Why use a NAS like i.e. Unraid instead of disks in the Core?

[Raginglynx]

Hi All!

I had another thread that glided into this subject, and I'm curious about the answers.

Please enlighten me

Are there some good reasons to build a NAS instead of collecting all the storage on the Core - stronger performance, maybe?

I got the advice to run an Unraid server as NAS, I'm looking into it, but want to be sure first that it has some major advantages.

rgds,
Christian

[posde]

Main reason:
One can easily add additional NAS without needing to open up the core

[Raginglynx]

Thank you.

But what if I use a chassi that is rack-mounted with a detachable front where the drives are easily accessed? Is there still a good reason to have a big NAS server with all disks?

[posde]

imho all eggs into one basket is something that one should try not to do. i.e. multiple smaller NAS might be a better solution

[joshpond]

I had my NAS (unRAID) before my Core.
I've found I've had to reinstall my core a few times while testing and also just lost the motherboard in my core so I know with the eggs in one basket thing that my data is still safe.

Josh

[Techstyle]

Not sure I agree with the 'data being safe argument'. I have 3 drives in my core, 1 is a PATA 200 Gb drive dedicated to the O/S , the other 2 are SATA media drives. If I want to re-install, I re-install. It is however hot in there and cooling is noisy but that is a different reason. 

[totallymaxed]

Hi All!

I had another thread that glided into this subject, and I'm curious about the answers.

Please enlighten me

Are there some good reasons to build a NAS instead of collecting all the storage on the Core - stronger performance, maybe?

I got the advice to run an Unraid server as NAS, I'm looking into it, but want to be sure first that it has some major advantages.

rgds,
Christian

Hi Christian,

About 80+% of the systems we sell have NAS's as there main media storage device. About 30% also have at least one internal media drive. Our smallest Cores/NC's tend to ship with a single combined system + media drive to keep costs down and to amke sure the system has some media storage 'out of the box'. However a significant number of those small systems also quickly get upgraded with a NAS for there main storage (these systems would have no space internally for an additional drive however...so that distorts the decision somewhat!).

In the near future we expect to ship smaller systems with only a small system drive (probably flash based) and all media storage will be by default on an external device such as a NAS.

Just my 2cents worth...


All the best


Andrew

[trentend]

Is there a network traffic / core load penalty for having NAS based storage, over local storage?  Does this have an impact when scaling a system up?

I can imagine that for a couple of HD streams a NAS is going to work, but when you are recording a number of HD tv programmes along with playing a number HD streams there comes a point where pushing it backwards and forwards over one network link might not be ideal (I will have four satellite tuners and two or three terrestrial tuners with up to five media serving streams potentially working at once). My experience with NAS is that the processing overhead can sometimes slow everything down when it's loaded, where a dedicated server with storage copes better.  Or am I imagining problems that aren't there?

[totallymaxed]

Is there a network traffic / core load penalty for having NAS based storage, over local storage?  Does this have an impact when scaling a system up?

I can imagine that for a couple of HD streams a NAS is going to work, but when you are recording a number of HD tv programmes along with playing a number HD streams there comes a point where pushing it backwards and forwards over one network link might not be ideal (I will have four satellite tuners and two or three terrestrial tuners with up to five media serving streams potentially working at once). My experience with NAS is that the processing overhead can sometimes slow everything down when it's loaded, where a dedicated server with storage copes better.  Or am I imagining problems that aren't there?

Well of course any configuration will have performance limits but in our experience NAS's can usually keep up well with the kind of mix you describe above. If necessary you can use a separate NAS for TV recordings (Myth can easily be configured that way). A gigabit LAN should easily cope in our experience with the kind of traffic you mention above.

All the best


Andrew

[Raginglynx]

Hi Christian,

About 80+% of the systems we sell have NAS's as there main media storage device. About 30% also have at least one internal media drive. Our smallest Cores/NC's tend to ship with a single combined system + media drive to keep costs down and to amke sure the system has some media storage 'out of the box'. However a significant number of those small systems also quickly get upgraded with a NAS for there main storage (these systems would have no space internally for an additional drive however...so that distorts the decision somewhat!).

In the near future we expect to ship smaller systems with only a small system drive (probably flash based) and all media storage will be by default on an external device such as a NAS.

Just my 2cents worth...


All the best


Andrew

Thank you!

Does that mean that if I'm building a big NAS with lots and lots of storage capacity, there's no need for a Core with any storage capacity else than for the OS itself?

Or is there something great with having storage both on the Core and a NAS?

Many questions.. sorry..

//Christian

[totallymaxed]

Thank you!

Does that mean that if I'm building a big NAS with lots and lots of storage capacity, there's no need for a Core with any storage capacity else than for the OS itself?

Or is there something great with having storage both on the Core and a NAS?

Many questions.. sorry..

//Christian

There is no need to have anything other than a drive for the OS in the Core. All your media storage can be on a NAS...or multiple NAS's even.

All the best


Andrew