Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Erratus

Erratus

I want to build/buy a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.

It should support NFS, SMB/NTFS in a FreeBSD/Windows net.

I do not want to convert an old PC into a NAS, cause power consumption should not extend 10-12 Watts.

Please share your suggestions/experience.
 
FreeNAS is a free network-attached storage server, supporting: CIFS (Samba), FTP, NFS, rsync, AFP protocols, iSCSI, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, and software RAID (0,1,5), with a web-based configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32 MB once installed on CompactFlash, hard drive or USB flash drive.

It is based upon FreeBSD 6.x.
http://www.freenas.org/
 
What is needed running FreeNAS without a PC?

Simplyfied I only want to connect a harddisk to network.
 
If you want something in the area of an "external enclosure" you need to look at a NAS hardware from QNAP, Netgear or the likes. The ones which are fairly good start at €200 and rapidly increase to €400 for a basic unit with the ability to hold 1-2 disks. If you want to share it with a ms windows machine it needs to support SMB/CIFS, which the cheaper ones usually don't do.

I would however not think any of these come bellow the "10-12 Watts" you want, as for a network attached disk you need at least an OS with services for sharing and then your quickly over the 10 W limit. For example the "QNAP TS-201" is classified at 60W.
 
How about a 5 watt SoC computer (US$100; $50 bulk) ? See: http://www.bsdcan.org/2008/schedule/attachments/50_2008_marvell_freebsd.pdf

marvell_88F6000_diagram.gif
 
Netgear 1100

Aquired from Infrant Technologies, a NAS unit that boasts it's power consumption, and size for a network. We have a 4TB model, and about 1.25TB is used for the OS on the RAID5 array + raid overhead. Runs linux and is quite slow on the network responsiveness, but it does have lots if not everything you're looking for.

I tried briefly once to put BSD on it -- I didn't succeed -- main reason is I don't know what CPU is in it, what driver for ethernet, etc.. gave up pretty fast.

We bought this as an attempt to get a working solution at work for the files people need, and when i started doing the math when we were backing up a FULL unit, it would take 7 days to back up. We abandoned it for that reason.

--Tim
 
I used to use an old compaq proliant running freebsd 6.x until it blew its power supply.

Pluses: free, ran freebsd, kept the room warm, you could use it as a backup dinner table

Minuses: Probably close to 400W, 7x 10k rpm SCSI disks sound like the QEII being sunk by billions of angry hornets, took over 5 minutes to boot, made cooling the room impossible, would have cost a small fortune to add a mere 100G of storage

I know I'm being absurd here. Those System on a Chip deals sound awesome, though.
 
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