[mdlug] NAS Recommendations

[Robert Adkins II]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org 
> [mailto:mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org] On Behalf Of Adam Tauno Williams
> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2014 10:54 AM
> To: mdlug at mdlug.org
> Subject: Re: [mdlug] NAS Recommendations
> 
> On Sat, 2014-03-15 at 10:25 -0400, Robert Adkins II wrote: 
> > I think the first step in my server migration should be to 
> review NAS 
> > solutions that will provide me with some flexibility and redundancy.
> > I would like some recommendations and suggestions based upon the 
> > things I'm looking at doing.
> 
> My suggestion would be to skip NAS and go with a SAN, 
> especially as you are doing visualization anyway.  A SAN 
> makes for a simpler device, often better performance, a 
> clearer distinction between your storage network and your 
> application network, and is much more flexible [1]
> 
> Most SANs now support iSCSI [ethernet], Fiber-Channel, or ***direct
> SAS*** connect [2]; using direct-connect SAS avoids all 
> intermediary hardware costs with the connection being as 
> simple as a SAS cable [3] 
> 
> [1] if you want to host a Samba service for shared volumes, 
> etc.... just do that via a virtual machine hosting Samba 
> services - you can upgrade, configure, etc... in all the 
> myriad ways Samba can be configured and upgrade it whenever - 
> otherwise you are limited by the vendor's updates, supported 
> configurations, etc...
> 
> [2] the limitation of direct SAS connect is the number of 
> hosts that can connect - usually 4.  But for a 'standard' 
> virtualized cluster of three hosts this works fine.
> 
> [3] iSCSI really demands secondary isolated Ethernet switches 
> and cabling and FC (the fastest solution) requires FoC 
> adapters in the servers and fiber-optic patch cables.
>

	All of that is well and good, except that it raises the threshold of
knowledge if I am not immediately available and the host server dies,
bringing down all the VMs, while the hardware for the shared drives is still
chugging along and able to continue serving, if only it had something to
authenticate AND or get files onto the network with.

	If there is a NAS solution that will use a Samba PDC for user
authentication and provide me with the granular control of shared resources
that I must have, that would be the best option. Especially if I can setup
an automatic network back-up of the NAS to another identical unit that could
be made into the "live" server in cases of calamity.

	The goal is to keep email and fileserving flowing and if there is a
failure that a total and complete neophyte can perform a couple of clicks
and bring up a back-up server with VMs that are clones of the most recently
active VMs to keep email and fileserving flowing. No, they cannot be asked
to move any cables or switch around any hardware. 

	"Bullet Proof" and super simple are the goals.

	-Rob