NAS @ HOME part 1 building
 Penguin computing power! |
Here we goes, I’ve receive yesterday all missing hardware to finish the building of my own NAS. A NAS (or Network Attached Storage) is a hard disk storage device that is set up with its own network address rather than being attached directly to the computer that is serving applications or files to a network’s users. By using a NAS, both applications and files can be served faster because they are not competing for the same processor resources. The NAS is attached to a local area network (typically, an Ethernet network) and assigned an IP address. … Here is some pictures…Nothing really special, if You already know how to build a computer by Your own… |
 | The 4 Western Digital Hard disks RAID optimized because they have been made to have a time-limited error recovery which improves compatibility with RAID adapters, and prevents drive fallout caused by the extended hard drive error-recovery processes common to desktop hard drives. "Desktop drives are designed to protect and recover data, at times pausing for as much as a few minutes to make sure that data is recovered. Inside a RAID system, where the RAID controller handles error recovery, the drive needn’t pause for extended periods to recover data. In fact, heroic error recovery attempts can cause a RAID system to drop a drive out of the array. WD RE is engineered to prevent hard drive error recovery fallout by limiting the drive’s error recovery time. With error recovery factory set to seven seconds, the drive has time to attempt a recovery, allow the RAID controller to log the error, and still stay online." from Western Digital These drives along with the Maxtor Maxline III have 60 months guaranty: highly recommended! Ask the shop to provide You disks not from the same batch, to reduce statically disk fallout. |
 | In order to replace a faulty RAID disk as fast as possible, it is not a bad idea to put a number on them. Normally hard disks in a NAS are into zero force and hot swap bays. But they cost at least 250$ for 4 drives… |
 | First batch of 3 disks (3 x 320GB Western Digital). Using a Thermaltake Armor tower help a lot in my setting. |
 | Same remark, it is obvious but cables can also fail, and it is not recommended to pull out the wrong cable if the array is online. |
 | Second batch of 3 disks, the number 6 will be mounted later. |
 | Thermaltake provide in the front bay a really good cooling fan with an integrated blue led. |
 | The Asus A8N-VM mainboard mini ATX, Nvidia 6150/430 Video, socket 939, SATA RAID 0,1,5 Ohhh no, cables are starting to pop out the case. Do not expect to see a Mackintosh ordered internal case in the next few pictures… |
 | Routing cables, the case has a lot of possibilities to hide them. The AMD Athlon 64 3000+, Socket 939, Venice core, is cooled down by a Zallmann CNPS9500 |
 | Bringing power to all disks. |
 | Front of the case, the mainboard along with the additional hardware RAID card (Promise SuperTrak EX8350, SATA2) has more than 14 SATA ports…plenty of extensions possibilities with a case of…20 bays. |
 | The front cooler will be able to suck air freely. |
 | Power ON! The system is making a lot of noise (not only coming from FANs), I reduce the Zallmann noise (horrible at full speed) with the included speed controller. |
 | Detail on the Zalmann CNPS9500 LED |
