#Network Attached storage

[birdswhoownnothing]

What does storage mean to you?

[la-principessa-nuova]

if your file server is acting up, make sure to check for lesbians in the server room

[daniel-nerd]

not me spending 2k on a custom NAS

its gonna be a bit overkill for a NAS but I could also use it as a general server for vpn, mc, etc

[gavingwhiz]

I got fed up with how much modern streaming sucks and built my own damn service at home with nothing more than my Christmas bonus and stubbornness (and dozens of helpful posts by better nerds online).

[amalgamasreal]

@teakayblog

I was going to respond to this in the replies but I figure this is a good moment to explain this type of thing a bit more in depth.

A NAS, or Network-Attached Storage is basically exactly as it says on the tin. It's a piece of hardware that sits on your home network with digital storage on it that it makes available to people on your network through ethernet or wifi.

They come in a wide range of capabilities ranging from just a simple set of hard drives with no other features other than storage to more advanced options that allow for things like media streaming and have mobile apps that you can put on your phone for things like auto-backups that will run when they detect that you're on the home network. All the way up to full on NAS Servers like what I run at home which are full computers dedicated entirely to storage and media management running their own OS (Unraid in my case) and with what people might consider an inordinate amount of storage for a private person.

If you go on basically any tech shopping site and search for NAS you'll find them available. A word of warning though, they are more expensive than DAS (direct-attach storage) like external hard drives, sometimes MUCH more expensive but their capabilities for people like myself make it worthwhile.

The brands I recommend looking into if you're not tech savvy are Synology and QNAP. They have options for people who've never touched a NAS before and want something that just works all the way up to people who want 70% the benefits of a NAS server but don't want to build one themselves or spend the full price on having a full one built.

SOURCE

Bit of a long video but worth a watch.

TL;DW though is that hidden in the Terms and Conditions for Google's AI Labs is a nice little poison pill that says they get access to your entire Google Drive if you opt in.

So if you're an author of some type and you keep your unpublished works in your G-Drive that means an AI will get to scrape all of it and by opting in you will have given them permission to it. The content creator goes on to predict that Google is going to let out their own streaming service where the scripts, and potentially the art if it's animated, will be almost or entirely AI generated using that scraped data as a baseline and the authors/artist's who's work was essentially stolen in its most raw form to crib from will have zero way of fighting Google on that in our current legal system.

This is of course right in the middle of the writers and actors strike where we're seeing just what lengths studios will go to in order to screw everyone but themselves.

They go on to recommend that if you keep any creative or personal works on Google Drive that you pull it off as soon as possible and delete your entire Drive. They acknowledge that of course this doesn't mean Google really deleted the data but if you do it before they start compulsory opting everyone in there's a chance your work might get overlooked. They also recommend several free editing programs that aren't run by corporations like Google with LibreOffice (the default office program of most Linux distros) being named.

Finally they go over methods of shaming Google which I feel like you just have to watch for comedies sake so I won't describe them in full.

Now this is from me: I know the majority of people don't have the ability to build and manage a big archive just for themselves, but if you're a creative NOW IS THE TIME to educate yourself on what you can do to protect your works. Cloud storage was always iffy at best, but with AI scraping entering the mix it's now downright malignant. Get a bunch of thumb drives, buy some external hard drives, if you have the money buy a pre-built NAS, and if you really want to get into learn how to build your own NAS. These are the old ways before cloud and they're coming back again, more important than ever.

[essayboardorg]

Building the Ultimate DIY NAS: A Comprehensive Guide with Real-Life Example

[virtualizationhowto]

Configure TerraMaster Hyper Cache NAS SSD Caching

Configure TerraMaster Hyper Cache NAS SSD Caching @terramasters @vexpert #vmwarecommunities #networkattachedstorage #ssdcache

In working with the TerraMaster F4-424 Max, one of the features that I wanted to play around with was the SSD cache on this hybrid NAS. I installed (2) NVMe drives in the unit along with the spindles that I have running in the volume. I wanted to step you guys through how you can set up Terramaster Hyper Cache on a volume for best performance and the options you have there. Table of contentsNAS…

[drastrochris]

I haven't started trying to recover the old NAS, but I have finally put together and configured the new NAS, so I at least have a giant pile of free space to dump data as I try to recover things.

Ugh.

[lincplus-official]

An Ultimate Guide to Unraid OS NAS

Network Attached Storage (NAS) has become an essential component for both home and small business (SMB) environments. With the need for data accessibility, backup, and storage scalability, a reliable NAS system is indispensable. Among the various NAS solutions available, Unraid OS stands out due to its versatility, user-friendly interface, and robust feature set. This guide will explore what Unraid OS is, the advantages of using an Unraid OS NAS, and provide a detailed look at the LincPlus Unraid OS NAS, along with a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

What is Unraid?

Unraid is a Linux-based operating system designed to provide an easy-to-use and flexible platform for building and managing a NAS. Unlike traditional RAID systems, Unraid allows you to mix and match drives of different sizes, which can be added to the array as needed. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want to expand their storage capabilities over time without being constrained by identical drive requirements.

Key Features of Unraid:

Flexibility: Add any number of drives, of any size, and mix and match them in your array.

Simplicity: Easy-to-use web interface for managing your storage, VMs, and Docker containers.

Protection: Offers parity-based protection to safeguard against drive failures.

Scalability: Easily expand your storage by adding more drives.

Virtualization: Run virtual machines (VMs) directly from the NAS.

Docker Support: Host Docker containers to expand functionality with apps like Plex, Nextcloud, and more.

Unraid OS NAS

An Unraid OS NAS leverages the power of the Unraid operating system to provide a versatile and high-performance storage solution. This type of NAS is suitable for both home users who need a media server and small businesses requiring reliable storage for critical data.

Advantages of Unraid OS NAS:

Cost-Effective: Use off-the-shelf hardware and avoid the high costs of pre-built NAS systems.

Customizable: Build a NAS that fits your specific needs, whether it's for media streaming, data backup, or running applications.

Performance: Optimized for speed and efficiency, especially with 2.5GbE connectivity, ensuring fast data transfer rates.

User-Friendly: The intuitive web interface makes it easy for anyone to set up and manage.

Community Support: A large, active community provides a wealth of knowledge and assistance.

LincPlus Unraid OS NAS

One of the top choices for an Unraid OS NAS is the LincPlus NAS. This device offers an excellent balance of performance, features, and affordability, making it ideal for both home and SMB users.

Specifications:

Feature

Specification

CPU

Intel Celeron N5105

RAM

16GB DDR4

Storage

Supports up to 6 drives (HDD/SSD)

Network

2.5GbE port

Ports

USB 3.0, HDMI, and more

OS

Unraid OS pre-installed

How to Use the LincPlus Unraid OS NAS:

Setup and Installation:

Unbox the LincPlus NAS and connect it to your network using the 2.5GbE ports.

Attach your storage drives (HDDs or SSDs).

Power on the NAS and connect to it via a web browser using the provided IP address.

Initial Configuration:

Log in to the Unraid web interface.

Configure your array by adding your drives. Unraid will offer options for setting up parity drives for data protection.

Format the drives as required and start the array.

Adding Storage:

You can add additional drives to the array at any time. Unraid will incorporate them into the array and adjust parity as needed.

Mix and match drives of different sizes to maximize your storage efficiency.

Setting Up Shares:

Create user shares for different types of data (e.g., media, backups, documents).

Configure access permissions and set up network sharing (SMB, NFS, AFP).

Installing Applications:

Use the built-in Docker support to install applications like Plex, Nextcloud, or any other Docker container.

Alternatively, use the Community Applications plugin to browse and install from a wide range of available apps.

Running Virtual Machines:

Utilize the virtualization features to run VMs directly on the NAS.

Allocate CPU, RAM, and storage resources as needed for your VMs.

Backup and Maintenance:

Set up automated backups to ensure your data is protected.

Regularly check the health of your drives using the SMART monitoring tools built into Unraid.

Keep the Unraid OS updated to benefit from the latest features and security patches.

Conclusion

An Unraid OS NAS, particularly the LincPlus Unraid OS NAS, offers a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective solution for both home and SMB users. With its robust feature set, including 2.5GbE connectivity, easy scalability, and support for Docker and VMs, it stands out as an excellent choice for those looking to build a versatile and high-performance NAS system. By following the setup and usage guidelines, users can maximize the potential of their Unraid OS NAS, ensuring reliable and efficient data storage and management.

Additional Resources:

Unraid Official Website

By leveraging the capabilities of Unraid and the LincPlus NAS, you can build a storage solution that meets your unique needs, whether for personal use or to support your small business operations.

FAQ: Unraid OS NAS

What is Unraid OS and how does it differ from traditional RAID?

Answer: Unraid OS is a Linux-based operating system designed specifically for managing NAS devices. Unlike traditional RAID, Unraid allows you to use drives of different sizes and types in the same array. You can add new drives to expand your storage at any time, without needing to rebuild the array or match the sizes of existing drives. This flexibility makes Unraid ideal for users who plan to expand their storage over time.

What are the hardware requirements for running Unraid OS on a NAS?

Answer: To run Unraid OS, you'll need a 64-bit capable processor (x86_64), at least 2GB of RAM (though 4GB or more is recommended), and a USB flash drive of at least 1GB to boot the OS. The LincPlus Unraid OS NAS, for instance, comes with an Intel Celeron J4125 processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, which provides ample performance for most home and small business applications. Additionally, having 2.5GbE network ports enhances data transfer speeds.

Can I use different sizes and types of drives in my Unraid NAS?

Answer: Yes, one of the key advantages of Unraid is its ability to mix and match different sizes and types of drives within the same array. This flexibility allows you to maximize your storage capacity and easily expand your system over time without the need for drives to be identical. You can start with a few drives and add more as needed, making Unraid a cost-effective and scalable solution.

How do I ensure my data is protected on an Unraid NAS?

Answer: Unraid offers several methods to protect your data:

Parity Protection: By configuring one or two drives as parity drives, Unraid can recover data from a failed drive.

Automated Backups: Set up regular backups using plugins or Docker applications to ensure your data is always backed up.

SMART Monitoring: Utilize the SMART monitoring tools in Unraid to regularly check the health of your drives and receive alerts about potential issues.

Redundancy: Keep multiple copies of important data across different drives or even in different locations to prevent data loss from hardware failures.

source:

https://www.lincplustech.com/blogs/news/unraid-os-nas-guide

[nas-stonefly]

Transforming Backup Efficiency: Government Municipality Achieves 35% Faster Backups with DR365V

Discover how a government municipality overcame slow and complex backups with an innovative solution. By implementing DR365V, they reduced their backup window by 35%, enabling faster and more efficient backups. This allowed their IT team to shift focus from backup management to critical tasks, improving overall operational efficiency.

Before the solution, the municipality struggled with slow backups due to tape complexities and manual management processes. These challenges were hindering productivity and causing delays in critical operations. With the DR365V solution, powered by Veeam technology, they experienced significant improvements in backup speeds.

Key features of the solution included:

1. Faster Backups: Integration of NVMe, SSD, and SAS drives accelerated backup processes, reducing the backup window by 35%.

2. Zero Latency: Veeam running directly on the appliance eliminated latency, ensuring quicker backups and recovery operations.

3. Scalability: The solution seamlessly accommodated the municipality’s growing data volume, future-proofing their backup infrastructure.

The DR365V appliance automated manual tasks and introduced policy-based air-gapping and immutability for enhanced reliability and protection against cyber threats.

This success story showcases how a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solution transformed backup operations for a government municipality, enhancing data protection and operational efficiency. To learn more about achieving faster backups and automated ransomware protection, visit our website for further information.

[nas-storage]

Transforming Airline Infrastructure with StoneFly & VMware

An American airline, managing 550 daily flights, faced critical challenges with an outdated data storage system impacting their operational agility and customer service. To resolve this, our Technical Specialists proposed StoneFly’s USS Hyper-converged Infrastructure (HCI), compatible with the airline's existing VMware Horizon hypervisor.

The integration delivered exceptional outcomes:

Simplified Management: Leveraging VMware's familiar environment, the IT team efficiently handled workloads without disruption. Centralized management streamlined operations, automating deployment and upgrades.

Highly Scalable Architecture: StoneFly's HCI provided seamless scalability, ensuring storage and performance growth aligned with the airline's evolving needs, supported by VMware’s solutions.

Easy Configuration and Quick Deployment: StoneFly's user-friendly setup, aided by dedicated tech support and resources, drastically reduced deployment time. Claire, from the DevOps team, praised the pre-configured infrastructure, simplifying the setup process.

Improved ROI & TCO: Consolidating solutions lowered total ownership costs, enabling budget reallocation for customer-centric initiatives. Brian, the IT Manager, highlighted significant cost and time savings due to the streamlined infrastructure.

This collaboration exemplified how modernizing with StoneFly & VMware revolutionized the airline's operations, ensuring scalability, reducing downtime, and enhancing customer experiences. For businesses seeking seamless and scalable infrastructure solutions, StoneFly’s HCI integrated with VMware offers an efficient and future-ready option. Contact our team for a Free Trial or Demo to experience optimized operations and elevate your infrastructure.

Explore the complete case study here to learn more about this success story: VMware & StoneFly Solve Infrastructure Challenges for Airline

[mikeshouts]

ZimaCube: Personal Cloud Storage Goes Big, Goes Fast, And Looking Good While Doing So

This NAS wants to be out in the open.

Follow us for more Tech Culture and Lifestyle Stuff.

[veuhoffblog]

QNAP Virtualization Station: So geht die Virtualisierung mit QNAP

Moderne Speicherlösungen und NAS-Geräte von QNAP bringen eine vielversprechende Palette an genialen Apps und Anwendungen mit. Ob privat oder für den Einsatz im Unternehmen, eine der wichtigsten Funktionen ist für viele die Virtualisierung von Maschinen. Über einen Hypervisor können sogenannte VMs erstellt werden...[Weiterlesen]

[btmzozzle]

Her: You said you had Netflix?

Me: I have something better....

[jefawk]

Saving Storage Space by exporting videos as H.265

Was going through my SSDs and a lot of them have videos that are using H.264 codecs. 

This is old, and still used for uploading on YouTube and stuff, but simple for having it for yourself, completely useless unless your computer is too old for H.265.

I managed to save up 50% space by shoving them in davinci resolve (free program) and exporting them as H.265. It had no visible quality loss but obviously when you do this there will be some quality loss cause it's exporting the video again in a lossy format.

Now you need to wonder if it's worth the effort & electricity. For me it was, because I get to not buy any more gear anytime soon. Damn expensive stuff...

Hope it helps someone.