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Thread: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

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    NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Hi All,

    I've been contemplating a NAS for ages and can't seem to come to a decision - hopefully you can help me out! I end up changing my mind every few weeks between a ready built NAS or something I build myself - each has their own advantages and disadvantages!!

    OK, to set the situation I already have 3 SATA drives (320GB, 500GB, & 1TB) in my desktop and NTFS formatted which have the data on that I want to put on my NAS - and I also want to use these disks in the NAS, which might present a bit of a problem to overcome! I'm thinking I'll need to get a new HDD to go with the NAS, prob a 2TB F4 or something similar.

    Anyway, the options I have come down to are as follows:

    1. Synology DS411j
    • Great Software
    • SHR allows great usage of my multiple differing sized disks in a RAID without wasting space
    • Will have to use an External USB disk for backup
    • Have to use Synology folders to share media for use on my networked PS3
    • About £270

    2. Build my own WHS
    • No SHM type RAID solution like Synology, so cannot make such good use of all available space as well as RAID like DS411j
    • Not really sure about what hardware around - can I get something good for £270 - happy to build myself
    • Probably much more flexibility
    • Other software options out there, but I've never used LINUX etc
    • But can use an internal disk as a backup to the shared disks

    3. Pre-Built NAS such as HP Proliant MicroServer has £100 cash back at the moment (so only effectively only £140) - any good & can it run WHS 2011 OK?
    4. Any other similar NAS's out there?

    Appreciate all thoughts and ideas - TIA!
    Last edited by cocksy_boy; 18-06-2011 at 11:47 PM. Reason: formatting!

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    jim
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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    HP Microserver isn't a prebuilt NAS, it's a prebuilt server. Main problem is it doesn't have hardware RAID beyond 0/1, so you'll be looking at WHS, WHS 2011 with duplication add-in, or unix software RAID.

    IIRC it doesn't have enough RAM by default to run WHS 2011, so you will need to install some more RAM to enable installation.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    HP Microserver isn't a prebuilt NAS, it's a prebuilt server. Main problem is it doesn't have hardware RAID beyond 0/1, so you'll be looking at WHS, WHS 2011 with duplication add-in, or unix software RAID.

    IIRC it doesn't have enough RAM by default to run WHS 2011, so you will need to install some more RAM to enable installation.
    Hi snootyjim - thanks for the message.

    Is there a real difference between a prebuilt server and a prebuilt NAS? I'm happy to add more RAM if necessary, as its quite cheap.

    I had a quick look on the HP page and it doesn't really give much in the way of Specs for the motherboard side of things, as in what RAID options it has.

    What are peoples thoughts on using that as a NAS or as a WHS compared with something like the Synology?

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by cocksy_boy View Post
    Hi snootyjim - thanks for the message.

    Is there a real difference between a prebuilt server and a prebuilt NAS? I'm happy to add more RAM if necessary, as its quite cheap.

    I had a quick look on the HP page and it doesn't really give much in the way of Specs for the motherboard side of things, as in what RAID options it has.

    What are peoples thoughts on using that as a NAS or as a WHS compared with something like the Synology?
    Well, two things. The first I already mentioned - you'll probably get much better RAID options in a proper NAS. Mind you, in a more expensive server you would probably get better hardware RAID options as well.

    The second thing is that with a prebuilt NAS you'll almost certainly get built-in administration software, installed via firmware so it doesn't take up diskspace. With a server, you'll have to install your own software i.e. openfiler and if you don't want it to use up your diskspace you have to get creative.

    Loads of us use that HP server as a NAS, myself included. Compared to a five-bay NAS, it's a bargain. If you're confident enough to install openfiler (it really isn't that difficult, even for someone who's never use unix before), then it's pretty simple. But on the flipside, you're not going to get any manufacturer support when it all goes wrong, and if you muck things up then of course it's your data on the line.

    Using it as a WHS would be very easy, that's for sure. Since it was always designed to work with systems that people had bodged together, a prebuilt server should work like a charm.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Thanks snootyjim.

    you make a good point about using up one of the bays for a drive to actually run WHS from, i hand't considered that. I have however seen somewhere someone running a Linux NAS build from a USB stick on the HP. I'm tempted to give that a go, but am also wondering whether its possible to run WHS from a USB stick in the same way?

    I'm not too fussed about not having support for something I build myself - I've managed for years so far with the good help of people like you!!

    Also, I know the new version of WHS doesn't have drive extender, but I think I'm right in thinking that you can use RAID on the motherboard - i guess all you've got to do is find the right drivers for it?

    If I were to build my own system to put WHS on it, can anyone recommend some hardware (primarily a motherboard) that has RAID and has drivers for WHS? Can you create a comparable system to the Synology for a similar amount of money, or is that a bit of a pipe dream?!

  6. #6
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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    FreeNAS and Openfiler will both run from a USB key installed to the internal USB port on the Microserver - I'm using OF in this way. Tbh the web interface is a Tad slow, but storage performance is fine. FreeNAS is designed to run from USB, mind.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    But will WHS work from a USB too?!! Did a quick google search and cant see anything, which kind of makes me think it wont....

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    I doubt it.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    So i guess it comes down to then the Synology or a home build NAS server.

    If I were to say the max I could spend on a home build server is £260 - the same amount as the Synology, what could I build and how would it compare to the Synology?

    The £260 wouldn't including software, as there are a lot of free Linux builds out there, and there is always the option of WHS2011 as well as additional option at a later date.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by cocksy_boy View Post
    So i guess it comes down to then the Synology or a home build NAS server.

    If I were to say the max I could spend on a home build server is £260 - the same amount as the Synology, what could I build and how would it compare to the Synology?

    The £260 wouldn't including software, as there are a lot of free Linux builds out there, and there is always the option of WHS2011 as well as additional option at a later date.
    Does the 260 include disks?

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by abaxas View Post
    Does the 260 include disks?
    Not if he's doing a direct comparison to the Synology.

    I still personally think that the Microserver represents the best deal: just because you can't run WHS2011 from USB seems a strange sticking point - you can't run it from USB on a self build or the Synology either. You have 5 bays in the Microserver (including the bay for the optical drive, but you honestly won't need one of those in a NAS anyways) so there's nothing to stop you popping the disk that comes with the server into the top bay and installing your OS to that.

    Or perhaps I'm misreading the statement? Still, 140 quid (after rebate) for a quite, low powered device designed for the purpose that the OP seeks is a bloody good deal. I'm still toying with the idea of installing a second at my folks' place to backup to over VPN.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    um, I've got a 320, an 500 and a 1TB to start with, so that will probably include a 2TB disk.

    The main difference I think might be a problem is that the synology with SHM will allow me to use my 3 disks in a RAID with minimum wasted space, but with a traditional RAID this isn't going to be possible!

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    It's not RAID if you're mixing and matching disk sizes. If you're doing that, I'd recommend using ZFS on FreeNAS.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by b0redom View Post
    It's not RAID if you're mixing and matching disk sizes. If you're doing that, I'd recommend using ZFS on FreeNAS.
    As i understand it (and I might be wrong here!), the SHR on the Synology is a kind of hybrid RAID 5 that allows you to use different sized disks in a redundant configuration. The advantage is that the RAID doesn't just shrink to the size of the smallest disk (as a traditional RAID would), but allows for more efficient use of the available space whilst still having redundancy. Source.

    Does ZFS provide a similar kind of functionality?
    EDIT: Yes, it appears to do so - google is my friend!!

    So, is it easy to use / set up? I presume its all software driven and doesn't need any special hardware - so i also presume that its quite slow then too?
    Last edited by cocksy_boy; 17-06-2011 at 06:29 PM.

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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Back to the microserver you can always use the 5 1/4 drive bay to install some 2 1/2 inch drives for the OS if you don't want to use one of the main bays.
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    Re: NAS options: Synology / HP Proliant Microserver / Own Build?!

    Quote Originally Posted by oolon View Post
    Back to the microserver you can always use the 5 1/4 drive bay to install some 2 1/2 inch drives for the OS if you don't want to use one of the main bays.
    Yes - thats a very good point Oolon / Splash, I didn't think of that originally!

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