home Repair Nas storage from an old computer. Where to store large files? Building a home server. Failure during reconstruction

Nas storage from an old computer. Where to store large files? Building a home server. Failure during reconstruction

This small tutorial will help you build a complete NAS server from an old computer. If you are ready to buy new components and make your file storage compact and give it a more modern look and functionality, then the article is more suitable for you. Well, for lovers of ready-made solutions, I prepared this material:. Now let's go back to the old PC and evaluate its capabilities.

Requirements for an old PC

SATA connectors on the motherboard, since HDDs with this interface have the best ratio price / performance and have a much larger volume, unlike IDE hard drives.
The number of connectors for connecting hard drives on the motherboard and free slots in the case (the ability to install HDDs in 5.25-inch bays (special boxes)) For HTPC assembly, I use such boxes with 2 slots for 2.5″ HDD .
If there are not enough SATA plugs on the power supply, you can use special IDE-SATA adapters.

Procedure for Installing an HDD in an Enclosure

To install 3.5-inch hard drives in 5.25-inch optical drive bays, place them in a special box (see figure).

Such cases can also be made in the form of rails that are attached to the HDD on both sides.

You can also use the five-inch bay in which the optical drive is installed, since its need is eliminated in the server solution.

Software installation

To implement the server solution, we will use the software FreeNAS. Download the ISO image from the link for a 32-bit or 64-bit system and burn at minimum speed to a CD-R\RW disc. If there is no blank, you can install it on a USB flash drive, how to do it bootable flash drive written in . Temporarily connect the disk drive (which you removed earlier) to the PC or use USB drive). Go into the BIOS and set the Boot section to boot from the drive. After installation software and restarting the PC, remember its IP address, which will be shown on the screen.

Setting up the NAS server

Connect the NAS server to your network. Open a browser on your work computer on this network and type in the address bar: http://"IP address of your NAS". In the window that appears, enter the username - admin and password - freenas. Go to menu Storage | volumes | Create Volume" and select the hard drives that will form the RAID array. Next, activate the ZFS file system.

Can be used:

RAID 0- a disk array of increased performance, without fault tolerance.
RAID 1— mirrored disk array, has high reliability

We will use RAID 1 as more reliable. Now click "Add Volume" to format your drives into an array.

Access to the NAS server on the local network

To open access to the server, go to the menu Services | Control Services, enable CIFS services and configure access in the partition Sharing | Windows Shares». As with any network medium local network access is via Windows Explorer (for example, \\NAS to access the root, or \\NAS\Photos to access a specific shared folder). You can also make shortcuts by clicking on the "Map network drive" button in the Computer window (Windows 7) under the explorer line.

P.S. You can always make an additional array by adding hard drives, and you can also configure access for remote use your NAS server.

Some information about the dangers of using RAID

RAID is a redundant array of independent hard drives. RAID is not a storage system backups, it only helps to improve the comfort of accessing data. A RAID system is a set of HDDs combined into one array. If your HDD if it fails, you can replace it, and then restore the RAID and your data will be with you, excluding the RAID 0 array.

Disadvantages of RAID 0

This mode gives only the speed of data access. In Striping Mode (interleaved mode), data is divided into blocks and written simultaneously to multiple hard drives. When one breaks hard drive all data will be lost.

Disadvantages of RAID 1

RAID 1 uses data mirroring, meaning that the second drive has an identical copy of the data. There is one vulnerable spot - possible malfunction controller, which will damage both media.

Disadvantages of RAID 1 and RAID 5

During the RAID recovery process, the write speed is high, and if one hard drive fails, it can cause another hard drive to fail, and, consequently, data loss.

Also, a faulty RAID controller can lead to HDD failure. In RAID arrays, changes are applied to files and if data is accidentally deleted or changed, the actions are irreversible.

Introduction

If more than two computers are installed in your home or your organization, it already becomes necessary to share data, often to a newly connected flash drive, as well as a printer or external hard drive. Along with this, it is often necessary to allocate a photo gallery or media library on a separate device. It is extremely inconvenient to use one of the working computers for this, especially if you use wireless network and there are increased security requirements. It is easier, more convenient and more practical to use a dedicated data storage, but not just a network drive, NAS, but a server that, in addition to working with network folders, can provide FTP access for downloading files over the Internet, can act as a web server for a simple site, media libraries and network basket. Such a device with low power consumption can operate 24x7, be very compact and silent. For home use, it will also pull a BitTorrent client for round-the-clock traffic exchange. By setting such a Torrent client to a sparing speed, you can not be afraid that it will heavily load your communication channel, but at the same time, working around the clock, it will download files faster.

In fact, such mini-servers, even if they look like a chassis for a hard drive, are full-fledged computers, with its processors, memory and operating system. Therefore, many users prefer to allocate older computers for them, packing them in compact cases with silent cooling. Today we have an unusual case: we will consider two ideologies for creating mini-servers: self-assembly, or buying a ready-made solution in a store. In the left corner of the ring is a miniature low-power Mini-ITX system, in the right - I-Stor IS607.

Our conditions: the system must be compact, functional, with a maximum of one fan and, of course, with a large amount of space on the HDD.

Long live affordable Mini-ITX

The Mini-ITX format saw the light back in 2001, when it was introduced by VIA for compact computers for which low power consumption, record-breaking small size and compatibility with the x86 architecture are important. Many of us have seen 170x170 mm VIA EPIA motherboards with integrated processors and passive cooling, many dreamed of using them at home, but these boards, like processors, had two extremely negative moments: low performance, sometimes unacceptable for the Windows XP operating systems most needed at home, and high cost, for which it was possible to assemble half of a MicroATX format computer. But as usual, Intel corrected the situation by releasing affordable D201GLY µATX format motherboards with integrated Celeron 215 processors with a 533 MHz system bus back in 2007. And although compatibility with the Mini-ITX standard (more precisely, with the dimensions and layout of VIA EPIA boards that set the industry standard) is not 100%, the board dimensions of 171.45x171.45 mm allow it to be squeezed into Mini-ITX Chassis. Therefore, we will talk about this form factor.

Naturally, this board, or rather its updated version of the Intel D201GLY2A, looks like the best option for a home mini-server or network drive. Why is this board based on SiS662 + SiS964 logic "non-native" for the processor giant, when a series of D945GCLF boards based on Intel chipset 945C + ICH7 on an Atom processor? Because according to performance tests, Atom loses to the old Celeron 215, and the advantages of energy-saving technologies are completely repulsed by the voracity of the north bridge. As a result, according to our colleagues, the novelty consumes more and gives less. So we choose D201GLY2A, which is several times cheaper than analogues from VIA.

Specifications of the system Intel boards D201GLY2A

Form factor Mini-ITX, MicroATX compatible, 171.45x171.45mm

CPU:

Integrated graphics core SiS Mirage

Audio codec ADI AD1888

Network adapter Broadcom 10/100 Mbps

Ports on the rear panel:

1 serial COM port

1 parallel LPT port

2 USB port 2.0

1 network RJ45 port

1 VGA onboard video adapter port

3 audio jacks 3.5 mm

2 PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse.

Internal ports:

4 USB 2.0 risers

2 Serial ATA ports

1 dual lane Parallel ATA port

Riser for connecting audio ports

Hardware monitoring:

Voltage sensor

temperature sensor

Two 3-pin fan connectors

Fan speed control

Retail price - about 65$

What can I say motherboard at by Intel turned out to be very interesting. At $60 with a processor, this board quickly found its way into our lab as an OEM package.

A fee for the lazy: you don’t need to choose and install a processor, or a cooler. Just add a memory module, power supply - and it will start!

It should only be understood that all these years we have been saying Mini-ITX, but we meant VIA EPIA, and then suddenly Intel appeared with its own solutions ... Yes, it is not entirely compatible with the standards set by VIA, and we will still encounter this when assembling mini servers. In the meantime, it's time to choose a case.

There are a lot of Mini-ITX cases on the market, there are plenty to choose from. Here are just really compact ones that use the main advantage this format- units. The most famous in Russia are Casetronic, G-Atlantic and Morex. Having studied the pros and cons of each of them, we make a choice in favor of the most compact Mini-ITX case that you can buy in Moscow.

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The FreeNAS operating system will run on any personal computer. If too much system block with the ability to install multiple hard drives you do not have, then assemble a new one, following our recommendations.

As a basis for NAS systems we chose the Prodigy case from BitFenix. It has six bays for installing 3.5-inch hard drives. ASRock E350M1 Compact Motherboard with Integrated Dual Core central processing unit provides sufficient performance and provides four SATA connectors for connecting hard drives.

To use six drives, you will need to install a controller board with two SATA ports. FROM motherboard compatible two RAM modules Kingston HyperX 4 GB each. We chose the quiet and energy-efficient be quiet model as the power supply. pure power L8 with a power of 300 W, and we recommend quiet hard drives - such as, for example, WD Red (2 TB).

2. Assembly of components

If you strictly follow the instructions in the user manual for the BitFenix Prodigy case, then there should be no problems when assembling the computer. It should be noted that the power supply is best installed vent hole downwards, and the hard drives are inserted into the chassis with the sled connectors forward.

3. Connection

First connect to system board power and reset button connectors, and LED indicators, since later access to them will be significantly difficult. It is recommended to connect hard drives from the side of the case where the power and reset buttons are located.

4. Installing FreeNAS on a flash drive

Unpack on a PC with an operating system Windows system FreeNAS image as well free program Win32 Disk Imager. To do this, use the 7-Zip archiver, which can work with the XZ format.

Insert a flash drive with a capacity of at least 2 GB and launch Win32 Disk Imager. Open the FreeNAS image file by clicking on the folder icon and selecting the drive letter for the Device. Clicking on "Write" will start the process of writing the image to the USB flash drive. Remove the drive from your computer and insert it into the USB port of the NAS you have assembled.

5. First boot NAS

Connect the keyboard as well as the monitor to the NAS you have assembled and connect it with a LAN cable to the router. Turn on the NAS and immediately press the Del button several times to enter the UEFI settings.

In the "Advanced / Super IO Configuration" item, change the value of "Serial Port" to "Disabled" - otherwise FreeNAS will not start. After that, in the "Boot / Boot Option" item, select the flash drive, save the settings and reboot the NAS.

After the reboot, you will see a text menu and an IP address where you can access the FreeNAS web interface.

6. Basic parameters

Open the web interface in a browser on your computer. In the "System / Settings" item, you can change the language to Russian. In the "Time zone" section, select the necessary settings. After clicking on "Save" and pressing the F5 key, the Russian-language interface will load.

7. Disk setup

Using the "Storage/Manage ZFS Volumes" button, you can perform allocation disk space. First, enter "Volume Name", then click on the "+" sign next to "Available Drives". After that, in the "Volume Layout" section, you will see the connected disks. Drag the round silver button up and to the right, as a result, all the disks should be located next to each other. For maximum fault tolerance, select "RaidZ2" from the menu.

8. Create a user account

In the folder tree, click Account/Users/Add User. In the "Username" and "Full Name" section, enter "Guest", click next to "Home Directory" on "Browse" and select the volume created in the previous step.

Activate the "Disable password login" option and confirm your choice by clicking on "OK". Click on the "Storage" icon at the top and on the previously created volume, then at the bottom on the key icon with the "Change Permissions" disk. In the dialog box, select Guest next to Owner (User) and Owner (Group) and click Edit.

9. CIFS setup

Then create a new share with any name in the “Shares / Windows (CIFS)” item and specify the previously created volume as the path. Activate "Allow Guest Access" and "Guest Access Only".

Then click the Services button at the top and the wrench icon behind CIFS. Select the "Anonymous" option in the "Authentication Model" line, enter the NetBIOS name and workgroup name of your PC.

As a guest account, select "Guest" and activate the option "Allow blank password" and "Include home directories". In the "Home Directories" item, select the volume you created earlier.

Finally, enable CIFS using the Services button at the top. Now the network share will be displayed in Windows Explorer at the address "\\\".

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28.05.2012

For many years your old desktop PC served you faithfully, but, in the end, it could no longer cope with modern tasks and applications. It's time to replace it with a more modern one. And now you have to decide what to do with the old car

David Murphy. How to Convert an Old PC into a Modern Server. www.pcworld.com

You can, of course, send it to a landfill. However, let us suggest another solution - build from an old ruin local server. It can be used as storage for automatic creation backup copies of information located on a PC, or as a file server, so that you and other company employees can access it while on the road. And these are just two of the roles that the old PC can take on. In practice, it will bring business much more benefits.

The FreeNAS software installed on your computer lives up to its name: it is a free operating system for creating network devices data storage (network-attached storage, NAS). In addition to being free, FreeNAS is easy to install, configure, and use.

Installing FreeNAS

Before proceeding with the installation of FreeNAS, take a flash drive with a capacity of at least 2 GB. Install FreeNAS on this drive and boot your computer from it. The fact is that the operating system cannot be installed on the drive where the shared data will be placed.

The alternative is to buy a small SSD, install FreeNAS on it, and use it as bootable. However, buying a solid state drive is an extra cost. It makes sense to go to them, perhaps, only if you are seriously worried that someone will take the flash drive with them, not realizing all the consequences of this rash step.

After boot device found, download to your computer latest version FreeNAS from the official website of the operating system.

The resulting disk image (.iso file) must match your computer's configuration: x86 if the machine is equipped with a 32-bit processor; and x64 if you have 64-bit installed. Then burn the image to a blank CD and paste optical disc into the appropriate drive of the future server.

When the computer boots up, specify in the BIOS menu that the machine should be booted from the optical disc.

When all commands of the FreeNAS system based on FreeBSD boot procedure have been executed, a menu consisting of four items will be displayed on the screen. Select the first one, indicating that FreeNAS 8 will be installed (or upgraded) to a hard drive or flash drive, and press the key. The next screen will display all the storage devices connected to your computer. Here you need to select the appropriate flash drive (the operating system will create two partitions on the disk: one --- directly for the OS, the other -- for future FreeNAS updates). You don't need to press anything else.

Then move the cursor to the flash drive, select Yes and press the key. Upon completion of the installation procedure, FreeNAS will display a corresponding message. Press and select the item in the main menu that initiates a system reboot. After the computer starts booting, repeat the procedure that determines from which device the system will be installed by default. This time, specify that the boot will be performed from a flash drive connected to the USB port.

Configuring Storage Device Settings

When FreeNAS finishes booting up, a console will appear on the screen listing the network options supported by FreeNAS. At this stage, the server is already fully operational and ready to perform the required operations.

Let's assume that your system functions normally with the default settings (and if it is connected to the network with an Ethernet cable, then it should be). In this case, the server will be assigned an IP address that gives access to the main FreeNAS settings. Enter this IP address in address bar web browser on any computer connected to the network and press the key.

In the configuration window displayed on the screen, first of all, set the user the desired permissions. In the left pane, select My Account. Set the username to admin, enter the password, and save the changes. For other users, enter a different login and change the password. Safety above all!

To configure storage volumes, click the Storage button on the left upper corner FreeNAS configuration screen. Click the Create Volume button displayed in the main window. Give the volume you create a name and specify the number of devices that will host it. As file system choose ZFS, which has a number of advantages not found in the Unix File System. When combining several devices, you will have the opportunity to choose the type of RAID array that will be used.

After completing the partitioning work, click the Add Volume button. If you want the storage device to be accessible to everyone in the office and you don't have to individually define permissions for each user, click the Change Permissions icon and set the write permission for Group and Other users (make sure the option is also selected). Set Permissions Recursively).

Click big button Change to save the changed configuration.

Defining Shared Resources

So, you have created a storage volume on a machine running FreeNAS. Now you need to set sharing options so that other users can search and access the contents of the disc.

If the office is simultaneously applied Mac systems, Linux and Windows, it makes sense to use the CIFS protocol. If there are only Macintosh computers, it is better to turn to the AFP protocol (although this is not a prerequisite).

Click the Sharing button on the left side of the configuration screen and select Add CIFS Share. Give the share a name and select the volume by clicking the Browse button on the Path bar. The name defined earlier for the volume should appear inside the /mnt/ folder. Click on this name and click the Close button. Make sure the Allow Guest Access check box is checked and click OK.

Click the Services button in the left pane and select Control Services. On the main panel, set the CIFS switch to the "on" position. In the Windows Explorer window, type the FreeNAS IP address (for example, \192.168.0.1) and press the key. The screen displays the resources to which users have access. Map a network drive Windows tools, and you no longer have to enter an IP address in Explorer.

Having done all these operations, we did not mention a few configuration options that play an important role in mapping a shared network drive. In particular, you need to make sure that the CIFS settings (Services, CIFS) are set to the desired working group. If suddenly you find that the sequence of steps described does not work, most likely the reason lies in the network configuration settings. Check if the FreeNAS network settings match those of other computers on the network.

A simple, shared disk created in this way is just the tip of the FreeNAS iceberg. Settings allow you to block disk access certain users and groups, create a sequence of snapshots to restore old versions of documents or completely deleted files, use a powerful combination of Dynamic DNS and FTP to make it easy for remote users to access the data they need.

Backup

If the FreeNAS server will serve as a storage for automatically created backups of client PCs, you need to choose from several commercial or free apps that these clients will contact. On computers where Windows version 7.

Professional and older, you should turn to the built-in Backup and Restore tool (lower versions of the OS do not allow network backup).

Run the app in Windows environment 7 and click on the "Backup settings" link. Click the Save to Network button, then the Browse button and select the FreeNAS folder you created. If the FreeNAS server has already created a Account, enter your username and password. If not, use the default username (admin) and the password you set earlier.

You can let Windows choose the files that the OS considers most important, or you can specify specific files and folders yourself.

Then you should start the backup procedure with the parameters you selected. The archiving procedure will be performed for the first time.

Having a server at home where all kinds of movies and music are stored has been an old obsession. For a certain period of time, the role of the “server” was played by the budget fourteen"-inch Dell laptop , which first broke the charge controller, then the sound.

Inside there were two terabyte hard drives (the DVD drive was replaced with a SATA adapter on the day of purchase), 4 gigabytes of RAM, and Windows 7 Pro (with a "yard" license). It was connected to the router via a 100-megabit network card, and two drives were configured with " shared folders with music and films.

The scheme itself looked awkward, but coped with its task with grief in half: the torrent client worked, BitTorrent Sync, and somehow you could watch movies WiFi from other computers and set-top boxes Xiaomi MiBox connected to the projector. "Somehow" - because the maximum could be opened DVD rip, the discovery took about a minute, rewind almost guaranteed to lead to a hang. And he's wild buzzed fans and had to turn it off at night. Well network folders fell off periodically.

Then the fate of the laptop took a turn, he went to his younger brother, and my old friend returned to me - EeePC 701, which bears the title of the world's first netbook. It was my first mobile computer, he appeared in 2008, and exclusively on his miniature keyboard I wrote lecture notes from the third to the fifth year. And he went to China with me for a whole year. Then I got a more powerful machine, and the netbook went to my younger brother ... and now, after a few years, it has returned to me again. And now he has found a second life.

EeePC 701

The post turned out to be quite lengthy, but I will sum it up. In general, I achieved what I wanted: file storage over 4 TB, torrent rocker works (I control via Transmission from a laptop), photos from phones are backed up via BitTorrent Sync, movies on the network work and do not slow down. Sometimes, however, on large files when viewed with MiBox there is a stop somewhere in the 30th second of playback, but restarting the movie solves this problem. Despite the connection via a 100 Mbit card and USB 2.0, there are no other slowdowns with films, and it is quite comfortable to watch. And almost no noise: under Ubuntu, the netbook practically does not heat up, which cannot be said about its native Windows XP, where it roared like a turbine.

But there is also minuses. Connectors USB is not very hard, and if someone moves the hard drive cables, or touches the EeePC itself, then disks fall off, and you have to restart the system (remount longer). Well, if necessary, copy something heavy from / to NAS speed in 16 Mbps completely upsetting. In the foreseeable future I will try to find a replacement on a normal platform.

UPDATE 2015.07.29: This monster was replaced by a self-assembled HTPC on a MiniITX board. In thought, what to do with the old man next.

How I made a NAS (Network Attached Storage) from an old netbook and four 2.5″ HDDs

// - Notes of the white tiger - Vladimir Zh //

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