File storage/backup server - Overclock.net

kdbolt70 · 09-30-09

Hey everyone. I'm a software engineer starting a small startup company. I'd like to store both my code and important documents on a RAID 1 server located in my office. We have lots of computers here, but most are in use for development. I do have one older machine I'm not using, its a slim HP dc500 with a P4 and 512 RAM. I have a copy of Server 2008 I'd like to use for my server, as I may use it to also do some ASP.NET deployment testing. This computer does not have SATA ports on the mobo, but it does have some available PCI slots that I could get a SATA/eSATA adapter to add additional hard drives.

My intention is to get a couple 750 or 1TB Drives (perhaps WD Blacks) in a RAID 1 confiugration for backup. Speed is not really an issue, as we'll rarely be storing large files or streaming media.

So my question comes in two parts. Would this existing HP support this need, with the addition of a RAID adapter? The other problem with this machine is its size, which is too small to house two additional drives; therefore I'd need an external enclosure. If this is the case, I felt it would be best to go eSATA to the adapter. Would this be an adequate setup?

Secondly, would it make more sense to build a server from the ground up, using a 2+ port SATA supported mobo with a simple processor, decent ram (I have 2GB DDR2 800 sticks sitting in a box on my desk), and a new case and psu? This way I'd have bays within the case, and no need for a SATA adapter. This option would inevitably be more expensive (which I'm trying to avoid), but if it will be better suited in terms of hardware and running Server 08, I'd be willing to go for it. If you think this might be better, could you suggest some builds?

Thanks so much for all the help and input guys!

MalVeauX · 10-01-09

Heya,

If running Server 2008, I think I might suggest building a better machine to be your dedicated office server. Several machines will be accessing it, yes? I'd go for a simple dualcore and about 1~2gigs of RAM. As for your drives, since speed is not critical, I'd get some WD 1TB green drives. They're silent, very low power, and perform perfectly fine over networks. You don't need blacks for network speeds. Low heat and low power for a 24/7 server is a good idea too. RAID1 could be used to give yourself a little redundancy, but it's not fool proof. If you want to backup data, you still need to have an externalized plan for it (like rotating out the disks and storing disks with data sets/backups on them away from the machine, and away from the office to avoid theft/fire/wet/etc).

For a relatively cheap but powerful build, here's a suggestion:

Gigabyte Motherboard, GA-MA785GM-US2H. $80 free shipping. It has plenty of SATA ports, RAID, build in HDMI/DVI video, good networking, small form factor, but plenty of expansion. Allows AM3 and you can use your DDR2 800 ram with it perfectly fine. I have this exact motherboard in my server. It's really fantastic. And I'm also running Server 2008 on it.

AM3 Regor 250 3.0ghz DualCore 65watt $76 free shipping. Great CPU for the price. Low power. Very speedy.

Corsair 400w PSU $50, solid PSU. Very quiet. Dependable. Plenty of SATA connections for multiple drives.

Since you already have the RAM, you're set here for about $200 with a brand new very solid little low powered dualcore setup with tons of features. You get lots of SATA ports inside, even an eSATA port built right in. Great little setup. Add your DDR2 and you're good to go.

WD 1TB Green $80 free shipping. Two of these in RAID1 would be great. But again, you might want to have multiple disks to swap out data sets if you want to back things up. Alternatively, you could go for smaller disks, like 320g or 500g drives, and just get several of them for swapping out data sets.

Note: Give Server 2008 it's own drive to work from. Keep your RAID1 setup separate so that you can swap out disks. That way you have no real issues with swapping out data sets.

Coolmaster Elite RC-331-KKN1-GP Black $50, free shipping. Has tons of space for mATX and ATX boards, plenty of room for several HDD's.

On a separate note, regardless of what you do, it may be a good idea to get dedicated NIC's from Intel if you have several machines that will be using this server in the office. They're relatively cheap, so it's a worthwhile investment.

Very best,

e_dogg · 10-01-09

Excellent advice above. Windows Server products really need more than 512mb of memory.

If you want to put that old HP to use, you could use it as a test machine to see how your software runs on older, limited hardware.

And, after seeing my next door neighbor's house go up in flames a few weeks ago, I'm a firm believer in offsite backups. I'm planning on getting a couple of external hard drives to rotate between my house and a bank's safe deposit box, so it's not that difficult.

Joeteck · 10-01-09

I think running a NAS would be your better choice... no software license for windows 2003/ 2007 required.. you can get them RAID 5 if you like... Thecus is a very good brand.

DuckieHo · 10-01-09

Software development?

Have you thought about using an application like PVCS (aka Merant Version Manager)? You create archives of your software and define development/testing/production levels. It is a hassle for on the fly developing but helps to enforce strict code release procedures.

Joeteck · 10-01-09

I have this device... with two 1TB drives in RAID 1

However, I think this is what you need.

5 drive version

killnine · 10-01-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckieHo

Software development?

Have you thought about using an application like PVCS (aka Merant Version Manager)? You create archives of your software and define development/testing/production levels. It is a hassle for on the fly developing but helps to enforce strict code release procedures.

PVCS can burn in hell.

If you want something simple, get a copy of VisualSVN to work as a server. Then use TortoiseSVN for your clients. Unless you have thousands to spend on licenses and support, PVCS is a waste of time. Its complicated to do parallel development because it doesn't handle multiple locks well, and it just seems antiquated in this day and age.

I would recommend a real rack server with enterprise parts (xeon, ecc ram, etc.)

DuckieHo · 10-01-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by killnine

PVCS can burn in hell.

If you want something simple, get a copy of VisualSVN to work as a server. Then use TortoiseSVN for your clients. Unless you have thousands to spend on licenses and support, PVCS is a waste of time. Its complicated to do parallel development because it doesn't handle multiple locks well, and it just seems antiquated in this day and age.

I would recommend a real rack server with enterprise parts (xeon, ecc ram, etc.)

I was just providing an example.

killnine · 10-01-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckieHo

I was just providing an example.

Haha, no worries. Came off like a prick but I worked with PVCS for a couple years and hated it. With the company I am now with we use VS2008 + SVN + Atlassian Crucible/Fisheye and its great.

DuckieHo · 10-01-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by killnine

Haha, no worries. Came off like a prick but I worked with PVCS for a couple years and hated it. With the company I am now with we use VS2008 + SVN + Atlassian Crucible/Fisheye and its great.

No worries. You and I just want to stress the importance of strong coding habits. Code should be treated as a living document that changes over time. Sometimes, you need to go back and check what changed.

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File storage/backup server

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