Are there any benefits to a NAS if you have a PC which needs to be always on

[benscoobert]

I've been considering a NAS for a while, but I can't really see the advantage.

I have a PC which needs to be on 24/7 for other reasons, so the power saving factor is irrelevant, is there anything a NAS can do which my PC can't?

Right now I'm thinking spend the extra the NAS would cost me on more disks.

Any thoughts are appreciated? Thanks

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

If your PC can hold all your data and either you don't have other computers needing to access your data or they can get it from your PC over your network, then, since your PC runs 24/7, then there is no real advantage (other than the Geek Factor) unless you use it to backup the data that is on your computer. To do that, you would need to keep the NAS disconnected from the computer and turned off except when making a backup. However, it would be more economical to use the money you would spend on a NAS and its HDDs to buy bare drives for backups—one or more drives per drive in use in your computer—and use them in docks or an enclosure when making a backup.

A bare minimal backup scheme is to have two backups: one onsite and one offsite. I use four HDDs for each one I have in use in my computer. Two are duplicate backup HDD I make daily backups on and keep in a drawer when not making a backup. The other two I keep in my safe deposit box at my credit union; I swap them out with the two HDDs I keep at home at least once a month.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

I also have a 24/7 PC (my server) so it acts as a NAS for me.

A NAS is just good for someone that doesn't have an always on PC.
That said, use a good raid card and get some redundancy going, that is one thing that a good NAS will do.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I also have a 24/7 PC (my server) so it acts as a NAS for me.

A NAS is just good for someone that doesn't have an always on PC.
That said, use a good raid card and get some redundancy going, that is one thing that a good NAS will do.

Unless it's critical that a machine run continuously in the advent of a drive failure, RAID is not necessary, will reduce boot times, may reduce performance (depending on what the RAID is), introduces more opportunities for failure, and increases hardware expense. Also, RAID is not a backup; it will not protect from fire, flood, theft, user error, viruses/malware, mechanical failure that takes out the entire computer, etc. Only discrete backups kept separate from the computer can protect data from those scenarios.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Unless it's critical that a machine run continuously in the advent of a drive failure, RAID is not necessary, will reduce boot times, may reduce performance (depending on what the RAID is), introduces more opportunities for failure, and increases hardware expense. Also, RAID is not a backup; it will not protect from fire, flood, theft, user error, viruses/malware, mechanical failure that takes out the entire computer, etc. Only discrete backups kept separate from the computer can protect data from those scenarios.

Mine isn't "critical", but data loss blows.
4x2TB in RAID5 give great throughput while allowing one drive to die without data loss. Effective storage of 6TB.

Never said it was a backup, I simply said it was a redundancy.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...Never said it was a backup, I simply said it was a redundancy.

True that but most people don't "get" the difference.

 

[benscoobert]

Thank you both for you input.

For the machine to remain running during a failure is not critical to me, the machine actually will be used to back up other machines, in effect it is my off site backup but is also accessed by the other machines.

For my most critical things I use dropbox, sometimes even installing entire programs in dropbox to save my sanity.

I don't think I need to stripe anything, all files pass over Gb lan and most modern drives can max that out.

Still undecided on the NAS but swayed towards the PC doing the work still. I'm hesitant to use the motherboard raid function, it has 0,1 and 5 options.

 

[benscoobert]

Anyone familiar with these?
http://www.dabs.com/products/fujits...512mb--d2616--7QVZ.html?refs=4294946742&src=3
Fujitsu RAID Ctrl SAS 6G 5/6 512MB (D2616)

Any good?

 

[Automata]

That is an LSI card, which should be good. However, that is crazy expensive for what you are doing and only has external SAS. Pick up something in the range of an IBM M1015 (LSI).

Please don't use on board RAID for storing files you care about. Most are unreliable.

For the machine to remain running during a failure is not critical to me, the machine actually will be used to back up other machines, in effect it is my off site backup but is also accessed by the other machines.

Your on-site computer is your off-site backup?

 

[benscoobert]

That is an LSI card, which should be good. However, that is crazy expensive for what you are doing and only has external SAS. Pick up something in the range of an IBM M1015 (LSI).

Please don't use on board RAID for storing files you care about. Most are unreliable.

Your on-site computer is your off-site backup?

Thanks will take a look.
The Gb LAN extends to it, but it is a different building.

 

[benscoobert]

That is an LSI card, which should be good. However, that is crazy expensive for what you are doing and only has external SAS. Pick up something in the range of an IBM M1015 (LSI).

It is here at £50ish
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TNVO4MRA3F1D

or would you take the M1015 at £120
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRU-46M08...Components_InterfaceCards&hash=item338f8a76aa

 

[Automata]

It is here at £50ish
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TNVO4MRA3F1D

or would you take the M1015 at £120
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRU-46M08...Components_InterfaceCards&hash=item338f8a76aa

The first one is a disk?

I'm seeing M1015 cards selling anywhere from £33 - £68, which seems reasonable. Try to find one with a BBU.

 

[benscoobert]

The first one is a disk?

I've emailed to ask what that is all about

I'm seeing M1015 cards selling anywhere from £33 - £68, which seems reasonable. Try to find one with a BBU.

Not in the UK, slim pickings. I wonder if there was a model difference between UK and US cards?

 

[Automata]

Not in the UK, slim pickings. I wonder if there was a model difference between UK and US cards?

I was looking at the UK ebay sold listings. They are certainly selling for that.

Not sure if this search will work, but here. You could find an equivalent version of this card, there are quite a few. M1015 is just one of them.

 

[benscoobert]

I was looking at the UK ebay sold listings. They are certainly selling for that.

Not sure if this search will work, but here. You could find an equivalent version of this card, there are quite a few. M1015 is just one of them.

Oh Thids you gone and done it now!!!! I found the M5015.....I'm thinking do it once and do it right, £220 new....

 

[Automata]

There is no need to spend that much. Cards exist that are cheaper and will perform the same for what you need.

If you want to spend that much for the sake of spending, feel free, I won't argue.

 

[benscoobert]

There is no need to spend that much. Cards exist that are cheaper and will perform the same for what you need.

If you want to spend that much for the sake of spending, feel free, I won't argue.

oh don't you start preaching about overkill!!!!!

I bagged a "used" unopened still sealed one for £140

 

[cw823]

There's a guy @ 2cpu selling M1015 for $75 per.

A ZFS all-in-one might be a good choice. NAS + VM playspace.

 

[benscoobert]

There's a guy @ 2cpu selling M1015 for $75 per.

A ZFS all-in-one might be a good choice. NAS + VM playspace.

Thanks, the deed is done with a M5015

 

[benscoobert]

Decided on 6x3TB drives in RAID 10 and a 128GB boot drive, ordered the sas to 4xsata too