Linux Server (NAS)

[Splash]

True, but WHS makes thing so easy. And linux has a reputation for being hard and a steep learning curve.

While WHS is pretty sweet Linux is pretty well suited to this kind of application, and it's often nice to have some sort of challenge to help you learn New Stuff

EDIT - also if it's purely to be used as a NAS then the OP could do a lot worse than look at either FreeNAS or Openfiler (I prefer the latter), which should work pretty much out of the box with minimal faff.

[oimi]

To answer your questions about choice of operating system, Linux is reliable, doesn't require rebooting for installations/changes and I want to learn how to use GUI and command-line Linux. I also want the opportunity to learn network security and have always wanted to work with Linux.

I've been working with Windows for 10 years, I think it's time for a change.

The motherboard:

South Bridge:
- 1 x IDE connector supporting ATA-133/100/66/33 and up to 2 IDE devices
- 6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors supporting up to 6 SATA 3Gb/s devices
- Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10
 iTE IT8720 chip:
- 1 x floppy disk drive connector supporting up to 1 floppy disk drive

That's a shame, I suppose I'll need a 6 PORT SATA RAID Controller, any recommendations?

[strike-down]

Just out of curiosity, why you after RAID 6?

[Splash]

You're going to struggle to find a 6 port controller tbh. You're not confusing RAID6 with 6 disks in a RAID array are you? It's a pretty specialist level of RAID is all.

[oimi]

I may be confusing the two, I mean a setup of 6 HDDs in an array that allows one or two drives to fail without data loss in such a way that so long as those drives are replaced with identically sized drives the system will restore itself without having to recover data.

[strike-down]

Ill say again, You should not use RAID for backup. If the power supply in the system goes bang and takes the drives out with it, you're screwed.

[Splash]

One or 2 disks? RAID 5 will allow the former, RAID 6 the latter. RAID 5 with a hot spare is also an idea if possible, but whichever way you look at it you're going to need some pretty specialist RAID card - not many (if any, tbh) motherboards will support this using the onboard RAID controller. Whichever way you look at it you *need* independent backups. RAID will give you resilience to minimise downtime while replacing disks in a degraded array but you should be backing up important data to a seperate location.

[oimi]

I may consider external backups, I'll take suggestions on specific hardware.

The IcyDock 1 or IcyDock 2 may be an option?

[strike-down]

That particular icydock is still an internal one. It fits in the 5.25" bays of the case and uses the same PSU and the mobo connectors. Also cant be unplugged from the computer.

You need a proper external enclosure if you're going down that route.

I got one of these:
http://www.addonics.com/products/raid_system/mst4.asp

You would need to find a distributor in the uk (i dont know of any) or buy direct if you went for that one. Or find a suitable alternative

[oimi]

Maybe IcyDock 3.

[strike-down]

Maybe IcyDock 3.

no no no!! those are just different mounting methods for the hdd, not a proper external enclosure

[oimi]

External IcyDock 1.

Shame it only supports 1TB.

[mycarsavw]

While WHS is pretty sweet Linux is pretty well suited to this kind of application, and it's often nice to have some sort of challenge to help you learn New Stuff

EDIT - also if it's purely to be used as a NAS then the OP could do a lot worse than look at either FreeNAS or Openfiler (I prefer the latter), which should work pretty much out of the box with minimal faff.

Completely agree - I recommended FreeNAS in my first post (the second on this thread)

True, but WHS makes thing so easy. And linux has a reputation for being hard and a steep learning curve.

Again, I agree, but FreeNAS is a case of download, burn to CD, boot from CD, tweak and done. That's it.

[oimi]

Completely agree - I recommended FreeNAS in my first post (the second on this thread)

Like I said, I am looking for an excuse to work with Linux.

[aidanjt]

That particular icydock is still an internal one. It fits in the 5.25" bays of the case and uses the same PSU and the mobo connectors. Also cant be unplugged from the computer.

You need a proper external enclosure if you're going down that route.

Wrong, SATA disks can be hotswapped.

[strike-down]

Wrong, SATA disks can be hotswapped.

I knew I'd be caught out on something but I did read somewhere that the controller had to support hot swapping?