hate.

[pwlong]

I haven't noticed any issues with backup rotations, but then again, I don't do anything very exotic: each client runs two fulls each week to different archive filenames. If a job somehow blows up halfway through, the other archive is available for restores.

It hasn't missed any scheduled backups, and if the machine is offline when the scheduled backup window is reached (if wife's laptop is powered off, or kids machine is booted into Linux), it fires up the backup immediately the next time Windows boots. I've used plenty of other imaging tools in the past (Ghost etc), but this is the first one just worked for me the first time out. Your mileage will undoubtedly vary.

I trust it more from the disaster recovery angle, since I simply despise having to blow the minimum 2-hours required for an XP reinstall.