Storing all of your data safely, the solution: FreeNas?

[TriniXaeno]

As a long time proponent of opensource software, I've been looking at FreeNas to take up data storage duty at home.

http://www.freenas.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=22

Currently got several machines with data on their hard drives as well as several external hard drives.

Even with a network in place, finding files can be a challenge. Worst than that, there is no seamless way to safeguard all of the data strewn across these various computers and storage devices.

That's where FreeNas comes in. Providing an enterprise quality storage solution for your home network.

Or at least so it promises.

Never tried it myself.

Question is this.

Is any of our resident tech gurus using FreeNas or maybe some other slick solution to store data at home?

Spill the beans.

I have been using NasLite for aeons (worked great) but it has some limitations. (namely no software raid capability, user level access nor dynamic volumes)

[W1nTry]

I have worked with this in a limited capacity, there is another that is better (read easier to configure and use) i'll get back to you guys on it tomorrow.

[Netizen1]

I still have this bookmarked. Haven't gotten around to running it at home yet...

If W1nTry's got something better, then spill it man... share, share, share...

[Nephilim]

if you going to be using software raid....may i suggest getting 2k3 and running a raid 5.

as long as you have the surviving minimum number of drives from the array for recovery you can put it into any machine running 2k3 and import to the disk group, let it sync, and then that's it - disk order is irrelevant the OS takes care of that.

no real worries.

i don't have any exp recovering a linux software raid array, but i have used the prior mentioned and have had no troublems

ps
there is something i should mention further using software raid arrays will take a hit to the disk performance, guestimate is about 20%, maybe more

[Crixx_Creww]

what i would love

is to be able to setup a nas and setup user accounts, have it synchronize folders on client machines
and then connect to windows live sky drive and do incremental updates of those folders to the sky drive. Would be perfect for my gf and her sister as well as for my mom.

Cause getting them into the routine of uploading their own data is a hassle, especially when they have to wait for the upload to the net. If they can get their data replicated locally so its super fast and then have the net upload done without need for their interaction. Perfect.

Someone knows if free nas or what winny is suggesting can doez this?

[W1nTry]

Right, so the other free NAS is Openfiler: http://www.openfiler.com/ Now as far as the synchronization thing, crixx should know well enough that MS doh play nice with NOBODY, So that is a pipe dream at best (or a real heavy undertaking with someone who could write their own OS kernel). We use this NAS with Virtualization as an external storage array. The nice thing about FreeNAS however, is because it's BSD it support ZFS (if you can configure it). ZFS WTFPWNZ all ur file system bases.

[Crixx_Creww]

does open filer have user accounts?

[W1nTry]

It's built on Linux so I am inclined to believe it would support user accounts and different containers.

[Crixx_Creww]

hmm cool
my idea for the sky drive synch was cause i use gladinet right now to do synching of sky drive accounts on her machine, so i want a nas that can do the same.

[Fkacn_tt]

sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but Crixx did you find an alternative way to link sydrive or any online storage services to freenas

[Crixx_Creww]

no i did not you know
a paid service like drop box or a hard drive plus mozy might be it