NAS Storage & Active Directory.

BoomAM

BoomAM

BoomAM

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Hi.
Can someone tell me how exactely some of these NAS devices that advertise AD compatibility actually intergrate into AD?
Is it simply a case of installing some software that adds to AD another 'server' to it, that then allows users/devices to be made on the NAS? Or is there something more to it?

Thanks in advance all. :).
 
BoomAM said:
Hi.
Can someone tell me how exactely some of these NAS devices that advertise AD compatibility actually intergrate into AD?
Is it simply a case of installing some software that adds to AD another 'server' to it, that then allows users/devices to be made on the NAS? Or is there something more to it?

Thanks in advance all. :).
Click to expand...

Usually, it simply means the NAS box can query the Active Directory (much the same way a PC can) to see if a user has the access rights needed to carry out an operation.

For example a user connects to a share on the NAS box. The NAS box will check Active Directory to see what groups the user is a member of in the directory and then either allow or deny the access.
 
So the NAS box will simply show up in AD as a type of group/policy?
In the same way that, for example, setting a user to be part of the 'power user' group, allows it power user priviledges?
So it wouldnt allow the NAS to function as a AD device in the way that any user account created would have all its storage requirements dumped on the NAS rarther than the main server? It would simply allow said users to view or not view the storage device and save to it?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
disclaimer, I don't own a NAS but i'm sure it's as wasc said, you point the NAS to a domin controller so for folder permissions you can assign domain security groups to those permissions. It doesnt as act as a server for user accounts etc but it checks the DC to see if people can access the files, im sure the infrant box works in this way :)
 
So how would NAS's like the Iomega ones work, which themselves run Server 2K3 Storage Edition?

Thanks for the input guys/gals. :)
Much appriciated. :)
 
BoomAM said:
So how would NAS's like the Iomega ones work, which themselves run Server 2K3 Storage Edition?

Thanks for the input guys/gals. :)
Much appriciated. :)
Click to expand...

They normally function the same sort of way as a windows PC or server. You simply "share" folders on the box with the security permissions you require.
 
Hmm.
Might have to suggest one.
The old techys at my place suggested some extremely expensive, and imo, overpowered, NAS systems from Iomega that were basically self contained servers. Im thinking of plumping for one of the NASs that are AD compatible, but allow me to choose the drives. Allowing easyier expansion in the future.
 
BoomAM said:
Hmm.
Might have to suggest one.
The old techys at my place suggested some extremely expensive, and imo, overpowered, NAS systems from Iomega that were basically self contained servers. Im thinking of plumping for one of the NASs that are AD compatible, but allow me to choose the drives. Allowing easyier expansion in the future.
Click to expand...

We have used one of these in our company;

http://www.thecus.com/products_over.php?cid=1&pid=8

We just whacked 4 disks in, and set it up as a Raid 5 array with 1 hot spare. Supports Active Directory so you can join it to your AD domain like a workstation :)
 
NAS systems runnig Windows Storage server are normally utilised at the high end as such the price will match accordingly.

Windows Storage Server proves useful for consolidating storage, providing high avaliability functions and improved file SMB network access as well as active directory authentication.

A NAS box that implies AD intergration means that it can query it for authentication of users connecting to the box, it will show up in AD as an object with the hostname given too it providing it has been joined too the domain and can be linked too much as you would a standard file server.

But this is model and manufacturer specific.
 
So which one would i need to allow me an easy way to set it up so that all of a users areas are stored on there, and not anywhere else?
Because we dont really need something that just acts as another storage drive, we could do with something that'll allow users to be stored on there.
 
I would recommend a Windows Storage Server powered NAS device specially if you were to store user profiles or home folders on it.

Personally though i would consider an entry level SAN or storage enclosure device for the above task.
 
Would it be easyier/recommended to just attach a USB drive to the main server.
The reason being is that the old technicians wanted to spent 5k on these 3 Iomega things for just 1.5Tb of storage.

Something thats far cheaper than that, but allows me to choose the drives, and runs server storage 2k3, would be ideal.
 
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