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Posts tagged antec
FreeNas vs Windows 7 RAID5
1I have created another dilemma for myself in my search for the best backup solution although secretly I love this stuff, any excuse to do something rally geeky.
With my recent purchase of the Synology DS1010+ I’m able to make it work in an apple environment (more on that later) so I’m selling my Drobo V2 which I have been very happy with but didn’t need it anymore since the DS1010+. So I will have four 1TB hard drives looking for a home in this case my brilliant Antec 300 case (best mid size case ever as far as I’m concerned). Housing the four 1TB drives is one thing but what operating system do I install?
My two options are Windows 7 or FreeNas. These are my pros and cons for each. Although the decision does seem simple I wanted the system to be primarily a backup solution:
MAC PRO (primary files) –> SYNOLOGY DS1010+ (backup) –> OLD PC (secondary backup)
I have played with FreeNas in the past. When it works it’s great but when it doesn’t it suffers from everything LINUX based, it’s a real pain in the neck to track the problem and fix. With Windows 7 it’s still not that clear cut. The system can be slow, it’s more demanding on CPU and I’ve not fully tested RAID 5 as a reliable backup solution. I could buy a RAID card, but I don’t see the need to spend another £100+ when I’m about to move away from the Drobo.
In the end, I felt all the advantages that Windows 7 had to offer outweighed FreeNas. I had already purchased a Windows 7 license anyway so the monetary factor was not an issue. The pros are heavy; websites, emails, editing, gaming as well as backup completely outweighed FreeNas in every other regard.
Right now, I’m archiving files off my Drobo onto this Windows 7 machine, it’s not superfast but it gets the job done. Once I’ve completed the copy I will remove the drives out of the Drobo and insert them into the PC; I shall try to configure it for RAID 5 but I have never tried it before so it’ll be a first for me! I will post transfer speeds when that’s done.
Antec 300. My messy case!
13 years ago
I’m an Apple Mac fan. Although I own three Apple computers I still can’t get away from Microsoft Windows. I’m quite happy with the latest incarnation Windows 7 which is the only reason I have it around.
Built around the Antec 300, it has become my third backup solution of my photos.
As you can see from the photos, it’s full of cables; I’m ashamed of my cable management skills. It was tidy, but after consistantly inserting and pulling out components I gave up!
These photos were taking with a Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye lens and a D300.
More photos can be viewed here
Antec 300 & Adaptec 2410 Raid controller
04 years ago
by Terry
in Geek stuff
I spent some hard earned money yesterday; I bought a new Antec 300 case and the Adaptec 2410 raid controller for my server. I still haven’t decided on which OS so I’ve left it until I receive those two components and I will try to document as much as I can to help out those who also want to build a dedicated Raid Server.
My requirements are clear:
- Stable Operating System. So it will probably be a Linux variation (I’m open to suggestions).
- GUI interface. I dislike CLI.
- Dual boot to Windows 7 so it can double as a normal PC. I don’t need access to Raid partition from W7.
- Raid 5 configuration, so it must be compatible with Adaptec 2410 controller.
- Very reliable and updatable.
The front runner is Ubuntu Server Edition, but I don’t know enough about it to make an informed decision at this time. Researching the OS continues.
Links to Antec 300 review
*** UPDATE 25 Sept 2010 ***
There is a massive limitation of the Raid controller in that it only allows a maximum volume of 2TB. That is a huge limiting factor when I need a solution than can expand beyond 8TB in the long term. Currently I’m using Windows 7 as my third tier backup solution after my Synology DS1010+ I bought a few weeks ago.
