Network attached storage devicesNetwork Attached Storage, NAS. Network attached storage NAS - what is it in simple words
The amount of information stored on our computers is increasing every day. Thousands of photos musical recordings, hundreds of films and TV series - all this is destroying free space on your computer at an insane speed. hard drives x of our computers. It’s not always possible to buy and install another HDD suitable solution, because there may simply not be enough space in the PC case, especially if you have a laptop. Usage external hard drives are often inconvenient to use – take them out, connect them, etc. I would like to get access to the photo we need or musical composition without fuss with wires, or simultaneously with different devices on your network. And in such a situation, network data storages can come to the rescue.
Storage units without storage media included are suitable for home use, especially if you have already purchased disks.
When used in small offices, pay attention to more reliable and functional network storage. As a rule, such NAS are supplied without storage media and are equipped with two network interfaces and more powerful hardware to cope with high loads.
Definition of characteristics
The main aspect of choosing a NAS is the total volume, which is based on the capacity of the drives and their number. To determine the volume, you need to consider:
- An array of information for transfer to network storage, information on all devices on your network;
- The approximate volume you will record over the next couple of years.
The optimal solution for home use is network storage with a capacity of 4 – 6 TB. This is guaranteed to be enough for both backup from 2-3 computers and for storage multimedia files.
Are you a professional photographer or just a keen amateur? Then you definitely cannot do without network storage for storing your work and for backing up the material you have just shot and not yet processed. Believe me, cases of losing photos due to hard drive failure are not uncommon, and the lack of a backup copy will put an end to the entire work of the photographer’s team. So network storage with a capacity of 6-8 TB is an excellent solution for storage and backup.
The number of installed drives affects not only the maximum amount of network storage, but also the ability creating a RAID arrays to provide increased performance or fault tolerance. For example, support for RAID 1 (mirrored) or RAID 5 will help protect against data loss. In the first case, the network storage requires at least two hard drives (user-available volume disk system will be equal to the volume of one disk), and in the second case - at least three disks (also, part of the disk space will be allocated for service needs). This configuration allows you to save information if one of the disks fails.
Software features
Owners of smart TVs will find the UPnP/DLNA server function useful for viewing media content without the need to save it on the device.
Network storage can be used not only as big hard disk connected to the network. Separate devices allow you to install additional applications, for example a torrent tracker, various download managers, dropbox, etc. This will greatly expand the capabilities of your NAS.
One more interesting feature network storages support IP video surveillance for organizing a video archive and will eliminate the need to purchase a separate DVR.
Results
Choosing a network storage can be reduced to a few simple steps:- Do I need a storage device included in the kit? If so, is one sufficient, or are two or more needed to provide greater capacity or increased fault tolerance?
- Determine the amount of disk space you need
- Determine what additional functions and tasks the network storage will perform and make sure that they are available in the selected samples.
Network attached storage (NAS) has great practical value for comfortable use your multimedia devices in home network and organizing a media library: you can store various data on it (music, videos, documents and much more) and access them whenever you please. You can use your data not only on your computer, but also play multimedia from a TV that supports , and other devices connected to your home network (smartphones, tablets, laptops), as well as via the Internet using a client program.
How many hard drives should I use in my NAS?
The abbreviation NAS stands for network storage. These types of devices connect to your home network, allowing you to access data from all devices. Using 2 or more drives allows you to reliably protect yourself from data loss in the event of HDD failure. To do this, the storage must operate in RAID 1 mode. Thus, you don’t have to worry about the safety of your photos and music collection, but you will have to sacrifice a decent amount of disk space. Two drive bays in a NAS is a reasonable minimum for home use. Depending on the number of hard drives you have, the Network Storage Array Wizard will only offer available options.
Installing and configuring network storage
When choosing the right NAS, you will find that they often come bundled with hard drives. But there are exceptions, for example, models from QNAP and Synology - in this case you will have to buy and install at least 2 HDDs yourself. The initial setup of the NAS is performed in the included program or through a web interface accessible from a browser. As a bonus, the storage package includes a program that allows you to automatic mode perform backups. Of course you can also use alternative applications scheduled backups.
How do NAS devices differ from each other?
The main components of a NAS are a processor and a network controller, which determine the speed of copying and transferring data over the network. From my own experience, I want to say that devices from Netgear, Buffalo, Thecus and Synology demonstrate the highest speed. When used at home, it will also be important to consider the noise from NAS devices. Network drives, just like regular ones hard disks, differ in noise level. For example, models from Synology and QNAP operate almost silently, which cannot be said about some Buffalo and Thecus models. Since network-attached storage devices typically operate around the clock, power consumption is an important criterion when purchasing such a device. If you place a deep emphasis on this parameter, then make sure that the storage standby feature is enabled. The devices are also easy to control. For example, remote access to data sometimes causes difficulties for inexperienced users: the D-Link network drive is notorious for problems among beginners with setting up this function.
Key Features of a Network Attached Storage (NAS)
PLAYBACK. Modern TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and other devices with network functions support streaming multimedia content on your home network. Most modern network storage systems have the necessary built-in media server for this. When you activate the “Media Server” or “DLNA Server” function in the NAS settings, it becomes possible to play music, display photos and videos on other network-connected devices, such as a Smart TV. In this case, the transmission of both audio and video data is carried out in streaming mode, which eliminates the need to copy files to the appropriate playback device.
RIGHTS. Data stored on a network storage device can be accessed from any device connected to the network. However, if necessary, it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to limit or, on the contrary, provide access to separate folders For certain users. During the process of creating a new account, the NAS administration panel allows you to assign access rights to existing directories, set quotas for the used disk space, select the protocols with which New user will be able to access the storage, as well as set access speed limits for each of these protocols.
REMOTE ACCESS. There is no longer any need to download photos to a smartphone or tablet: almost every NAS model is accessible via the Internet, which allows you to relieve the memory of mobile devices without losing access to content.
SAFETY. Network-attached storage allows you to automatically back up data on your computer's hard drive. This significantly reduces the risk of losing important information in the event of disk failure or PC theft.
These tips are less aimed at providing some practical skills, and more at familiarizing you with the functionality of NAS devices, learning about their capabilities before purchasing and weighing the pros and cons.
1. Connecting the printer to network storage
Many network drives have a USB port to which you can connect a printer. This will allow you to print photos and documents from all network devices (for example, a laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone) without pre-installation drivers. I recommend looking at the compatibility list of printer models on the official website of the network storage manufacturer.
2. Remote access
Almost all NAS have free apps, with which you can remotely access multimedia data or, for example, upload vacation photos to network storage regardless of your location. When connected to a LAN, network storage devices can receive IP parameters dynamically using the DHCP protocol, or be configured statically. The corresponding settings are available in the “Network” item of the control panel.
3. Copying data from a flash drive without using a PC
The presence of a USB port on a network drive allows you to take advantage of another useful function: documents, photos, videos and music stored on a flash drive or external hard drive can be easily copied to the drive without the help of a PC. Just insert the flash drive into the appropriate slot, press the button if necessary, and the data will be copied.
4. Music on your home network
Most network storage devices offer a practical feature such as iTunes Music Server, which allows you to play music stored on the network storage device on several devices on your home network at once - provided that Apple products, such as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or a computer with installed program iTunes.
5. Backup data
All NAS have at least 2 bays for installing two drives, as this allows you to painlessly replace a failed hard drive in the future. Some models may even have them installed. When using RAID 0 mode, all drives in the network storage are detected by the computer as a single logical drive. However, in this case, failure of any of them will inevitably lead to the loss of all data. Therefore, it is recommended to operate the storage in RAID 1 mode (when using 2 HDDs). With this configuration, you can use only half of the drives for data storage, and use the other part for placement automatically generated by the device backup copy. The advantage of this approach is the guaranteed safety of data in the event of a drive failure.
6. Sharing data
Network storage allows you to grant and block access to directories for certain groups of users, such as children. The corresponding settings are located in the administrative panel of the drive. Select "Users" from the menu and create an account for each of them, using the same names under which you log in. Install for each account password. Go to the "Folders" section public access» and create several folders there - for example, one personal folder for each user, as well as one shared folder for multimedia files and documents. Each folder provides the ability to individually configure access rights. Users can access files stored on the drive by connecting the device as a network drive (Windows) or by double-clicking the NAS icon. To gain access you must enter a username and password. As a result, all folders accessible to the user will automatically appear on the screen.
7. Increase memory capacity
If desired, you can install larger capacity hard drives in the storage. Most manufacturers make this operation as convenient as possible: remove the panel, remove the drives, install new ones - done! Attention! Don't forget to create in advance backup copy data on an external hard drive.
8. Installing applications
Synology, QNAP and Netgear network storage systems offer applications not only for smartphones and tablets, but also for PCs. With their help, you can easily solve problems such as sorting photos, restricting access to video files, cloud services or performing a backup.
9. Using DLNA
Playing multimedia files stored in the NAS is possible not only on a computer, but also on Smart TVs, tablets and smartphones. To do this, you must enable data transfer via DLNA technology in the NAS settings.
10. Changing the language
Some administrative panels network storages are not Russified, so many users will be able to understand the intricacies of the settings only by connecting the appropriate language file (for example, D-Link or Thecus). You can find it on the manufacturer's website. Download it to your computer and click on Language in the network storage settings. Next, click on the Search button, specify the location to save the file and click on Apply. The file will be connected, after which the interface language will change to Russian.
Which RAID to choose and how to calculate the usable volume?
Restrictions on the number of disks for different configurations RAID
- RAID0 (minimum 2 HDDs)
- RAID1 (no more than 2 HDDs)
- RAID5 (at least 3 HDDs)
- RAID6 (at least 4 HDDs)
- RAID5 + hot spare (at least 4 HDD): option available only for RS40X and DS50X models
Formula for calculating the capacity of a network storage array
You can use the following formula to calculate the total storage array capacity yourself:
- RAID0 = (z - System - Temp) * n
- RAID1 = (z - System - Temp) * (n/2)
- RAID5 = (z - System - Temp) * (n-1)
- RAID6 = (z - System - Temp) * (n-2) (RAID5 + hot spare is calculated the same as RAID6, the additional HDD works as a backup disk, standing in standby mode in case of failure).
Values in the calculation formula:
- z= HDD capacity (for example 500GB, 1TB, etc.)
- n= number of HDDs
- System= permanent system partition (2.3GB)
- Temp= temporary system partition (0.512GB)
Interaction of network storage and device using the example of Android and iOS OS
As you already know, modern mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) successfully cope with many PC tasks related to information stored on remote server. We can't ignore active development mobile devices and convenience mobile access to the content. NAS manufacturers are developing mobile applications that provide comprehensive solution on managing network storage devices and accessing data stored on them. You can also access stored data from an alternative file manager: ES Explorer, Astro File Manager and so on. I will consider the model of interaction between Android and iOS devices using the example of a smartphone and Synology network storage device, as well as special applications available to implement this solution.
Mobile applications allow you to remote control NAS or access to content stored on it through:
- local wireless network(Wi-Fi) within the same network segment with the NAS (for example, an Android smartphone and the NAS are connected to the same router)
- Internet network, through access from 3G/4G networks and public wifi networks
Let's take a look at Synology's branded mobile apps:
- DS Mobile is a version of the web interface of the NAS drive operating system, designed specifically for mobile devices.
- DS finder is an application for finding Synology drives in local network and their monitoring
- DS audio - an application for playing music stored on the drive
- DS photo+ is an application designed to access photos stored on PhotoStation.
- DS file - an application for accessing files stored on the drive
- DS cam is an application designed to view video from surveillance cameras that can be connected to a Synology drive.
All applications are free and available for download at Android Market and AppStore.
Third-Party Mobile Apps for Synology NAS
As I wrote above, alternative applications for interacting with NAS are available for smartphones/tablets from third party developers. Let's take a closer look at some of them.
UPnPlay– an application for working with media servers. It has the functionality of playing music, photos and videos. It is worth noting that UPnPlay allows you to play videos with support for all language tracks and subtitles present in the file or in the same folder.
ConnectBot– application for working with SSH protocols and Telnet. With it, you can connect to any device that supports these protocols, including your Synology drive.
ES Explorer– an application designed to work with files both on a local device and over a network. The application supports the SMB (Windows) and FTP protocols. On a local network, Samba is more often used due to the ability to find other computers and NAS drives on the network. After the drive is found, you can connect to it by entering the login and password of one of the accounts. The FTP protocol, designed specifically for file transfer, is more often used when connecting via the Internet. In this case, you first need to enter the drive address and login password to access it.
P.S. I would be grateful if you could point out topics that should be considered in more detail. After all, it is not possible to write everything about NAS devices in one article.
Part One: Cold Iron
It can be stewed and chopped into broth,
And it's good to serve with vegetables.
Lewis Carroll, The Hunting of the Snark
Anyone who can collect Personal Computer and install Windows, if desired, it can also cope with creating a fairly advanced NAS from x86-compatible hardware and free assemblies*nix based software. At the same time, roughly speaking, the number installed disks affects the cost and labor intensity of the project only by the cost of the disks. This allows you to seriously save money compared to buying a ready-made NAS with 4 or more disks, but it is hardly profitable if a NAS with 1-2 disks satisfies your needs. It is impossible to say which option is better. Everyone has their own preferences. Some people cook well at home, while others prefer to dine in a restaurant. Do you enjoy fiddling with computer software and iron? Then this text may be useful. Do you need a storage service on its own? Choose between cloud storage and a ready-made NAS out of the box.
N. B. This article is not about the equipment model or version software product. She talks about the concept of creating a NAS with your own hands and suggests considering other options for solving the problem, besides buying a ready-made device. The topic is long, there are nearly a thousand pages of discussion. The people there are polite and responsive. This is a hint that the article does not pretend to be complete, academic or the ultimate truth.
What kind of NAS is this?
According to Wikipedia, NAS (Network Attached Storage) - network storage system, network storage. It is a computer connected to a network and designed to provide data storage services to other devices. The operating system and NAS module programs provide operation of the data storage and file system, access to files, and control over system functions. The device is not designed to perform normal computing tasks, although running other programs on it may be technically possible. Typically, NAS devices do not have a screen or keyboard, but are managed and configured over the network, often using a browser.
The definition is not ideal, but quite working. NAS is also used in business, but they have their own requirements and features. We will be interested home use NAS
People usually come to the idea of assembling a NAS with their own hands in two ways, and often in both ways at once. When you have only one computer at home, you don't need a NAS. Gradually other network devices appear. Laptops, smartphones, tablets. And especially - network HD media players, all sorts of Dune, Popcorn, WD TV and the like. It is with the acquisition of a network media player that a person often begins to accumulate terabytes of information. It is first stored on removable hard drives that are connected to the media player and/or added to the main computer. Soon there will be too many disks for convenient use, and a quietly buzzing computer around the clock, at the same time downloading something from the Internet, will begin to irritate, if not you, then your better half. An idea arises to collect this bunch of disks in a separate box, put it somewhere in a corner and instruct it to distribute the content to everyone network devices and download torrents. Congratulations, you've taken the first route to NAS. On the way, we definitely took a look at the finished NAS, out of the box. But the price!..
The second way is through hardware upgrades. As a result, less than a cubic meter of components accumulate, which are difficult to sell and there is no one to give as a gift. The Plyushkin within us finds a useful use for them in the idea of building a NAS. And at the same time satisfy your craving to rummage through the guts of the computer. It’s not for nothing that one cheerful American wrote that working with a computer is the only legal way today to push around someone who is smarter than you.
Of course, there are other ways. For example, you are a keen photographer and need secure storage long-term archives. Or a loving parent filming every step of their baby. Etc. But rarely do such scenarios lead to assembling a NAS with your own hands. Much more often - to buy ready-made out of the box. The needs of such users are confidently met by 1-2 disk models of ready-made NAS. It is difficult, if not impossible, for a neophyte amateur to assemble something similar in size, noise and price to 1-2 disk models.
In defense of ready-made NAS, it is worth noting that they provide many features and functions out of the box, requiring minimal installation/configuration/tuning. So, in fact, their cost must include the work of programmers, technical support, etc.
The situation changes dramatically if 1-2 disks are not enough, but there is a need for 4 or more. Manufacturers' marketers install on them price level, which plunges a person familiar with the computer price tag into a state of frustration (although they pronounce much more popular words). And the person begins to choose a hardware configuration, to which we move on. Although he should have started with software, he can’t go against nature.
The hardware depends on the software used. Software - depending on the assigned tasks. But there hasn’t been a correct formulation of the problem strong point home handyman. So he starts with hardware. If we came to building a NAS with a bag of parts left over from upgrades, then good news is that they will fit, even if not optimally. Without even looking.
Broomed around the barn
In order to comfortably watch FullHD video over the network, including BD disk images, we will need at least:
- 1-2 gigabytes of RAM if ZFS is not used and 4-8, more is possible if ZFS is used. (About ZFS - later, Google will help the impatient.) But even on a rarity with 256 MB you can collect something useful;
- x86-compatible processor, ideally (and for ZFS) - 64-bit, but 32-bit is suitable for most options. That is, any x86 processor except those that are completely museum-quality. It would be preferable to have less heat, but that’s what it is;
- wired Ethernet port, preferably gigabit - although 100 megabits is enough for viewing BD images over the network. Connecting a NAS over Wi-Fi is a controversial idea (but if you build it yourself, you have much more freedom in choosing wireless controllers);
- drives and SATA ports. For NAS there is no difference between SATA-2 (3 Gbit/s) and SATA-3 (6 Gbit/s). Not every drive is faster than the ancient SATA-1, so such ports can be used. But IDE disks, by modern concepts, slow, low-capacity, hot and noisy. If there are not enough SATA ports, you can use controllers. But if (when) you soon decide to move to new hardware, then the SATA controllers purchased as crutches for an outdated motherboard will lie idle. I know from myself, I have two lying around. And be careful with disks larger than 2 TB. Many older controllers are not compatible with them. And among the SATA-1 controllers, there are also those that do not work with disks larger than a terabyte - however, this is already ancient and rare;
- Of course, the case where it will all fit and the power supply that will pull it. There are subtleties with the power supply, it makes sense to look at a new one, see below.
Most likely, the hardware left over from the upgrades will satisfy these requirements. And if it doesn’t make much noise (or there is somewhere to clean it), then you’re generally lucky. You can start experimenting.
Custom tailoring
If you are assembling a NAS from specially purchased components, then you should first decide on your wishes. In most cases (but it is impossible to grasp the immensity) requests are divided into three groups, conventionally “quiet-compact”, “effective-extensible” and “server-so-server”. Let me clarify that there is no clearly correct option. After all, the user himself weighs wishes, costs and his capabilities. But the wrong one is possible. When the result does not satisfy the requirements explicitly or implicitly specified during the design. For example, the spouse will say that the box is, of course, big. But it howls like an airplane, and she doesn’t agree to live in the same apartment. Or the system assembled under passive conditions does not withstand the test in the summer. Or the video simply shuts down when viewed online. Therefore, it is better to consider your wishes on the shore. Especially the implicit ones.
Important note. We're talking about a NAS, not an HTPC (Home Theater PC), that is, not a computer that shows movies with sound on a large screen connected to its video output. In principle, no one forbids you to make HTPC, including with many hard drives, although the requirements for HTPC and NAS, as well as the software and hardware used for them, are very different. HTPC is a different topic.
Quietly compact
This set of requirements is influenced by off-the-shelf NAS. I want something compact and quiet, but one that can fit 4 disks (often 6, sometimes more). Such requirements usually lead to the choice of a Mini-ITX motherboard with a soldered Atom-like processor housed in a compact case. Examples are below.
There is a very good preconfigured solution - HP Proliant Microserver (). Compact, reasonable in price (from 12,000 at the moment), 4 hard drives, the fifth can be inserted instead of ODD, which is unnecessary in the NAS. And with the help of a small tambourine, make the port intended for ODD SATA work normally. Disadvantages - far from powerful processor, but for many scenarios it is sufficient. If you are satisfied with the microserver, let's go to the chapter about software.
HP Proliant Microserver is a high-quality and inexpensive candidate for the role of home NAS
If not, first select a case for the desired number of disks (whether or not a disk is needed for the system depends on the OS. We will discuss it in the chapter about software). Here, in the battle of show-off aesthetic feelings with greed and the desire for effective costs, the first test of the strength of the “quiet-compact” concept takes place. Beautiful compact cases are not cheap. If victory lies with the toad's desire for efficiency, let's go to the chapter on efficiency and extensibility. We go there if the selected case allows the installation of a microATX motherboard. If aesthetics win, we select a Mini-ITX (Mini-DTX) motherboard. The first requirement is a maximum of SATA ports (including eSATA). In principle, desktop versions with 6 SATA ports were produced. But whether it will be possible to find it here and now is the question. If there are not enough ports, PCIe SATA controllers with 2 and even 4 ports are quite affordable. Naturally, they require a PCIe slot. Considering that it is the only one in Mini-ITX, expandability ends there.
All examples are from real life, often with modifications and additional photos - see FAQ in the profile thread, section 3.1
| by axel77 | from half_moon_bay | by padavan | |
| Frame | Chenbro ES34069 | Lian Li PC-Q25 | Lian-Li PC-Q08 |
| power unit | 180 W included | Corsair, PSU-500CXV2EU, 500 W | Enermax 380 W (82+) |
| Motherboard | Zotac NM10-DTX WiFi | Asus E35M-I* | Asus P8H67-I** |
| CPU | integrated Intel Atom D510 | integrated AMD E-350 | Intel Pentium G840 |
| RAM | Kingston 2x2 GB | Corsair XMS3 2x8 GB | 2x4 GB DDR3-1333 |
| Hard drives for data | 4×Samsung HD204UI | 7×3.5″ | 6×3.5″ + hotswap for 3.5″ HDD in 5.25″ bay |
| System storage | 2.5″ Toshiba 500 GB | USB flash drive | 2.5″ HDD |
| operating system | FreeBSD | FreeNAS 8.x | OMV |
| Additionally | network Intel WG82574L*** | ST-Lab 370 4xSATA | PCIe 2xSATA-II |
| Price estimate**** | RUB 14,950 | RUB 15,600 | RUB 14,000 |
* Nowadays, motherboards with E-350 have become rare, they have been replaced by versions with E-450. SATA ports - fewer;
** Not on sale, but see, for example, ASUS P8H77-I;
*** the author added a network through a homemade raiser, but this is rather personal perfectionism;
**** Prices are estimates at the request of the editors using modern Yandex Market, if not available - Price.ru, if not available - analogues. This is a rough estimate, since some models are no longer on sale and the prices found are not necessarily relevant. Price does not include data disks, used system HDD if available, counted as 1000 rubles.
There are subtleties about “quietly”. The first impulse is “complete passive”. However, in most cases the argument is accepted that 4-6 drives will produce more noise than a good 120mm fan at low speed. In any case, you need to understand that you have to pay for everything and compact body All other things being equal, it will be noisier than a more spacious standard one with large fans.
The obvious feature of a soldered processor is performance. If this is not enough, the vast majority abandon the Mini-ITX format. But, for the sake of completeness, it must be said that this is not necessary, cf. configuration from maestro padavan.
The assembly from Padavan is, as you can see, extremely compact
In December last year, the Intel Atom S1200 (Centerton) for server purposes was announced. When they go on sale, they may be interesting option for home NAS. Support for ECC memory, Intel Virtualization (VT-x), 8 PCI-E lanes, 8 GB of memory - this is enough for most options.
Efficiently extensible
A significant part of NAS builders - some right away, some faced with the limitations of options on Atom-like processors - decide to assemble a configuration that allows for serious expansion. In terms of processor, memory, but above all - in terms of the number of disks. As already mentioned, ready-made NAS even with 4 disks are not cheap, but with 8-10 they are already prohibitively expensive for the home. At the same time, it is not difficult to choose a sufficiently spacious housing. For example, in my case, left over from the upgrade of the Craftway computer (they didn’t save on case hardware back then), there are now 7 units living in it. 3.5″ drives and you can install 3 more without any problems. When choosing a case for a truly big number For drives, you should look towards models with many 5.25″ slots, into which you can then place baskets with airflow, using 5.25″ slots for four 3.5″ drives. See the example in the Costs chapter.
Since the NAS operates 24/7, I would like an energy-efficient processor (in Moscow, a watt per year costs 35 rubles). Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge seriously reduce power consumption when idle, but the NAS is extremely lightly loaded the lion's share of the time. Therefore, the daily power consumption of such a NAS may be significantly lower than that of the Atom version, which does not know how to reduce consumption when idle. Which processor model to choose depends on whether you need to transcode video in real time.
Many modern televisions have DLNA functionality that allows you to receive video over a local network. The problem is that they only understand some encoding options. And often they are not at all the ones used by the rips and remixes found on the Internet. The problem can be solved in several ways. (1) Look for movies in a format that matches your TV. It's the tail that wags the dog. (2) Recode the movie on the computer to suit the TV's requests. This is a waste of time and is only possible for yourself filmed video. (3) Load the NAS with real-time transcoding and (4) Buy a media player, that is, a small box that receives video as files, including via the network with the NAS, and supplies the TV with the receiver with an audio-video signal, usually via HDMI. If you chose option (3), then you need to study the specifications of the TV and look in the Core i7 area. Plus, due to limitations in DLNA in general, and in implementing this marketing idea on your TV in particular, it will not be possible to achieve complete omnivorousness. Option (4) at the current price level turns out to be not only simpler and more functional, but also cheaper. While the NAS processor is suitable for virtually any junior Pentium or Celeron 2nd or 3rd generation Core. You can take the i3, fortunately, compared to the price of the disks, the difference will be negligible. Choose according to your taste. For quick reference or detailed final comparison of candidate models, you can use the processor testing section on iXBT. I took an Intel Pentium G2120 as the youngest Ivy Bridge at that time. Junior Sandy Bridges are cheap and more than sufficient.
The AMD processors available at the time of writing are not impressive compared to Intel - although AMD is much more generous in providing its processors with ECC memory support, and perhaps the company will soon have something competitive, for example the Opteron 3250 with a stated price of $99.
Maternal ASUS board P8H77-M Pro: 7 SATA, up to 32 GB RAM
Motherboard. I took the ASUS P8H77-M Pro for the following reasons:
- LGA1155, we get built-in video automatically due to the processor, it will only be needed at the installation stage;
- maximum number of SATA ports, no matter 3 or 6 Gbit/s (7 SATA + eSATA);
- 4 memory slots are better, but 2 are enough (4, up to 32 GB);
- integrated 1000BaseTX, considered better from Intel. But taking into account the presence of a processor with a reserve of computing power, Realtek will do just fine (Realtek 8111F);
- PCIe slots for future installation of SATA controllers and network cards (x16, x4 in x16 slot, 2 x 1);
- Form factor - microATX.
The cooler is selected according to taste, memory - according to the requirements of the selected OS. Here the range is possible from gigabytes to 32.
The power supply is included in a separate chapter.
Examples of the described option:
| by ZanZag | by shale | |
| Frame | Lian Li PC-V354R | InWin BP659 |
| power unit | Chieftec BPS-550C 550 W | 200 W included |
| Motherboard | ASUS P8H67-M EVO(B3) | ECS H61H2-I2 |
| CPU | Intel Pentium G860 | Intel Celeron G530 |
| RAM | 4×4 GB DDR3 PC3-1066 | Kingston 2x2 GB |
| Hard drives for data | 6×Hitachi HDS5C3030ALA630 | 3×Seagate ST3000DM001 |
| System storage | CF 4 GB via CF-IDE adapter | 40 GB SSD |
| operating system | nas4free 9.x | OMV |
| Additionally | cooler Cooler Master DP6-8E5SB-PL-GP, add. fans 2×Zalman FDB-1 and Arctic Cooling F9 PWM | |
| Price estimate | RUB 18,200 | 7300 rub. |
Server-so-server
There is a “premium” category of NAS builders who, for objective or subjective reasons, build NAS from serious and expensive server components. Enthusiasts are experimenting with 10-gigabit network solutions. Remember that server configurations are often not quite compatible with residential premises in terms of size and noise. The ability to use ECC memory is the most obvious advantage of the approach. The ZFS file system used in this segment of home NAS construction is memory intensive. In this case, a memory failure can lead to data corruption that goes unnoticed. ECC memory solves the problem, but its use in the Intel version requires server processors (there are interesting exceptions, for example the Pentium G2120) and motherboards.
Virtualization is often used and several guest OS solve problems, each with their own. A common option is when the SATA controller is forwarded to virtual machine, which performs the storage function (Solaris or FreeBSD with zfs). From this VM, disk capacity is exported via NFS or iSCSI to the hypervisor and other VMs. I will refrain from further explanation of what I myself am not very well versed in and will give real examples.
Assembly from TPAKTOP, outside and inside views
| by fatfree | by axel77 | from TPAKTOP | |
| Frame | Fractal Design Define Mini | Supermicro CSE-SC846E26-R1200B | |
| power unit | Seasonic X560 | ||
| Motherboard | Supermicro X9SCL-F | Supermicro X9SCM-F | Supermicro X9SCM-F |
| CPU | Intel Xeon E3-1230 | Intel Xeon E3-1230 | Intel Xeon E3-1220 |
| RAM | 4×Kingston KVR1333D3E9S/8G | 4×Kingston KVR1333D3E9S/4G | 4×Kingston KVR1333D3E9S/4G |
| Hard drives for data | 5×WD20EFRX | in the process of accumulation | 12xST31000524AS in two 6xRaidZ2 (main pool), 2xST32000542AS in a mirror (backup pool), 4xST3250318AS in a stripe (torrent pool) |
| System storage | Intel SSD 520 180 GB | 2.5″ by 320 GB | TS64GSSD25S-M |
| operating system | ESXi 5.1.0 + Nexenta CE + Ubuntu Server 12.04 + Windows 8 | FreeBSD | FreeBSD |
| Additionally | HBA IBM ServeRAID M1015, Noctua NH-L12 cooler | 2×HBA IBM ServerRAID M1015 | 2×HBA IBM ServeRAID M1015, Intel Gigabit ET Dual Port Server Adapter |
SATA/SAS controllers
So if you can’t wait, you can start. And in the second part we will discuss the software in more detail.
I would like to express my gratitude to all participants in the profile thread on the forum.site, including comrades axel77, half_moon_bay, padavan, ZanZag, shale, whose configurations were used in the article; comrades Sergei V. Sh, TPAKTOP, iZEN and RU_Taurus for many useful comments.
Special thanks to the developers of free software: Olivier Cochard-Labbé, Daisuke Aoyama, Michael Zoon, Volker Theile and many others. They made the very existence of the DIY NAS theme possible.
Lecture 15 03/08/2017 4:50:04
Network storage
Existing types of storage systems
Traditionally, three technologies for organizing data storage can be distinguished, providing for their collective use:
Direct Attached Storage (DAS);
Network Attach Storage (NAS);
Storage Area Network (SAN).
Devices DAS (Direct Attached Storage)– a solution when a data storage device is connected directly to a server or workstation. Currently, the SAS interface is most often used for this.
Devices NAS (Network Attached Storage)– a separate integrated disk system with its own specialized OS and set of useful functions quick system startup and access to files. The system connects to a computer network (LAN), and is a quick solution to the problem of lack of free disk space.
Storage Area Network (SAN) is a special dedicated network that connects storage devices with application servers, usually built on the basis of the protocol Fiber Channel or iSCSI protocol.
DAS (Direct Attached Storage) storage system architecture
The main advantages of DAS systems include their low cost, ease of deployment and administration, as well as high speed of data exchange between the storage system and the server. This makes them popular in the segment of small offices, hosting providers and small corporate networks. At the same time, DAS systems also have their drawbacks, which include suboptimal utilization of resources, since each DAS system requires the connection of a dedicated server ArchitectureDirectAttachedStorage
Fairly low cost. Essentially, this storage system is a disk basket with hard drives located outside the server.
Easy to deploy and administer.
High speed of exchange between the disk array and the server.
Low reliability. If the server to which this storage is connected fails, the data will no longer be available.
Low degree of resource consolidation - all capacity is available to one server.
NAS (Network Attached Storage) storage system architecture
NAS technology (networked storage subsystems, Network Attached Storage) is developing as an alternative to universal servers that carry many functions (printing, applications, fax server, email, etc.). In contrast, NAS devices perform only one function - a file server. And they try to do it as best, easier and faster as possible.
NAS connect to a LAN and provide data access to an unlimited number of heterogeneous clients or other servers. Currently, almost all NAS devices are designed for use in Ethernet networks (Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet) based on TCP/IP protocols. NAS devices are accessed using special file access protocols. The most common file access protocol is the NFS protocol. Such servers contain specialized operating systems, such as MS Windows Storage Server.
ArchitectureNetwork Attached Storage
The cheapness and availability of its resources not only for individual servers, but also for any computers in the organization.
Ease of sharing resources.
Ease of deployment and administration
Versatility for clients (one server can serve MS, Novell, Mac, Unix clients)
Access to information through “network” protocols file systems” is often slower than accessing a local disk.
Most inexpensive NAS servers do not provide the fast and flexible method of accessing data at the block level inherent in SAN systems, rather than at the file level.
SAN (Storage Area Network) storage system architecture
Storage Area Network (SAN) - this is a special dedicated network that connects storage devices with application servers, usually built on the basis of the Fiber Channel or iSCSI protocol. Unlike NAS, SAN has no concept of files: file operations are performed on servers connected to the SAN. SAN operates in blocks, like a large hard drive. The ideal result of a SAN is the ability to access any server under any operating system to any part of the disk capacity located in the SAN. SAN end elements are application servers and data storage systems (disk arrays, tape libraries, etc.). And between them, as in a regular network, there are adapters, switches, bridges, hubs. iSCSI is a more “friendly” protocol because it is based on the use of standard Ethernet infrastructure - network cards, switches, cables.
ArchitectureStorage Area Network
High reliability of access to data located on external systems storage Independence of the SAN topology from the storage systems and servers used.
Centralized data storage (reliability, security).
Convenient centralized management switching and data.
Moves heavy I/O traffic to a separate network, relieving the load on the LAN.
High performance and low latency.
Scalability and flexibility of the SAN logical fabric
The ability to organize backup, remote storage systems and a remote backup and data recovery system.
The ability to build fault-tolerant cluster solutions without additional costs based on an existing SAN.
Higher cost
Difficulty in setting up FC systems
More stringent requirements for component compatibility.
Types of storage media and protocol for interaction with storage systems
IN currently SATA and SAS drives are used to store data in disk arrays. Which disks to choose for storage depends on specific tasks. Several facts are worth noting.
SATA II drives:
Single disk sizes up to 1 TB available
Rotation speed 5400-7200 RPM
I/O speed up to 2.4 Gbps
MTBF is approximately two times less than that of SAS drives.
Less reliable than SAS drives.
About 1.5 times cheaper than SAS disks.
Single disk sizes up to 450 GB available
Rotation speed 7200 (NearLine), 10000 and 15000 RPM
I/O speed up to 3.0 Gbps
MTBF is twice as long as SATA II drives.
More reliable drives.
Until recently, the main protocols for interaction with storage systems were FibreChannel and SCSI. Now SCSI has been replaced by the iSCSI and SAS protocols, having expanded its functionality.
Fiber Channel Protocol
In practice, modern Fiber Channel (FC) has speeds of 2, 4 or 8 Gbit/sec. At such speeds, connection distances are practically unlimited - from the standard 300 meters with conventional equipment to several hundred or even thousands of kilometers when using specialized equipment. The main advantage of the FC protocol is the ability to combine many storage devices and hosts (servers) into a single storage area network (SAN). But on the other hand, the cost and complexity of installing and maintaining disk arrays using FC are high.
Flexible storage scalability;
Allows you to create storage systems over significant distances
Great reservation possibilities.
High cost of the solution;
Even higher cost when organizing a geographically distributed FC network
High labor intensity during implementation and maintenance.
iSCSI protocol
iSCSI (IP-based SCSI encapsulation) allows users to create IP-based storage networks using Ethernet infrastructure and RJ45 ports. In this way, iSCSI overcomes the limitations of directly attached storage, including the inability to share resources across servers and the inability to expand capacity without shutting down applications. The transfer speed is 1 Gb/s (Gigabit Ethernet), but this speed is sufficient for most business applications of medium-sized enterprises.
It is important to note that SANs based on the iSCSI protocol provide the same benefits as SANs using the Fiber Channel protocol, but at the same time, the procedures for deploying and managing the network are simplified, and the cost of this storage system is significantly reduced.
High availability;
Scalability;
Ease of administration, as Ethernet technology is used;
Lower price for organizing a SAN using the iSCSI protocol than using FC.
Easy integration into virtualization environments
Eat certain restrictions on using storage systems with the iSCSI protocol with some applications, with Real Time systems and when working with a large number of video streams in HD format
High-level storage systems based on iSCSI, as well as storage systems with the FC protocol, require the use of fast, expensive Ethernet switches
From the point of view of the interfaces used, the iSCSI protocol uses 1Gbit/C Ethernet interfaces, and they can be either copper or fiber-optic interfaces when operating over long distances.
SAS protocol
The SAS protocol and interface of the same name are designed to replace parallel SCSI and achieve higher throughput than SCSI. Although SAS uses a serial interface as opposed to the parallel interface used by traditional SCSI, SCSI commands are still used to control SAS devices. SAS allows you to provide a physical connection between a data array and several servers over short distances.
Acceptable price;
Ease of storage consolidation - although SAS-based storage systems cannot connect to as many hosts (servers) as SAN configurations that use the FC or iSCSI protocols, there are no difficulties with using the SAS protocol additional equipment for organization shared storage for multiple servers.
The SAS protocol allows for higher throughput using 4 channel connections within a single interface. Each channel provides 3 Gb/s, which allows you to achieve a data transfer rate of 12 Gb/s
Limited reach - the cable length cannot exceed 8 meters. Thus, storage with a connection via the SAS protocol will be optimal only when the servers and arrays are located in the same rack or in the same server room;
The number of connected hosts (servers) is usually limited to several nodes.
Protocol comparison storage system connections
Below is pivot table comparison of the capabilities of various protocols for interaction with storage systems.
|
Parameter |
Storage connection protocols |
||
|
Architecture |
SCSI commands are encapsulated in an IP packet and transmitted over Ethernet, serial transmission |
Serial transmission of SCSI commands |
Dial-up |
|
Distance between the disk array and the node (server or switch) |
Limited only by the distance of IP networks. |
No more than 8 meters between devices. |
50,000 meters without the use of specialized repeaters |
|
Scalability |
Millions of devices – when working over the IPv6 protocol. |
32 devices |
256 devices 16 million devices if you use FC-SW (fabric switches) architecture |
|
Performance |
1 Gb/s (up to 10 Gb/s) |
3 Gb/s using 4 ports up to 12 Gb/s | |
|
Investment level (implementation costs) |
Minor - Ethernet is used |
– storage devices connected directly to the network. Unlike other systems, NAS provides file access to data and nothing else. NAS devices are a combination of a storage system and the server to which it is connected. In its simplest form, a typical network server that provides file resources is a NAS device: All the disadvantages of this scheme are similar to the DAS topology, with some exceptions. Among the added disadvantages, we note the increased, and often significantly, cost - however, the cost is proportional to the functionality, and here there is often “something to pay for.” NAS devices can be the simplest “boxes” with one ethernet port and two hard drives in RAID1, allowing access to files using only one CIFS (Common Internet File System) to huge systems in which hundreds of hard drives can be installed, and file access is provided by dozens of specialized servers inside the NAS system. The number of external Ethernet ports can reach many tens, and the storage capacity can reach several hundred terabytes (for example, EMC Celerra CNS). Such models can be far superior to many midrange SAN devices in terms of reliability and performance. Interestingly, NAS devices can be part of a SAN network and not have their own drives, but only provide file access to data located on block storage devices. In this case, NAS takes on the function of a powerful specialized server, and SAN takes on the function of a data storage device, that is, we get a DAS topology composed of NAS and SAN components. NAS devices are very good in heterogeneous environments where fast file access to data is needed for many clients at the same time. It also provides excellent storage reliability and system management flexibility coupled with ease of maintenance. We won’t dwell too much on reliability - this aspect of storage systems is discussed above. As for a heterogeneous environment, access to files within a single NAS system can be obtained via TCP/IP, CIFS, NFS, FTP, TFTP and others, including the ability to operate the NAS as an iSCSI-target, which ensures operation with different OSes, installed on the hosts. As for ease of maintenance and management flexibility, these capabilities are provided by a specialized OS that is difficult to break down and does not need to be maintained, as well as by the ease of delimiting access rights to files. For example, it is possible to work in a Windows environment Active Directory with support for the required functionality - this can be LDAP, Kerberos Authentication, Dynamic DNS, ACLs, assigning quotas (quotas), Group Policy Objects and SID history. Since access is provided to files, and their names may contain the characters various languages, many NAS provide support for UTF-8, Unicode encodings. You should approach the choice of NAS even more carefully than DAS devices, because such equipment may not support the services you need, for example, Encrypting File Systems (EFS) from Microsoft and IPSec. By the way, you can note that NAS are much less common than SAN devices, but the percentage of such systems is still constantly, albeit slowly, growing - mainly due to the displacement of DAS. The last notes
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