Enterprise file services (home areas etc)

[Lanz]

So we are looking at updating our file services. We have about 10TB of file data spread across multiple sites, multiple VM's currently.

Some like smaller, manageable, standard VM's to store users data. (like we have already)

Others are wanting appliances, NAS headers and the like to publish SMB.

Then there's the Microsoft storage spaces solution, a cluster of physicals attached to some JBODs that we publish shares from.

Lots of different options with pro's and con's for each one. Just wondering what people like you lot `out there` are moving towards or what to avoid.

Cheers,

 

[Lanz]

A few votes for Netapp I see.

The main concern with Windows file servers is that NTFS doesn't scale and the problem of long chkdsks comes into play with large volumes. We can distribute volumes using mount mounts and DFS but it adds complexity.

If we went the netapp route, would spending the extra buying a `solution` from a supplier, including the design and documentation be wiser than just buying the required tin and configuring it our ourselves? I'm wary now with new systems when nobody has any experience of the kit, it just takes too long implement and inexperienced, first efforts in these designs always fall short.

 

[Lanz]

Thanks, but from experience, Synology / QNAP are not really enterprise products - ok for a backup repository or something, but not live data that needs performance and 99.999 uptime.